Tanzania Southern Safari Circuit

The southern parks present a wide range of experiences, from savannah to wetlands, walking safaris to river experiences

The south of Tanzania is mostly a destination for the second-time visitor. The south can also be combined with the Serengeti in the north or linked with the west if time and budget allow. The southern circuit includes parks and reserves that can be visited using Dar es Salaam as a starting point. There's Saadani National Park north of Dar, then two hours to the west the little park of Mikumi on both sides of the highway that meanders down to Iringa and Mbeya and eventually to Zambia or northern Malawi. The Selous Game Reserve to the south of Mikumi is great for river experiences on the Rufiji River and also for walking safaris. Udzungwa Mountains National Park is all about forests, waterfalls and weird endemics, while Ruaha National Park just west of Iringa is the gem of the southern circuit.

The Southern Circuit Safari includes some of the most remarkable and less visited sights in Tanzania. There are fewer tourists because it is less well known than the Northern Circuit. Yours will frequently be the only vehicle on the landscape, and it is easy to imagine that the rest of the world no longer exists as you marvel at the incredible sights of this remarkable area.

Safaris in the south usually start from Dar es Salaam. Reaching Dar is easiest by plane. The safaris easily connect to the Deep South, Zanzibar, Mafia, and Pemba. These areas can be reached by ferry or by plane.

Southern Tanzania also contains a few obscure destinations that are not a part of the usual tourist route:

• Kilombero Valley
• Uluguru Mountains
• Ukuguru Mountains
• Unguru Mountains
• Rubeho Mountains
• Rufiji Delta Ecosystem
• Mahenge Mountains
• Wami Mbiki Conservation Area