Ruaha National Park is Tanzania’s best-kept secret: vast, wild, and teeming with life. Baobab-studded landscapes stretch to the horizon, where lions hunt in large prides and elephants roam in abundance. The Great Ruaha River draws buffalo, kudu, and crocodiles, while rarer species like wild dogs and sable antelope thrive in its remote wilderness. Ruaha offers a raw, authentic safari far from the crowds.
A Ruaha safari takes you to where the woodlands of southern Africa meet the savannahs of east Africa: the result is a highly bio-diverse wildlife experience.
Home to the largest elephant herds in east Africa as well as heavyweight species such as buffalo, giraffe and hippo, Ruaha National Park also has a reputation for predators: lion, leopard and cheetah are resident as are wild dogs and spotted hyenas. As for bird watching, with a bird list of over 500 Ruaha ranks among the world’s best birding destinations.
The Ruaha National Park lies in southern Tanzania and is usually visited as part of a ‘southern circuit’ itinerary along with the mighty Selous Reserve. A beautiful landscape of rolling hills, grassy plains and enormous, brooding baobab trees, Ruaha is Tanzania’s largest national park but its remote location makes it one of the least visited. This makes it perfect for travellers looking for an alternative to the more popular ‘northern circuit’: the Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti.
Accommodation ranges from romantic riverside lodges to mobile tented camps, each located to showcase Ruaha’s wildlife at its most rewarding. You enjoy game drives and nature walks with expert guides as well as great food and service – you can also expect a pleasant surprise or two such as sunset drinks by the river or a candle-lit table for two.
Talk to Safari Online about a Ruaha safari and we’ll recommend the best tour and accommodation for your requirements. We can also tailor-make an itinerary for you, combining Ruaha with other safari destinations in Tanzania or east Africa as well as the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar for an unbeatable safari and beach holiday.
The best time to visit Ruaha National Park depends on your priorities but if these are to enjoy the best possible game viewing in the most comfortable climate, then the June to October period is unbeatable.
During this time, temperatures range between an average maximum of 27°C/81°F during the day and an average minimum of 14°C/57°F at night with barely a drop of rain at any time. The Ruaha back-country becomes increasingly arid and so thirsty wildlife gathers in greater and greater concentrations around water sources such as the Ruaha River. Game viewing at this time is very rewarding whether by vehicle or on foot.
The coldest and driest months are June to August; the hottest are September, October and November, and then once the rains begin, the wettest months are December through March. Note that most camps in Ruaha close down for some time between January and the end of May. Most roads become impassable and wildlife disperses into the trackless woodlands.
The rainy summer in Tanzania is often referred to as the Green Season and an early summer safari can be a rewarding time in Ruaha. The bird watching is truly amazing at this time and many antelope, zebra and giraffe give birth to take advantage of the fresh greenery; needless to say it is a good time of year to see predators in action.
If you would like to combine a Ruaha safari with the Serengeti/Masai Mara wildebeest migration, then the October to July period is when the wildebeest are in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. From late July to early October (when it is considered the best time to visit Ruaha) the herds are mostly in Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve: ask us for more information on when to go to Ruaha and get the best timing for the wildebeest migration or the migration river crossing in the Serengeti/Masai Mara.
For such a large and remote destination, the Ruaha National Park has a surprisingly wide range of safari lodge accommodation. You can choose from elegant tented camps with a swimming pool and Wi-Fi, or rustic thatched chalets and even mobile tented camps, set up to showcase Ruaha’s wildlife at its most concentrated and dramatic.
Often operating only during the driest months, Ruaha lodges are generally small and intimate – many are honeymoon favourites – but there are also camps that offer larger units for families or groups of friends travelling together. Your personal accommodation comes in the form of a comfortable suite with private bathroom; the more permanent lodges design their suites with verandas overlooking water and wildlife.
Activities at Ruaha lodges revolve around the movement of animals, both daily and seasonally. Early morning and late afternoon game drives are the most rewarding and you will be encouraged to go on a full-day safari to make the most out of your experience. Nature walks with your guide offer a different side to the landscape, and several lodges are permitted to use a spotlight in the early evening, adding an opportunity to spot nocturnal creatures on the move.
Browse our recommended Ruaha lodges below or simply contact us for advice on suitable accommodation for your needs and budget.
Ruaha River Lodge was the only safari camp in the national park for two decades, before Tanzania opened to international tourism. As a pioneer of its time this allowed for its prime position along the river and far from any other safari lodges.
Nomad Tanzania’s Expeditionary Walking Camp is a quintessential safari experience that harks back to the golden age of exploration. It’s a mobile camp designed for intimacy and adventure.
Lying under acacia trees, Mdonya Camp is open for most of the year & focuses on game drives, encouraging all-day safaris to make the most out of Ruaha. It is a simple, no-frills camp but suites are comfortable & you still have your own bathroom.
Operating during the dry season & early summer, eco-friendly Kigelia has great game viewing. You’ll design your own safari programme, go on nature walks & night drives, & can even visit a nearby village to see how Kigelia uplifts the local community.
A Ruaha tour is generally part of a longer itinerary in Tanzania that includes other destinations on the country’s ‘southern circuit’ such as the Selous Reserve or more familiar destinations to the north – the Serengeti, Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater. And thanks to simple logistics, Tanzania’s dazzling Indian Ocean jewel – Zanzibar – also makes a welcome appearance on many Ruaha safari itineraries.
Flying between destinations is usually the best way to travel in Tanzania and certainly maximises your time on safari. Our tours have local flights and overland transfers built into the itinerary as well as nearly all meals, drinks and activities.
Browse our recommended tours below, each including a Ruaha tour as part of its itinerary. Alternatively, if you’d like a more personalised approach, simply contact Safari Online and we’ll tailor-make an itinerary based on your needs and budget.
Our team of destination experts will design a holiday to meet your budget and interests. Let’s start planning your tailor-made African safari today!
Wild and remote, the Ruaha National Park is best experienced as part of a bigger itinerary in Tanzania and beyond. Accessible via daily flights from Dar es Salaam, Ruaha combines easily with the other popular destinations of Tanzania’s ‘southern circuit’ such as Katavi National Park and the Selous Reserve as well as little-known gems like the chimpanzee-filled forests of Mahale Mountains and Gombe Stream national parks.
It is a little further to fly to Tanzania’s more famous ‘northern circuit’ destinations of the Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti and a border crossing if you want to experience Kenyan Masai Mara Safari. But all these combinations use smooth-running and well-tested logistics and a more extensive east Africa itinerary is easy to create, even so far as to include gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda.
One of our favourite combinations is however to trade the binoculars and 4X4 for a swimming costume and a hammock and hit the golden beaches of Zanzibar and its dazzling island archipelago.
