DESTINATION GUIDE // TANZANIA
Mikumi National Park
Tanzania fourth largest park and the most accessible safari from Dar es Salaam, with open floodplain that recalls the Serengeti.
3,230 km2
PARK AREA
4th
LARGEST IN TANZANIA
300 km
FROM DAR ES SALAAM
Jun-Oct
BEST MONTHS
400+
BIRD SPECIES
GENERAL OVERVIEW
About Mikumi National Park
Mikumi is Tanzania’s fourth largest national park at 3,230 square kilometres, and the most accessible of the southern circuit. It sits about 280 kilometres west of Dar es Salaam on the surfaced Tanzam highway, which means a four to five hour drive rather than the flight most southern parks require.
Its northern boundary runs against Nyerere National Park, formerly the Selous, forming part of one of the largest continuous protected ecosystems in Africa. Animals move freely between the two.
The heart of the park is the Mkata floodplain, an open grassland basin ringed by the Uluguru and Rubeho mountains that draws comparisons with the Serengeti. It is a fair comparison in look if not in scale: flat-topped acacia, open horizon and large herds moving across grass.
The Tanzam highway runs straight through the park, which is both its greatest convenience and its principal problem. Traffic is speed limited and wildlife crossings are frequent.
WILDLIFE AND LANDSCAPES
What You Will Actually See
Masai giraffe. Abundant and among the easiest sightings in the park, often in large groups on the floodplain.
Elephant and buffalo. Both common, with buffalo in herds that can run to several hundred on the Mkata plain.
Lion. Resident and reasonably reliable in the northern floodplain, though densities are lower than the northern circuit parks.
Plains game. Zebra, wildebeest, impala, eland, greater kudu, sable antelope in the southern miombo, warthog and hartebeest.
Hippo. The Hippo Pools near the northern gate hold large pods and are the most dependable stop in the park.
Predators beyond lion. Leopard, spotted hyena and, in the southern woodland, occasional African wild dog moving through from Nyerere.
Birds. Over 400 species, with the lilac breasted roller, bateleur, yellow throated longclaw and, in the wet season, large numbers of European migrants.
THINGS TO DO
Activities In The Park
Game drives on the Mkata floodplain. The main activity, on the open grassland north of the highway where the game concentrates.
Hippo Pools. A short drive from the northern gate, with a viewing area over the pools and a permanent crowd of hippo and crocodile.
Walking safaris. Guided walks with an armed ranger, available in designated areas and a genuine change of pace from driving.
Night drives. Permitted in Mikumi, unlike most Tanzanian parks, with a good chance of genet, civet, bushbaby and hunting hyena.
Birding. The floodplain and the miombo woodland hold quite different species lists, and the wet season brings the migrants.
Udzungwa Mountains. The neighbouring national park an hour south, with waterfall hikes, endemic primates and no game drives at all. A natural extension.
WHY VISIT
What Mikumi Is Known For
Access. Mikumi is the only Tanzanian park of real size that you can reach comfortably by road from Dar es Salaam, which makes a two or three day safari possible without a domestic flight. For travellers on a Zanzibar trip with a few spare days, that is the whole proposition.
Value is the second reason. At around 30 US dollars a day, park entry is less than half the Serengeti rate, and lodges on the southern circuit are cheaper across the board.
The Mkata floodplain is the third. Open grassland ringed by mountains, with giraffe and buffalo herds across it, gives the park a look that genuinely does recall the northern circuit at a fraction of the cost and the crowd.
What it is not is the Serengeti. Wildlife densities are lower, there is no migration and predator sightings take more patience. It is a very good introductory or add on park rather than a headline one.
ENTRY FEES
Park Fees And Practicalities
Park entry for international visitors is around 30 US dollars per person per day, with children aged five to fifteen at roughly 10 dollars. Under fives enter free. Fees are set by TANAPA and VAT at 18 per cent applies to Tanzanian park charges, with quoted rates varying as to whether it is included.
Guided walking safaris and night drives are charged separately, generally 20 to 40 dollars per person, and must be arranged in advance with the park.
Vehicle entry fees apply on top. Tickets run for 24 hours from entry.
At roughly a third of the Serengeti rate, Mikumi is the cheapest way into a large Tanzanian park, and that difference compounds quickly across a family or a longer stay. Everything is prepaid and itemised in your quote.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
When To Go
June to October, the dry season. The best game viewing. Grass is short on the floodplain, animals concentrate at water and roads are firm throughout.
December to February. Hot and greener, with good resident game and the European migrant birds present.
March to May, the long rains. The park is at its greenest and its emptiest. Some tracks become difficult and a 4×4 is essential. Rates drop noticeably.
November, the short rains. Afternoon storms with usable mornings and good value.
Mikumi sits lower and hotter than the northern parks, between about 550 and 1,250 metres, so expect considerably more heat than Ngorongoro or Arusha.
GETTING THERE
How To Reach The Park
By road from Dar es Salaam. Around 280 km on the surfaced Tanzam highway, four to five hours to the northern gate. This is the standard approach and the reason people come.
From Morogoro. About two hours, and a useful lunch stop on the drive.
From Udzungwa Mountains. Roughly an hour south, which makes combining the two straightforward.
From Nyerere National Park. Four to five hours by road, though most travellers fly between them.
By air. Scheduled and charter flights land at Mikumi airstrip from Dar es Salaam in about forty minutes.
The Tanzam highway bisects the park, so you enter and drive off it. Speed limits are enforced and wildlife crossings are common.
WHERE TO STAY
Lodges And Camps
Vuma Hills Tented Camp. Sixteen tents on a hill above the park with wide views over the floodplain. The most comfortable option inside Mikumi.
Stanley’s Kopje. Tents on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Mkata plain, with a strong sense of position.
Mikumi Wildlife Camp. Simple bandas near the northern gate, well placed for early drives and good value.
Tan-Swiss Lodge. Just outside the park boundary on the highway, comfortable and inexpensive.
Camping. Public campsites run by TANAPA inside the park for travellers on a tight budget.
Two nights is the usual stay, which gives a full day on the floodplain plus a night drive or a walk.
TRAVEL TIPS
What To Know Before You Go
The highway. The Tanzam road runs through the park and carries heavy freight. Wildlife is killed on it regularly. Drive the speed limit and expect animals on the tarmac.
Heat. Considerably hotter than the northern circuit, particularly December to March. Sun protection and more water than you think you need.
Tsetse flies. Present in the miombo woodland. Avoid dark blue and black clothing.
Malaria. Low altitude and high risk. Prophylaxis is necessary.
Set expectations. Densities are lower than the northern parks and predator sightings take patience. Come for the value and the access rather than expecting Serengeti numbers.
Book activities ahead. Night drives and walks need arranging in advance rather than at the gate.
TOURS WITH US
Safaris With Sola Safari Travels
We use Mikumi in two ways. As a short safari for travellers based in Dar es Salaam or heading to Zanzibar, where two or three days by road delivers a real park without a domestic flight. And as the opening leg of a longer southern circuit that continues to Udzungwa or Nyerere.
Two nights is the sensible minimum, with a full day on the Mkata floodplain and either a night drive or a guided walk. Park fees and activity permits are arranged in advance and the trip runs in a private 4×4 with one driver guide from Dar es Salaam and back.
SAFARI PACKAGES
Safaris That Include Mikumi
Mikumi is the southern circuit park you can reach by road from Dar es Salaam. All departures are private.
7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS
7 Days Kenya and Tanzania
The Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in one crossing. Our most booked route.
From $1,590 per person
5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS
5 Days Serengeti and Ngorongoro Safari
The endless Serengeti plains and a full morning on the Ngorongoro crater floor.
From $1,100 per person
10 DAYS / 9 NIGHTS
10 Days Ultimate East Africa
Amboseli, the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater at an unhurried pace.
From $2,360 per person
KEY QUESTIONS
Mikumi Safari, Key Questions
Four to five hours by road on the surfaced Tanzam highway, around 280 km. That is the whole appeal, since it is the only large Tanzanian park you can reach comfortably by road from the coast. There are also short scheduled flights from Dar to the park airstrip.
Honestly, it is a smaller experience. Wildlife densities are lower, there is no migration and predator sightings take more patience. What it offers instead is a third of the park fee, no domestic flight, and a floodplain that genuinely looks like the northern circuit.
Around 30 US dollars per person per day for international visitors and about 10 dollars for children aged five to fifteen. VAT at 18 per cent applies to Tanzanian park charges. Night drives and walking safaris are charged separately.
Yes to both, which is unusual for a Tanzanian national park. Walks go with an armed ranger in designated areas and night drives are permitted. Both need booking in advance rather than arranging at the gate.
It is a genuine downside. The Tanzam road carries heavy freight through the park and wildlife is killed on it regularly. Speed limits are enforced and you should expect animals on the tarmac. It is also the reason the park is so easy to reach.
Two nights is the sensible minimum, giving a full day on the Mkata floodplain plus a night drive or a walk. Three lets you add the Udzungwa Mountains, an hour south, for waterfall hikes and endemic primates.
EXPLORE MORE
Pair Mikumi With Other Destinations
Mikumi sits on the southern circuit, a long way from the northern parks but easy from the coast.
Your Mikumi Safari Starts Here
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TAILOR MADE SAFARI
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