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SOUTHERN
T A N Z A N I A
SAFARI CIRCUIT

The Road Less Travelled

SOUTHERN

T A N Z A N I A 

SAFARI CIRCUIT

The Road Less Travelled

Top Safari Destinations in Southern Tanzania 

The Kruger

South Africa’s biggest and best-known national park is home to the country's greatest diversity of animals and exquisite safari lodges on private game reserves. As one of the oldest conservation areas in Africa, it boasts healthy populations of wildlife and highly sought-after sightings of cheetah and wild dog. But the Kruger’s pièce de résistance is the almost guaranteed encounter with the super-celebrities of the safari circuit: Africa’s iconic Big 5.

Dry Season: 

May–Oct

The dry winter season is considered the best time to go to Kruger for game viewing. Vegetation is low and sparse, making animals easier to spot and follow, and wildlife will not move far from remaining water sources at this time of year. It’s a very comfortable time for a safari with few mosquitoes around, little if any rain, and pleasant temperatures.

Highlights

• Luxurious lodges with spas, gyms, private pools and star-beds

• 5-star service and exquisite cuisine – some of the best safari food in Africa

• Virtual guarantee to see all the Big 5

Green Season:

Nov–Apr 

The summer’s afternoon thundershowers transform the Kruger into a beautiful, thriving green landscape that makes for superb photography. Game viewing is still good – with many young summer-born animals around it's a predator's paradise – and it's the best time to visit the Kruger for bird watching plus safari-and-beach holiday combinations.

Consider Adding … 

When To Go

The Kruger

South Africa’s biggest and best-known national park is home to the country's greatest diversity of animals and exquisite safari lodges on private game reserves. As one of the oldest conservation areas in Africa, it boasts healthy populations of wildlife and highly sought-after sightings of cheetah and wild dog. But the Kruger’s pièce de résistance is the almost guaranteed encounter with the super-celebrities of the safari circuit: Africa’s iconic Big 5.

Dry Season: 

May–Oct

The dry winter season is considered the best time to go to Kruger for game viewing. Vegetation is low and sparse, making animals easier to spot and follow, and wildlife will not move far from remaining water sources at this time of year. It’s a very comfortable time for a safari with few mosquitoes around, little if any rain, and pleasant temperatures.

Highlights

• Luxurious lodges with spas, gyms, private pools and star-beds

• 5-star service and exquisite cuisine – some of the best safari food in Africa

• Virtual guarantee to see all the Big 5

Green Season:

Nov–Apr 

The summer’s afternoon thundershowers transform the Kruger into a beautiful, thriving green landscape that makes for superb photography. Game viewing is still good – with many young summer-born animals around it's a predator's paradise – and it's the best time to visit the Kruger for bird watching plus safari-and-beach holiday combinations.

Secret Tanzania:

Consider Adding… 

Rates generally depend on timing (i.e. key travel seasons like holidays) and level of luxury (the type of amenities and exclusivity). As a guideline, South Africa safaris can range anywhere from approximately 450 USD per person per night in low season to over 1 550 USD at the finest lodges in high season.

How Much is a 
South Africa  Safari?

How Much is an African Safari?

Rates generally depend on timing (i.e. key travel seasons like holidays or events like the Great Migration) and level of luxury (the type of amenities and exclusivity). As a guideline, Southern Africa can range anywhere from approximately $500 USD per person per night in low season to over $2 000 USD at the finest lodges in high season. For East Africa, low season rates start around $450 USD per night per person and reach upwards of $1 500 USD at peak season.

What Costs are Included?

Most accommodations are all-inclusive; all of your meals, snacks, beverages, alcohol (with some exceptions) are part of your room rate. In addition, your game drives, walking safaris and other excursions will all be included. To operate in such remote areas at such a high level of hospitality, it takes some serious logistics and often means guest-to-staff ratios of more than 5-to-1. Not to mention many accommodations offer services like laundry, so you can pack light and travel easy.

The only things you’ll have to pay for are special activities (like hot-air balloon rides and spa treatments) and, in some cases, imported spirits. Beyond that, just gratuities for the incredible staff who will make your stay at each lodge so memorable.

How Much is a Tanzania Safari?

Rates generally depend on timing (i.e. key travel seasons like holidays) and level of luxury (the type of amenities and exclusivity). As a guideline, Tanzania safaris can range anywhere from approximately 450 USD per person per night in low season to over 1 650 USD at the finest lodges in high season.

Why Travel With Go2Africa

We are African

Based in Cape Town, our team of experts are all born and raised in Africa. We spend our own holidays on safari, and understand what goes into making every trip a once in a life-time experience.

We have first-hand knowledge of every single destination, lodge and activity we recommend. We spend more than 365 days a year on safari to ensure you get the best, unbiased advice.

We are safari experts

Our size and trusted relationships with Africa’s top operators gives us access to the best possible rates. If you find a better quote for your itinerary, let us know and we’ll match it.

Our best price promise

Your money stays in Africa

 As an African company, we ensure 100% of the money from your safari stays in Africa, supporting local communities and conservation projects, making a difference long after you return home.

24/7 On-safari support

Book with us and we’ll be alongside you from our first chat, offering 24/7 assistance and local know-how from the right time zone, whenever you need it.

Why Travel with Go2Africa

Complete financial protection

Your money is safe with us. All our clients are protected by our supplier default insurance and our accreditation bond with the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association.

We are African

Based in Cape Town, our team of experts are all born and raised in Africa. We spend our own holidays on safari, and understand what goes into making every trip a once in a life-time experience.

We are safari experts

We have first-hand knowledge of every single destination, lodge and activity we recommend. We spend more than 365 days a year on safari to ensure you get the best, unbiased advice.

Our best price promise

We have first-hand knowledge of every single destination, lodge and activity we recommend. We spend more than 365 days a year on safari to ensure you get the best, unbiased advice.

Your money stays in Africa

 As an African company, we ensure 100% of the money from your safari stays in Africa, supporting local communities and conservation projects, making a difference long after you return home.

24/7 On-safari support

Book with us and we’ll be alongside you from our first chat, offering 24/7 assistance and local know-how from the right time zone, whenever you need it.

Complete financial protection

Your money is safe with us. All our clients are protected by our supplier default insurance and our accreditation bond with the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association.

Why Go to Southern Tanzania ?

Witness the Wildebeest Migration

Hardly any other destination on Earth can offer a wildlife encounter to match the annual Wildebeest Migration. Forming the centrepiece of most Tanzania safari itineraries, the Migration is a mind-blowing display of nature at her most extraordinary.

Superb, Year-round Game Viewing

Thanks to a mild climate, wide open spaces and an abundance of wildlife in less visited destinations like the Nyerere, RIaha, Katavi and Mahale Mountains National Parks, Tanzania delivers sensational safari experiences any time of the year.

One-of-a-Kind Experiences

From watching thousands of grunting wildebeest dodge massive crocodiles during the Migration’s perilous river crossings to seeing each member of the Big 5, Tanzania offers the kind of experiences found nowhere else on Earth.

Exclusive Lodges & Camps

Despite some camps being situated in remote wilderness locations, they still offer superb amenities like private plunge pools, spas and gyms. You may even find silver chandeliers and copper bathtubs in the middle of the bush.

Quick & Easy Air Transfers

There are dedicated airports that service most of Tanzania’s national parks and game reserves. The best Tanzania safaris are fly-in itineraries, which eliminate the need for long
road transfers – meaning more time 
on safari!

Regular flights and accessibility make it easy to combine your Tanzania safari with a once-in-a-lifetime gorilla trekking adventure in Rwanda or Uganda. The same goes for capping your trip in a tropical paradise like Zanzibar.  

Convenient Add-ons

From Savannas to The Big 5 and Tropical Beaches

Safari happens almost everywhere you look in Tanzania. It’s been a way of life in East Africa’s second-largest country for decades. Few destinations in Africa can rival Tanzania's diversity of wildlife and landscapes. From the classic savannah destinations of Tanzania's Northern Circuit to the palm-fringed paradise island of Zanzibar, to the roads less travelled in the country's stunning south, a Tanzania safari delivers one massive experience after another.

From

$450

USD pppn

Top Safari Destinations in Tanzania

Nyerere National Park

Home to one of the world’s greatest concentrations of wildlife and the majority of the Wildebeest Migration, the Serengeti National Park is Tanzania’s flagship conservation area and a must-do for first-time and returning safari goers alike. The park’s astonishing density of wildlife offers a spectacular safari experience no matter what time of the year you visit, and the wide-open plains and mild climate mean that vegetation is never too dense to see animals.

• The Great Wildebeest Migration (December to October)

• Incredible year-round game viewing, especially predators

Ruaha National Park

Created about 3 million years ago when a huge volcano exploded and collapsed on itself, the Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact volcanic caldera on Earth. It’s one of Africa’s most spectacular natural wonders, supporting over 25 000 animals – including the Big 5.  A diverse ecosystem of savannah, lakes and forest, the crater is renowned for its geological splendour, out-of-this-world cliff-top accommodation, and for delivering East Africa’s most reliable Big 5 game viewing.

• Luxurious cliff-top lodges and tranquil tented camps on the Crater’s rim

Katavi National Park

Although this national park is small by African standards, it boasts a tremendous diversity of habitats and animals – especially birds. Its namesake attracts a great array of aquatic birds while the evergreen forests are equally productive. It’s also one of the best places to spot scarce tree-climbing lions. Lake Manyara is a beautiful park and conveniently located along Tanzania famous northern safari route.

• Phenomenal birdlife, especially flamingos

• Scarce tree-climbing lions

• Easy to access along Tanzania’s northern safari route

Dry Seasons:

The weather is usually mild and dry from January to March, and most of the safari crowds are absent. June to October is safari’s high season, though Southern Tanzania’s parks see far less visitors than its Northern Circuit, and the weather conditions are fantastic. It’s a great time to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and if it’s a tropical beach getaway you’re after, head to Tanzania’s coast, Zanzibar or other Indian Ocean island retreats between June and March.

Green Seasons:

The ‘short rains’ season relieve the dry mid-year winter. Clouds build up in the mornings and break in spectacular, but generally short-lived, showers in the late afternoons. Migrant birds return from the northern hemisphere and resident plains game give birth, which means the predator action is thrilling. Landscapes are green and lush, which makes for the perfect photography conditions.

Nov–Dec 

Highlights

• Crowd-free game viewing, nature walks and off-road game drives in private game reserves

• Custom-made safaris for every traveller type – from families and honeymooners

• Incredible year-round game viewing, especially predators

• The Great Wildebeest Migration (December to October)

Consider Adding …

Zanzibar

The name alone is likely to conjure up images of spice markets, palm-fringed beaches and white-sailed dhows on a turquoise sea – and happily the reality doesn’t disappoint. Lying only a short distance off the Tanzania coast but at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Zanzibar has long been at the centre of the Indian Ocean experience in East Africa. 

Masai Mara

Another bucket-list destination and a must-add to any Serengeti safari, Kenya’s Masai Mara is a sanctuary for an abundance of animals like elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, hyena and the Mara’s famous big cats: lion, leopard and cheetah. It’s also an important stopover for the Wildebeest Migration between about July and November.

Rwanda & Uganda

No other wildlife encounter can rival sitting with endangered gorillas in their natural habitat and observing the fascinating family dynamics of our ancient relatives. The emerald rainforests of Rwanda and Uganda are incredible destinations for gorilla trekking, Africa’s most powerful wildlife experience.

Days

Bush & Beach 
Migration, Big 5 & Zanzibar

Also Consider Kenya

Samburu National Reserve 

Samburu is an arrestingly beautiful, rocky landscape that heralds Kenya’s vast northern deserts. It’s the traditional homeland of the Samburu people and a haven for the unique Special 5: Beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, long-neck gerenuk and Somali ostrich.

Laikipia

The high plains of Laikipia are increasingly recognised as one of Kenya’s 
best safari regions. It’s home to some of the country’s most encouraging conservation success stories like Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a sanctuary 
for black and white rhinos as well as Grevy’s zebra.

Kenya Beaches

Relaxing along Kenya’s dazzling tropical coastline is one of the best ways to crown your safari. From family-friendly resorts to exclusive beach villas, the country’s coastline offers excellent accommodation and superb diving and snorkelling spots.

Tanzania Safari Trip Ideas

Here are some of our best packages, all completely customisable to your requirements and travel wishes:

• Arusha
• Ngorongoro Crater
• Serengeti
• Zanzibar

This trip delivers a high-quality safari and beach experience without breaking the bank. Perfect for couples and first-timers, the itinerary features charter flights instead of long road transfers – meaning you have more time on safari. Start your adventure at the Ngorongoro Crater,  where you’ll see the Big 5 on game drives. Then head over to the Serengeti for three nights at a superb mobile camp that sets up in different locations in the path of the Wildebeest Migration to guarantee you front-row seats to the action.

Days

Secret Tanzania
Ruaha, Selous & Serengeti

• Arusha
• Serengeti
  
• Ruaha
  
• Selous

This  10-day safari itinerary takes you straight into three of Tanzania’s prettiest hidden gems. After kicking off in the Seronera, one of the most reliable game viewing areas in the Serengeti, the next stop is Ruaha National Park a well kept safari secret. Here you’ll experience Africa at its wildest, seeing the continent's largest elephant herds and plenty of predator action. Selous is the final stop on the itinerary. Remote and wonderfully wild,  the park is famous for its thriving animal populations and authentic safaris.

How Much is a Tanzania Safari?

Rates generally depend on timing (i.e. key travel seasons like holidays) and level of luxury (the type of amenities and exclusivity). As a guideline, Tanzania safaris can range anywhere from approximately 450 USD per person per night in low season to over 1 650 USD at the finest lodges in high season.

What Costs are Included?

Most accommodations are all-inclusive; all your meals, snacks, beverages, alcohol (with some exceptions) are part of your room rate. In addition, your game drives, and other excursions like walking safaris and cultural village visits will all be included. To operate in such remote areas at such a high level of hospitality, it takes some serious logistics and often means guest-to-staff ratios of more than 5 to 1. Not to mention many accommodations offer services like laundry, so you can pack light and travel easy.

The only things you’ll have to pay for are special activities (like hot-air balloon rides and spa treatments) and, in some cases, imported spirits. Beyond that, just gratuities for the incredible staff who will make your stay at each lodge so memorable.

Southern Tanzania Safari Ideas

Here are some options for a Southern Tanzania safari, completely customisable to your requirements and travel wishes:

THE EXPERIENCE:

DESTINATIONS:

THE EXPERIENCE:

DESTINATIONS:

Browse ourTanzania resources

Browse our Tanzania resources

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Everything is about relationships. Fortunately, we've built great ones working with the top names in Africa for more than 20 years.

Partners

Everything is about relationships. Fortunately, we've built great ones working with the top names in Africa for more than 20 years.