Wildlife
Big Five Safari
Designed around Tanzania's most sought-after wildlife, with time in the places where sightings are strongest.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area · Serengeti National Park · Tarangire National Park
Southern Tanzania
Ruaha National Park
Wild, remote, and one of East Africa's finest big-cat destinations.
Overview
About Ruaha National Park
Tanzania's largest national park by area — home to enormous elephant herds, big prides of lion, and endangered wild dog.
Ruaha is Tanzania's largest national park and one of the wildest safari destinations left in East Africa. Baobab-studded escarpments give way to open plains, and the Great Ruaha River cuts a lifeline through it all — in the dry season, wildlife concentrates along its banks in extraordinary densities.
The park sits at a biological crossroads between southern and East African species, which means unusual sightings: greater and lesser kudu together, sable and roan antelope, and both southern and East African races of giraffe. Elephants number in the thousands.
Ruaha is especially famous for its lions. Prides here are exceptionally large — groups of 20 or more are documented — and buffalo hunts are a regular event during the peak dry months. Leopard, cheetah and African wild dog are all resident, making it one of the finest predator destinations on the continent.
Size
20,226 km²
Signature species
Lion, wild dog, elephant
Feel
Remote, uncrowded
Best months
August – October
Why Visit
- Remote wilderness
- Exceptional predator sightings
- Fewer visitors than the Northern Circuit
- Big elephant and buffalo herds
Main Experiences
Game drivesWalking safarisFly-campingNight drives (select concessions)
Wildlife You May See
LionAfrican wild dogElephantLeopardCheetahKuduSable
Best Time to Visit
June to November for classic dry-season game viewing.
Getting There
Reached by scheduled flight from Dar es Salaam, Arusha or Zanzibar.
Itinerary Ideas
- Ruaha + Nyerere Southern Circuit fly-in safari
- Walking safari focus with a mobile camp
- Big-cat photographic safari
Gallery
Ruaha National Park in pictures
Recommended Experiences
Experiences featuring Ruaha National Park
Every itinerary is tailor-made — choose an experience and we build it around you.
Signature
Luxury Safari
Premium lodges and tented camps, a private vehicle and guide, and a journey planned around you alone.
Serengeti National Park · Ngorongoro Conservation Area · Ruaha National Park
Specialist
Photography Safari
Long hours in the field, patient guiding and vehicle positioning planned for the camera.
Serengeti National Park · Ngorongoro Conservation Area · Tarangire National Park
