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
James Harris
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.
James Harris
Travel Designer
Luxury accommodation in Ruaha National Park
Trip inspiration
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.
Why book with Jacada?
Personalised design
We’ll plan your trip around your specific interests, tastes and preferences, providing helpful tips and honest advice based on first-hand knowledge of the destination.
Authentic experiences
Our expert guides and brilliant travel concierges are hand-picked to provide a genuine experience, bringing your destination to life with care and passion.
Responsible travel
Our luxury trips are designed with responsible travel principles that prioritise travel experiences that are both good for you and good for the planet.
The organization and detail of travel was superb! Jody and Charlotte helped every step of the way. It was a luxury safari. The game drives and accommodations were wonderful. It was a trip of a lifetime!
Landing at airport and being greeted by a personal representative to walk you through every what, where and when.
We wanted a special trip to celebrate our 30 year anniversary. We are fortunate to have found Jacada Travel and their expertise in arranging an unforgettable trip to Tanzania. Jody and Charlotte were helpful and professional, tailoring an amazing trip just for us. We have never before had our travel expectations exceeded. We will not hesitate to use Jacada in…
Everyone on our trip was helpful, gracious, and friendly. The places we stayed were luxurious with excellent food and wine. Our experiences with animals was absolutely wonderful, with excellent guides getting us everything we could possibly want.
Jacada designed a tailor-made trip to Northern Tanzania (originally meant for 2020) which met all of our expectations and more. The selected camps and guides were all great and everything was handled seamlessly by Iain and Angela. Already looking forward to our next trip with them!
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.