Ruaha National Park 4-day tour: Elephants & wild dogs

Track elephants and wild dogs through Ruaha's river valleys

A 4-day safari tour from Dar es Salaam to Ruaha National Park in Tanzania, with three full days of game drives, accommodation at Hilltop Lodge and all meals included. The park holds the highest concentration of elephants in East Africa and is one of the few places where endangered wild dogs still hunt. You'll also see lions, leopards, sable and roan antelopes, kudu, giraffes and over 350 bird species. An English or French-speaking guide leads the drives from 06:30 each morning, and children from age one are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Ruaha National Park

• Pick up from Dar Es Salaam
• Drive to Ruaha via Iringa
• Stop for refreshments and lunch
• Arrive and check in at Hilltop lodge
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 2: Morning and afternoon game drives

• Early morning game drive at 06:30
• Parked breakfast and lunch boxes
• Continue game drive till lunch break
• Rest after lunch
• Afternoon game drive till 18:30
• Return to accommodation for dinner
• Overnight at Hilltop lodge

Day 3: Full day game drives in Ruaha

• Breakfast at lodge
• Full day game drives in Ruaha National Park
• Picnic lunch in the park
• Dinner and overnight at Hilltop lodge

Day 4: Return to Dar Es Salaam

• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive to Dar Es Salaam via Iringa and Morogoro
• Lunch stop at Msolwa cafe
• Arrive and drop off in Dar Es Salaam
• Farewells

The experience

The journey starts with an 8-hour drive from Dar es Salaam to Ruaha via Iringa, with stops for refreshments and lunch along the way. You'll arrive at Hilltop Lodge in the late afternoon for dinner and your first night. The next three days follow the same rhythm: an early departure at 06:30 with a packed breakfast, then game drives through different sections of the park until lunch, a rest at the lodge, and an afternoon drive until around 18:30. The Great Ruaha River is the spine of the park's wildlife: lions, leopards, jackals and wild dogs hunt its shores, while waterbuck, impala and grant gazelle drink from it. Elephants move through the Miombo woodland in numbers you won't see elsewhere in East Africa.

The park is almost as large as the Serengeti and remains largely untouched. Birdwatchers find 350 species here, and the variety of mammals (from the spiraled horns of male kudu to the curved horns of sable antelopes) means the drives rarely feel repetitive. On your final morning, you'll have one last game drive before the return journey to Dar es Salaam, with a lunch stop at Msolwa cafe en route.

What’s included

• Three nights at Hilltop Lodge with all meals.
• game drives on days two, three and four with an English or French-speaking guide.
• packed breakfast and lunch boxes for each drive.
• transport from Dar es Salaam to Ruaha and back.
• two refreshment stops on the outbound journey.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (16 to 35 years) · Senior (40 to 55 years) · Youth (12 to 15 years) · Child (3 to 6 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Mikumi Holiday Safaris

Is this one for you?Book this 4-day version if you want enough time to explore different sections of the park and increase your chances of seeing wild dogs and the full range of antelope species. The three full days of driving let the landscape and wildlife patterns reveal themselves in a way a shorter trip cannot match.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and French.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 15 years); Child (3 to 6 years); Infant (1 to 2 years): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How much time do I spend actually driving on safari each day?

Game drives run from 06:30 in the morning until lunch, then resume after a rest and continue until around 18:30 in the evening. The lodge provides packed breakfast and lunch boxes for the drives, so you eat in the field.

What animals am I most likely to see in Ruaha?

Ruaha has the highest concentration of elephants of any national park in East Africa. You'll also see lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, hippos, warthogs and impala. The park is one of the last strongholds of endangered wild dogs, and you may spot sable and roan antelopes with their distinctive curved and spiraled horns.

Is the 8-hour drive on the first day tiring, or do we break it up?

The drive from Dar es Salaam to Ruaha takes up to 8 hours and includes two stops for refreshments and lunch, so you're not sitting the whole time. The route goes via Iringa town, and you arrive in the late afternoon to settle in at the lodge for dinner.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to arrange separately?

The tour includes all accommodation at Hilltop Lodge, all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), game drives with a guide, and transport from Dar es Salaam. You'll need a valid passport and any required visas for Tanzania. Travel insurance is recommended.