Southern & Western Tanzania Wilderness Edition

21 Days / 20 Nights

Explore Tanzania beyond traditional crowded circuits on this extraordinary expedition through

the southern and western wilderness. This journey is created for guests who want to experience

the real, quiet, and deeply authentic wilderness of Tanzania. The strategic integration of light

aircraft flights preserves your physical energy on long segments, rewarding your journey with

rare destinations, fewer vehicles, and a powerful sense of discovery.

This 21-day itinerary is designed for travelers who want to venture past the commercial tracks.

It combines big game tracking, remote national parks, unique mountain landscapes, lake

systems, and primate trekking.

Featured Destinations

Dar es Salaam → Nyerere National Park → Mikumi National Park → Iringa → Ruaha

National Park → Kitulo Highlands → Mbeya → Lake Tanganyika (Kipili) → Katavi

National Park → Kigoma → Gombe Stream National Park → Kigoma → Domestic

Flight → Dar es Salaam / Kilimanjaro International Airport (Departure)

Best time to travel:

This safari is best experienced between June and December, when the dry season

delivers clear skies, excellent visibility, and concentrated wildlife around rivers and

waterholes.

Safari Pricing: USD 9,180 per person on a sharing basis

Itinerary Details

Day 1: Arrival in Dar es Salaam

Upon arrival at Julius Nyerere International Airport, you will be met by your Sauti Africa

Safaris representative and transferred privately to your hotel. After check-in, relax after your

international journey and receive a detailed safari briefing from your guide regarding the

upcoming cross-country expedition.• Overnight Accommodation: Mediterraneo Hotel – Dar es Salaam

• Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast

Day 2: Dar es Salaam to Nyerere National Park

After breakfast, depart Dar es Salaam and drive south toward Nyerere National Park, formerly

known as the Selous Game Reserve. This drive introduces you to the rural countryside of

southern Tanzania as you leave the standard tourist track behind. Arrive at camp in time for

lunch, followed by a relaxed afternoon boat safari for sundowner experience.

• Overnight Accommodation: Lemara Eco Camp

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 3: Full Day in Nyerere National Park

Dedicate the entire day to tracking wildlife inside Nyerere National Park. Explore diverse

habitats including riverine forests, hidden lakes, and open plains. Wildlife tracking focuses on

elephants, lions, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, and hippos. With luck, you may encounter the rare

African wild dog. You will spend the night at a camp on the opposite side of the park, creating

a progressive flow to the wilderness exploration.

• Overnight Accommodation: Lemara Eco Camp

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 4: Drive to Mikumi National Park

Following breakfast, check out of camp and begin driving towards Mikumi National Park.

Settle into your camp in time for a fresh lunch. Have the leisure to unpack and refresh, then

head out for an evening game and catch that sunset.

• Overnight Accommodation: Camp Bastian – Mikumi

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 5: Mikumi Drive to Iringa

After breakfast drive to Iringa town. Upon arriving enjoy an afternoon hot lunch, then have a

simple excursion exploring Iringa town Museum, Isimila caves and other adventurous

activities.

• Overnight Accommodation: Iringa Sunset Hotel• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 6: Iringa to Ruaha National Park

After breakfast, enjoy a scenic 2-to-3-hour drive from Iringa down to Ruaha National Park,

one of the country’s most impressive wildlife destinations. Ruaha is famous for its ancient

landscapes, giant baobab trees, rocky hills, and dry riverbeds. Arrive at camp in time for lunch,

followed by an introductory afternoon game drive tracking the massive elephant and predator

populations along the Great Ruaha River channels.

• Overnight Accommodation: Africa Safari Tandala

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 7: Full Day in Ruaha National Park

Enjoy extensive morning and afternoon game drives inside Ruaha National Park. The park sits

uniquely in a biological transition zone where East African and Southern African wildlife

species overlap. This provides incredible biodiversity, allowing you to track greater kudu,

lesser kudu, sable antelope, roan antelope, lions, leopards, and wild dogs. Morning drives

follow fresh tracks along the waterholes, while late afternoon drives capitalize on the golden

lighting and predator movements.

• Overnight Accommodation: Africa Safari Tandala

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 8: Second Full Day in Ruaha National Park

Spend another full day exploring the different tracking sectors of Ruaha. This extra day allows

you to venture deeper into the remote areas of the park. During the dry season, wildlife gathers

densely around the remaining river pools, creating powerful scenes of elephants digging for

water and buffalo herds moving through the dust while predators watch from the shade. Enjoy

the quiet atmosphere of a park completely free from mass tourism.

• Overnight Accommodation: Africa Safari Tandala

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 9: Drive from Mbeya & Kitulo Highlands

Check out of camp after breakfast and drive towards Kitulo Highlands. Arrive at the park retreat

early in the afternoon, and explore the park at your comfort and pace. You can have a botanical

tour (December to April) or bird watching for curious bird lovers.

• Overnight Accommodation: Kitulo National Park Bandas

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 10: Full Day in Kitulo National Park

Spend a relaxed day exploring the high-altitude grasslands and mountain views of Kitulo

National Park. Known locally as the Garden of God, Kitulo is protected for its unique botanical

richness, montane meadows, and endemic bird species. Enjoy a quiet morning walking safari

accompanied by a park ranger to appreciate the mountain scenery and open valleys.

• Overnight Accommodation: Kitulo National Park Bandas

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 11: Kitulo Plateau to Mbeya Coffee Country

After a relaxed breakfast, enjoy your final views of the mountain plateau before taking a short

3-hour drive down into the agricultural valley of Mbeya. This day is specifically arranged to

break up the long distance comfortably before the journey west. Arrive at your lodge located

on a working coffee estate in time for lunch. Spend the entire afternoon at your complete leisure

relaxing in the gardens or resting in your room.

• Overnight Accommodation: Utengule Coffee Lodge – Mbeya

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 12: Drive from Mbeya to Kipili (Lake Tanganyika)

After breakfast, head out by driving from Mbeya towards to the remote shoreline of Lake

Tanganyika, one of the oldest and deepest freshwater lakes in the world. Arrive and check in at

your lakeshore lodge. Your entire afternoon and evening are reserved for pure relaxation, rest

in your room, walk on the beach, or watch the sunset over the water with a cold drink.

• Overnight Accommodation: Kipili Lake Shore Lodge

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 13: Full Day at Kipili (Lake Tanganyika)

Enjoy a completely relaxed day along the calm shoreline of Lake Tanganyika. This day

balances the expedition segments with complete rest, allowing you to recover your energy

before entering the deep western wilderness. You can choose to swim in the clear waters, relax

on the beach, or opt for low-intensity kayaking, snorkeling, or a walk through the nearby

fishing village.

• Overnight Accommodation: Kipili Lake Shore Lodge

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 14: Kipili to Katavi National Park

After breakfast, leave the lake and take a 4.5-hour drive north into Katavi National Park, one

of Africa’s most isolated and untouched safari destinations. Katavi is raw, wild, and deeply

authentic. Arrive at your safari camp in time for a fresh lunch, followed by a relaxed afternoon

game drive along the edges of the wide seasonal floodplains and woodland boundaries.

• Overnight Accommodation: Katavi Wildlife Camp

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 15: Full Day in Katavi National Park

Spend the day tracking wildlife across Katavi’s massive floodplains, river channels, and

woodlands. During the dry season, wildlife gathers densely around the shrinking water sources,

creating dramatic wildlife scenes. Track enormous buffalo herds numbering in the thousands,

along with elephants, lions, and leopards. Katavi is highly unique because it remains

uncrowded, giving you a private safari experience far from commercial routes.

• Overnight Accommodation: Katavi Wildlife Camp

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 16: Second Full Day in Katavi National Park

A second full day in Katavi allows you to venture deeper into the remote corners of the park.

Follow seasonal animal movements along the dried riverbanks and spend time photographing

the famous hippo pools, where hundreds of hippos’ pack tightly together alongside giant Nile

crocodiles. Enjoy the absolute silence of an authentic wilderness visited by very few travelers.

• Overnight Accommodation: Katavi Wildlife Camp• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 17: Drive from Katavi to Kigoma

Head out and drive towards Kigoma, a historic town resting on the edge of Lake Tanganyika.

Arrive at your hotel early in the afternoon. After checking into your room, the rest of the day

is yours at complete leisure to rest, take a hot shower, and enjoy dinner overlooking the lake.

• Overnight Accommodation: Kigoma Hilltop Lodge

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 18: Kigoma to Gombe Stream National Park

After breakfast, transfer to the public pier and board a private motorboat for a scenic 1.5-to-2-

hour cruise heading north along the coast of Lake Tanganyika to Gombe Stream National Park.

Gombe is a small, protected rainforest park where steep forested mountains meet the clear lake

waters. Famous globally for the chimpanzee behavioral research pioneered by Dr. Jane

Goodall, you will check into the park quarters and enjoy a relaxed afternoon orientation forest

walk.

• Overnight Accommodation: Gombe National Park Bandas

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 19: Full Day Gombe Chimpanzee Experience

Spend the day trekking wild chimpanzees along the forested mountain trails of Gombe. Guided

by professional park trackers, the experience is deeply memorable as you track primate calls

through the canopy, observe their social behaviors, and learn about the park’s long-standing

conservation history. You can also walk to the Kakombe Waterfall or climb up to the scenic

viewpoints overlooking the lake.

• Please note: Primate contact regulations require all guests to wear medical face

masks during proximity to chimpanzees.

• Overnight Accommodation: Gombe National Park Bandas

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 20: Gombe to Kigoma Port

Enjoy your final morning listening to the sounds of the rainforest before boarding your private

lake boat transfer back to Kigoma. Arrive at your hotel in the afternoon. The remainder of theday is completely open for rest and preparation ahead of your domestic flight connections the

following morning.

• Overnight Accommodation: Kigoma Hilltop Lodge

• Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 21: Kigoma Flight and Departure

After breakfast, transfer privately to the local Kigoma Airport for your scheduled domestic

flight connection. You can choose to route your flight back to Julius Nyerere International

Airport in Dar es Salaam or straight to Kilimanjaro International Airport near Arusha,

depending entirely on your outbound international flight schedule.

• Meal Plan: Breakfast

Safari Includes:

• International airline tickets and destination airport entry taxes

• Comprehensive personal travel, medical, and trip cancellation insurance

• Mandatory entry tourist visa fees for the United Republic of Tanzania

• Tips, staff gratuities, and recognition fees for guides and rangers

• Discretionary personal expenses, laundry service, and alcoholic beverages

Safari Excludes:

  • International flights to/from Tanzania
  • Visa fees and travel insurance
  • Alcoholic and premium drinks unless specified
  • Tips and personal expenses
  • Optional cultural visits, balloon safaris, or excursions not listed
  • Any government‑imposed increases in taxes or park fees after booking

Important Safari Reminder

• Neutral-colored clothing (khaki, olive, beige) – T-shirts, long-sleeve shirts,

lightweight trousers, and shorts• Light jacket or fleece for cool mornings and evenings

• Comfortable walking shoes / hiking boots (broken-in)

• Sandals or casual shoes for lodge downtime

• Wide-brimmed hat for sun protection

• Sunglasses with UV protection

• Sunscreen (high SPF) and insect repellant

• Wet wipes for quick refresh during drives

• Soft luggage (preferred for bush flights and safari vehicles)

• Small cash money (USD or local currency for tips and incidental purchases)

Thank you for choosing Sauti Africa Safaris as your trusted travel partner in Tanzania!

 

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“Voice of the People, the Land & Wildlife. “

 

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