Southern Circuit · Tanzania

Ruaha National Park

Tanzania's largest park. Wild, remote, and almost entirely crowd-free. Where serious wildlife travellers go when they've outgrown the Northern Circuit.
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20,226 km²

Tanzania's largest park

Largest

Leeuwenpopulatie in Tanzania

Wild Dog

Present year-round

ZERO

crowds

20,226

km² of protected wilderness

Africa's largest wilderness

Ruaha National Park covers 20,226 km² of semi-arid wilderness in Tanzania's southern interior. It supports the country's largest lion population, significant wild dog packs, enormous buffalo herds, greater and lesser kudu, and some of Tanzania's most impressive elephant concentrations.

Visitor numbers here are negligible compared to the northern parks. Ruaha rewards travellers who want solitude - long game drives with no other vehicles in sight, exclusive camps with small capacities, and a genuine sense of remoteness that has become increasingly rare in East Africa.

Ruaha Safari adventure

We're a Tanzanian family operation crafting deeply personal adventures that go beyond the guidebooks.

7-Day Private Southern Safari Wild South Tanzania Discovery
A 7-day private safari through Ruaha and Nyerere, Tanzania's raw southern parks, where elephants gather in massive herds, wild dogs roam free, and boat safaris on the Rufiji River replace the tourist crowds.
  • Duration: 7 days, 6 nights
  • Begins: Dar es Salaam
  • Operates: Jun-Oct
  • Difficulty: Easy
$4,800

A glimpse of what awaits

Real photos from real guests. This is Tanzania.

Ruaha's wildlife specials

Big Cats

The Lion

Ruaha has Tanzania's largest lion population - bigger prides, bolder behaviour, and encounters that feel completely unscripted. Some of the best lion viewing in Africa.

Africa's Endangered

The Wild Dog

Critically endangered. Ruaha's remote wilderness supports one of Tanzania's most significant wild dog populations - sightings are reliable in the dry season.

The Herds

The Elephant

Big-tusked bulls and family groups along the Great Ruaha River. Some of Tanzania's most impressive concentrations outside the north.

The Antelope

Greater Kudu

One of the best parks in Tanzania to see greater and lesser kudu - magnificent spiral-horned antelope absent from the northern parks.

The Experience

Total Solitude

Lange autoritten zonder andere voertuigen. Diners bij het kampvuur met alleen het geluid van de wildernis. Iets wat Ruaha biedt en de Northern Circuit niet: complete eenzaamheid.

Ruaha Questions, Answered.

Everything you need to know about Ruaha safari planning

How do I get to Ruaha?

By charter flight from Dar es Salaam to the Msembe airstrip inside the park - approximately 1.5 hours. All our Southern Circuit itineraries include charter flights.

When is the best time to visit Ruaha?

Can I combine Ruaha with Selous/Nyerere?

Is Ruaha suitable for first-time visitors?

What is Ruaha like compared to the Serengeti?

Plan Your Ruaha Safari


Tanzania's largest park. Almost nobody goes here. That's precisely the point.

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