A truly intimate safari experience
For a genuinely rewarding safari adventure, delve deep into the heart of Tanzania to uncover the wild and remote Ruaha National Park.
Ruaha is the same size of South Africa’s Kruger National Park – making it the largest national park in Tanzania and East Africa – with same wildlife density and diversity of the Kruger, but only around 1% of the visitors, so you can imagine how untouched and pristine the area is.
Home to an abundance of varied dramatic landscapes, this remote and mighty wilderness brims with vast open plains, rolling hills filled with baobabs and the park’s lifeline, the Great Ruaha River. Huge herds of zebras, giraffes, elephants and buffalos gather here by the water, making for excellent game viewing, while their predators lie in wait in the shadows. These predators include a tenth of all of Africa’s lions, the third largest population of wild dogs, hyenas, leopards and cheetahs. Rarer antelope species found here include kudu, sable and roan, and the birding is spectacular between January and April.
Despite its astounding variety of wildlife and large size, Ruaha is home to only a few camps, meaning that you’ll feel as though you have this true wilderness all to yourself. Spend your days enjoying game drives, with your binoculars and camera at the ready, check a wide variety of species off your birding list and enjoy nature walks getting an up-close look at the wildlife.
Highlights
Head out on fascinating bush walks with a knowledgeable guide
Go on rewarding photography-focused game drives
Keep an eye out for a myriad different bird species
Jamey Lowis
Travel Designer
If you're looking for a remote safari experience that you can call your own, Ruaha National Park is the place to go. It's a game-rich wilderness and with very few camps in the park, you'll get to enjoy it largely in private.
Jamey Lowis
Travel Designer
Luxury accommodation in Ruaha National Park
Why book with Jacada?
Safari expertise
Our experts bring decades of first-hand expertise. They’ve lived and travelled across Africa and are regularly on the ground reviewing the most exclusive camps and experiences. You’ll also have the support of a personal concierge, based in region.
Unforgettable guides
We handpick the most knowledgeable guides, who bring each destination to life with care and passion. They’re chosen for their ability to provide unrivalled insight into the region’s wildlife and landscapes as well as a genuine, memorable experience.
Responsible travel
By travelling with us, you directly support a range of initiatives spanning wildlife conservation to community engagement. Our luxury trips are designed to prioritise experiences that are positive for you and the places you visit.
Trip inspiration
Whatever you want from your Ruaha National Park tour, our team of expert travel designers are ready to help.
Discover more of Tanzania
Arusha
Arguably the Safari Capital of East Africa, Arusha is a bustling city in northern Tanzania and the main hub for those who are going to be embarking on a safari in this extensively game rich country.
Discover moreKatavi National Park
For safari experts, the isolated Katavi National Park comes highly recommended. With a combination of grassland plains, marshland, rugged hills, woodland, lakes and rivers, this multifaceted region of Tanzania is home to a dense and varied wildlife quotient - including predators.
Discover moreKilimanjaro Climb
The mighty Mount Kilimanjaro, or ‘The Roof of Africa’, is the continent’s highest mountain. To reach this dormant volcano’s snow-capped peak, hikers have to embark on a challenging yet epic journey. As you ascend the mountain you will camp from point to point, enjoying staggering sights along the way.
Discover moreLake Manyara
Lake Manyara has an abundance of animal species ranging from baboons, blue monkeys and bushbuck in its evergreen forests, buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe and zebra on its flood plains. Its acacia woodland is popular amongst its leopards and tree-climbing lions. One of the main draws to the park is its variation of birdlife.
Discover moreMahale Mountains
Sitting right by the longest freshwater lake in the world, Mahale Mountains is the best place to visit for spotting chimpanzees in Tanzania. The region also offers plenty of opportunities to spot birds and aquatic life of all kinds.
Discover moreMwiba Wildlife Reserve
Marking the southernmost point of the wildebeest’s migration loop, Mwiba Wildlife Reserve is where the herds spread out across the wider region to calve between January and March. There is only one permanent camp option so you’re guaranteed unbeatable privacy and exclusivity. There is also the possibility of setting off on night drives.
Discover moreNgorongoro Crater
A great introduction to Tanzania, this nature wonderland offers you incredible sightings of the famous big five as well as a whole host of excellent plains game.
Discover moreNorth Serengeti
The North Serengeti forms the border with the equally famous Maasai Mara of Kenya. This is the region where the herds are at their most concentrated during the migration, and it’s where you’ll see the infamous river crossings.
Discover moreNyerere National Park
Nyerere National Park is the largest game reserve in all eastern Africa. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region remains relatively untouched by humans but expect to see a huge concentration of elephants (almost half of all of Tanzania’s). With the mighty Rufiji River flowing through the reserve, visitors can also spot crocodiles and hippos.
Discover moreSerengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park is one of the world’s most famous national parks. It is host to Africa’s Great Migration where huge herds of wildebeest, zebra and antelope travel around before making their way into Kenya’s iconic Maasai Mara.
Discover moreSingita Grumeti
Singita Grumeti is Tanzania’s largest private reserve. The reserve is exclusive to Singita properties, which means privacy is a given. The region offers unrivalled game viewing experiences, and especially during the Great Wildebeest Migration between the months of June and July.
Discover moreTarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park is home to huge herds of elephants. There are also over 550 bird species including the Yellow-collared Lovebirds and the world’s heaviest flying bird, the Kori Bustard. Depending on the time of the year, you can also see the migratory wildebeest.
Discover moreZanzibar
The African island of Zanzibar, paired with its Arabian history, makes for an excellent safari add-on. With intriguing architecture evident in the main town, Stone Town, you will be able to experience a mix of culture and landscape with pristine beaches and crystal clear waters.
Discover moreMeet your Africa team
When to visit
Tanzania is an amazing destination to visit all year round, but if you’re after the Great Migration, visit between June and July. The iconic river crossings take place from August to October and calves are born at the start of the year, with up to 8000 born daily during February.
The Great Migration
June–October
Mount Kilimanjaro
January–March
Green season
January–February
Plan your trip to Ruaha National Park
Whatever you want from your adventure in Ruaha National Park, our team of expert travel designers are ready to help.
We have traveled with Jacada four times; to Patagonia, Tanzania, Colombia and a longer trip to northern South America. Each time we had a wonderful trip and felt very supported throughout. We stayed in world class lodgings in amazing places and had experienced guides. Never once did we wait to be picked up. On the rare occasion that there were…
Our first safari experience in Tanzania with Jacada—and certainly not our last! Jamey Lowis curated our dream trip with meticulous care, anticipating every detail and going above and beyond our expectations. The exceptional service, attention to detail, and unforgettable experiences made it more than we could have ever imagined! What a great way to be introduced to Africa.
All the coordination from the time we entered the country being toured until we left was handled in a seamless and professional manner. Every accommodation was first class, and all employed staff members in the overnight venues were truly professional. The only exception was the airline chosen for internal flights. Their performance was very uneven and disjointed.
We booked our travel to Tanzania and Kenya for our 25th wedding anniversary. Jacada travels This one of the most memorable trips we’ve ever taken. They were always with us throughout the trip without being overbearing and constantly in communication as we were traveling with younger kids. The places that jacads suggested Were top-notch and we felt like we were…
Jacada were amazing all the way from designing our trip to guiding us throughout the journey. Our trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar was truly a once in a lifetime experience. We had knowledgeable, passionate guides on safari and stayed in beautiful accommodations throughout.
Plan with peace of mind
When you book a trip in today’s world there’s a lot to think about. But with the right advice and expert planning, you can do it with confidence.
If you book to travel with us but your plans are impacted by circumstances you can’t control, we’ll change your reservation or cancel your booking for a full credit towards future travel.