The Route & Itinerary

🗓️ Days 1–2 | Dar es Salaam — Preparation & Departure

Pick up your Land Cruiser, load camping gear, stock up on provisions at Game Superstore or Shoprite in Dar. Get fuel, water jerrycans filled, and stock a cooler box. Study the route on Maps.me or iOverlander for offline navigation. Spend the first night near Dar or depart late afternoon to camp near Morogoro.

🗓️ Days 3–5 | Mikumi National Park (3 nights)

Distance from Dar: ~300 km (4 hrs on the A7 highway — good tarmac)

Mikumi is the perfect opener — easily accessible, compact, and spectacular. The Mkata Floodplain at the heart of the park is often compared to the Serengeti. Expect lions, elephants, zebras, hippos, giraffes and wild dogs.

Campsites:

Plus: Park entry fee $35.40/person/day + vehicle fee ~$20/day (Land Cruiser)

🗓️ Day 6 | Udzungwa Mountains National Park (1 night)

Distance from Mikumi: ~100 km

A stunning detour into the Eastern Arc Mountains. These ancient forests are one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, with endemic species found nowhere else. Hike to Sanje Waterfalls — a 170m cascade through primary forest.

Campsite:

• Udzungwa Forest Camp (outside park, Mang’ula village) — basic, ~$10–15 per pitch
• TANAPA Public Campsite at Mang’ula Gate — $35/person/night

🗓️ Days 7–11 | Ruaha National Park (5 nights)

Distance from Udzungwa: ~250 km via Iringa (refuel here — last reliable fuel)

Ruaha is Tanzania’s largest national park and one of Africa’s greatest secrets. Inside the park there are six privately run options — five camps and one lodge — as well as several camping options, the cost varying whether you decide to stay at one of the special campsites or one of the public options along the Mdonya and Ruaha Rivers.

The Big Five are all present, plus African wild dog, roan antelope, sable and enormous elephant herds. The Great Ruaha River is your anchor — most game viewing happens along its banks.

Public Campsites (TANAPA):

Special Campsite (wilderness, no facilities):

• Any location along the river — $59/pp/night, book via booking@tanzaniaparks.go.tz

Plus: Park entry $35.40/person/day + vehicle fee $20/day

Fuel note: The nearest reliable petrol source is Iringa — fill up completely before entering.

🗓️ Days 12–13 | Iringa & Kitulo National Park (2 nights)

Distance from Ruaha: ~120 km back to Iringa, then south

Iringa is a charming highland town — stock up on supplies, refuel, and visit the Isimila Stone Age archaeological site. Then head south through rolling highlands to Kitulo National Park, Tanzania’s “Garden of God” — a high-altitude plateau famous for its wild orchids and montane grasslands. Entry fee: $35.40/person/day.

Overnight options:

• Camp outside Kitulo at the TANAPA gate area
• Iringa Ndege Hostel & Campsite (outside park, Iringa) — budget campsite ~$8–12/pitch

🗓️ Day 14 | Transit: Mbeya (1 night)

Drive through the dramatic Rift Valley escarpment to Mbeya — a major town with good fuel, supermarkets and ATMs. Stock up for the long haul to Katavi.

Campsite:

• Utengule Coffee Lodge outside Mbeya — campsite from ~$15/pitch, beautiful highland setting

🗓️ Days 15–18 | Katavi National Park (4 nights)

Distance from Mbeya: ~550 km (6–8 hrs, mix of tarmac and rough road)

Katavi is Tanzania’s third-largest national park and one of its most unspoiled wilderness areas. This is the trip’s most remote and spectacular stop. The park is home to some of the largest remaining buffalo herds in Africa, and it’s not unusual to see over a thousand of these animals at any one time. Hippo pools here are legendary — up to 1,000 hippos crammed into a single muddy waterhole during the dry season.

Katavi is unique among Tanzanian National Parks in that if you pay for a special camping permit, you can select your own campsite and camp anywhere in the park — authorised wild camping in a national park.

Campsites:

Plus: Park entry $35.40/person/day + vehicle $20/day

All park fees must be made at park headquarters located 1km south of Sitalike or the Ikuu Ranger Post near the main airstrip. You must pay by credit card — cash is not accepted.

🗓️ Days 19–20 | Lake Tanganyika & Mahale Mountains (2 nights)

Distance from Katavi: ~390 km to Kigoma / Lagosa

An optional but unforgettable detour. Mahale entry fees for non-East African adults are US$80 per person per day. The park is accessible only by boat from Lagosa village — you’ll need to park your vehicle and arrange a boat transfer. The real prize here is chimpanzee trekking in the Mahale Mountains above Lake Tanganyika’s crystalline waters. Stay at a simple banda or beach camp at Lagosa before the boat crossing.

Budget option: Camp at Lagosa village ($5–10/night) before arranging a boat into the park.

🗓️ Days 21–23 | Nyerere National Park (Selous) (3 nights)

Distance from Katavi area to Nyerere: ~800 km (long transit day via Mbeya–Iringa or cut across — allow 2 driving days with an overnight stop in Iringa or Morogoro)

Nyerere National Park, formerly known as the northern part of the Selous Game Reserve, covers 30,893 km² of wilderness and is twice as large as the Serengeti. The Rufiji River is the longest river in East Africa and the park’s life-giving vein, with a ramified river system including five large lakes: Lake Tagalala, Lake Manze, Lake Nzerakera, Lake Siwandu and Lake Mzizimia.

Nyerere is famous for its African wild dogs, massive crocodiles, and boat safaris on the lakes. Entry is via the Mtemere Gate (from Dar direction) or Matambwe Gate (from the west).

Campsites:

Plus: Park entry $82.60/person/day (Nyerere is premium-priced) + vehicle $20/day

🗓️ Days 24–25 | Return Transit to Dar es Salaam (1–2 nights)

Distance from Nyerere to Dar: ~230 km via Mloka and Kibiti (3–4 hrs — last section unpaved and can be rough)

Stop overnight at Kibiti town or Kimbilio Lodge near the Selous boundary for a final bush night before re-entering civilisation. On arrival in Dar, head to Msasani Peninsula for a celebratory seafood dinner overlooking the Indian Ocean.

🗓️ Day 26 | Dar es Salaam — Return Vehicle

Return the Land Cruiser, debrief with the rental company, and give yourself a full day to sort laundry, rest and reflect on 25 extraordinary days in the wild.