At over 20,000 square kilometres Ruaha is the largest national park in Tanzania and among the largest in Africa — and yet it receives a fraction of the visitors that reach the northern circuit. The Great Ruaha River cuts through a landscape of baobab-studded hills and open miombo woodland, drawing extraordinary concentrations of game to its banks as the dry season tightens.
This is a park for the traveller who has done the northern circuit and wants something genuinely wild in return.
FEW VEHICLES
Ruaha: the Southern Wilderness
Per guest, from:
$4,760
$680 per night
BOTH SOUTHERN PARKS
Southern Explorer: Ruaha & Nyerere
Per guest, from:
$8,650
$865 per night
SIXTEEN NIGHTS
The Grand Tanzania
Per guest, from:
$10,690
$668 per night
The river shrinks to a chain of pools and the game concentrates around them. Ruaha's famously large lion prides are at their most visible, and elephant gather along the sand rivers in hundreds.
Short rains bring the first flush of green, migrant birds arrive and impala and zebra begin dropping their young. Excellent value and very few other vehicles.
Dramatic skies, brilliant landscapes and superb birding. Some camps close and some tracks become impassable, but photographers find this the most rewarding light of the year.
Iconic Ruaha Wildlife
Ruaha holds roughly ten percent of the world's remaining lions, in prides that regularly exceed twenty animals — among the largest anywhere in Africa. It is also one of the last strongholds of the endangered African wild dog. The park sits on the transition between East and Southern African ecosystems, so greater and lesser kudu, sable and roan antelope all occur alongside the more familiar plains game.
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Remote by definition — from honest bush camps to the finest tented lodges in southern Tanzania.
Ruaha's guides are among the best-trained walking guides in Tanzania. On foot the park changes scale entirely — tracks, dung, birdsong and the constant awareness of what walked here before you.
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Ruaha is one of a handful of Tanzanian parks licensed for after-dark drives, at roughly USD 59 per person above park fees. Civet, genet, porcupine, honey badger and hunting lion are all regular sightings once the spotlight is up.
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A night out under mosquito nets on a sand river, with a simple camp fire dinner and nothing between you and the stars. The most memorable night of most Ruaha itineraries.
Enquire →Ruaha combines naturally with the rest of the southern circuit.
GOOD TO KNOW
The things our guests ask most before they travel. Still unsure? Speak to a safari specialist — we reply within 24 hours.
Ruaha lies in south-central Tanzania, roughly 130km west of Iringa. Almost all guests fly in — scheduled light aircraft run daily from Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Selous/Nyerere, taking around two hours. The drive from Dar es Salaam is possible but takes a full 10-hour day and is rarely worth it.
June to October is the prime game-viewing window, and October is the single best month as the river shrinks and animals crowd the remaining pools. January to April is green, beautiful and excellent for birds, but some camps close and access is harder. May and November are quiet shoulder months with good value.
They offer different things. The Serengeti has the migration, higher game density and easier access. Ruaha has far larger lion prides, wild dogs, more dramatic scenery and almost no other vehicles — you can spend a full day without seeing another car. Many experienced safari travellers now prefer Ruaha, and the ideal trip includes both.
Ruaha is more expensive than the northern circuit because of the flight access and the remoteness of the camps. Expect from around USD 450 per person per day at the classic lodges, rising to USD 1,700 per person per day at the most exclusive fly-in camps. Light aircraft transfers are additional and typically USD 350-500 per sector.
Ruaha is one of the best places in Africa for African wild dogs, with several resident packs. Sightings are most reliable between June and August, when the packs den and range less widely. As with any predator, sightings can never be guaranteed — but the odds here are as good as anywhere on the continent.
A minimum of three nights, and four is better. Getting there takes the best part of a day each way, so shorter stays waste most of your time in transit. The park is enormous and rewards guests who stay long enough to explore more than one sector.
It can be, but most first-timers do the northern circuit because access is simpler and cheaper. Ruaha suits travellers on a second or third safari, or anyone who values wilderness and solitude over convenience. If you want the migration on your first trip, start with the Serengeti.
Yes — like all of Tanzania's safari areas, Ruaha is a malaria zone. Anti-malarial prophylaxis is strongly recommended and all camps provide mosquito nets and repellent. Risk is lowest in the dry months of June to October.
Ruaha and Nyerere/Selous form the classic southern circuit and are linked by daily light aircraft. A common route is three nights in Ruaha, three in Nyerere and four in Zanzibar. Combining Ruaha with the northern circuit is possible but requires a connection through Dar es Salaam or Arusha.
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