Mikumi National Park

Gazetted in 1964 and Located in the southern parts of Tanzania. The park lies between the Uluguru mountains and Lumango ranges west of Dar es Salaam and north of the famous Selous Game Reserve. It covers an area of 3,230 square kilometres comprised of savannah, artificial hippo pools and Mkata flooded plains which home abundant wildlife.

As part of the Selous ecosystem, it benefits from the highest game density of the entire conservation area. Mikumi also has a strong history and Stanley’s Kopje lies on one of the slave routes, also used by Henry Morton Stanley on his epic explorations to find Livingstone. Not only is Mikumi a great place for viewing animals on game drives, it is also a beautiful and colourful place with open grasslands stretching out in the park.

Mikumi National Park can be visited anytime throughout the year. However, the best time is during the dry season June to October because animals gather to drink water around the water holes and the vegetation is a bit weathered and thin giving you clear spots to take pictures and observe different animals compared to the rainy season when the vegetation is dense.

Species diversity:
Wildlife ranging from buffalos, zebras, elephants, impalas, giraffes, lions, leopards, wild dogs, birds like Zanzibar red bishop, among others can be found in Mikumi. Over 400 species of birds live in the park and can keep any bird lover interested. A broad range of savannah bird species are joined by some notable species such as Zanzibar Red Bishop. Migrant species join in the spectacle during the months of November through to April and May.

Size and accessibility:
Mikumi National Park is the fourth largest in the country and the closest to Dar es Salaam. The park is one of the most accessible in the whole of Tanzania. It can be reached by both road and air.

By car:
A good surfaced road connects the park to Dar es Salaam via Morongoto a 4-5-hour drive.

By air:
Both scheduled and charter flights from Dar es Salaam and Arusha are available making the park easy to access.

Activities:
Game drives
Bird watching
Guided nature walk
Camping

Learn more:

To learn more about safaris in Tanzania, click here to read our introduction to Tanzania, then browse our Tanzania tours here!