Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park

Explore Tours By Destinations

Overview

Covering an area of 20,226 square km, Ruaha National Park is the largest national park in Tanzania. The park is great for the wild-lovers who love to see the predators and prey in action.

The park is located the West of the Selous Game Reserve, and South of The Serengeti. Ruaha is wilder and remote than Selous National Park.

Safaris here are some of the best you will find in the country and are superb value for money. Ruaha is most famous for predator concentration. 10% of the world’s total lion population resides here. The park is also home to one-fourth of East Africa’s cheetahs’ population and third largest wild dog population in the world.

The park got its name from the great Ruaha River, which is the main source of water for the wildlife. During the dry season, the river becomes dry and the little water left in the river is attracted by thousands of wildlife. This spectacular wild view is superb value for money.

The Wildlife

Ruaha offers great wild shows with the highest predator population. The most common predators include lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and wild dog. See elephants, buffalos, wildebeests, hartebeests, sable antelopes, Grant's gazelles, greater kudus and lesser kudus, zebras, defassa waterbucks, impalas and giraffes strolling almost everywhere in the park.

The interaction between predators and prey is the most amazing view for visitors coming to explore Ruaha National Park.

The Birdlife

With nearly 500 different species, Ruaha National Park is a fantastic destination for bird lovers.

The most commonly spotted birds are African fish eagle, Ashy starling, Black-bellied bustard, Goliath heron, Long-crested eagle, Collared palm-thrush, Crested barbet, Namaqua dove, Southern ground hornbill, Eleonora’s falcon, Emerald-spotted wood dove, Tanzanian red-billed hornbill, White-bellied go-away bird, Yellow-collared lovebird and many more.

November to April is best for viewing migratory birds.

Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park

Best Time To Visit

The dry season (June to October) offers the prime view of watching wildlife in action. During this time the vegetation becomes thinner and wild animals concentrate around the Ruaha River to quench their thirst.

The wet season (November to April) is best for viewing the migratory birds. Moreover, the park is good to visit throughout the year.

How To Go

Your entry point to the land is Julius Nyerere International Airport, Dar es Saalam. The drive from Dar to Ruaha will take 10 hours by road. A stopover at Mikumi National Park is most recommended as it lies on the way to Ruaha National Park.

The easiest way is to take a scheduled flight from Dar to the park’s airstrip. Normally your tour operator will pick you up from the airport and takes care of your whole trip

Uniqueness

  • Ruaha is Tanzania’s largest national park and a spectacular park for wildlife viewing.
  • The park is famous for the high concentration of predators, especially the large pride of lions
  • The park is one of the best places to see wild dogs.
  • The great Ruaha River features an impressive view of wild animal concentration.
  • Malaria risk is minimum in the peak seasons

Pros and Cons

Pros :

  • The park offers great wildlife viewing in the dry season
  • The park is superb for predator concentration, especially the lion prides
  • Walking safaris are allowed to explore the wilderness of the park.

Cons :

  • Wildlife viewing is not good during the wet season
  • The park is relatively remote

Activities

Ruaha National Park offers an array of activities to enjoy. Some of the popular activities are as follows :

  • Game Viewing
  • Walking Safari
  • Bird Watching
  • Camping
  • Picnicking

Accommodation

The accommodation options in Ruaha National Park vary from budget to extremely luxurious.

There are camps that are extremely affordable and great value for money offering the authentic experiences of nature. Visitors can easily get the camps all round the year.

There are some lodges located in the remote wilderness with a real experience of Tanzania bush. Almost every camp provides a truly wild experience which is a wonderful way to spend a safari.

Contact us and choose your most preferred accommodation.

Location

Ruaha National Park is 10 hours drive from Dar es Saalam. The park is west of the Selous Game Reserve and south of Serengeti National Park. Visitors can take scheduled flights to reach the park.

From Iringa the park is about 130 km, so it can be accessed easily by road.

OUR RECENT NATIONAL PARK SNAPS

Tanzania Travel Guide

About Tanzania

About Tanzania

The magic of Tanzania is hard to beat as it holds the fabulous number of

View Details
Best Time for Tanzania

Best Time for Tanzania

Tanzania is best known for the safari paradise in the world.

View Details
Travel Tips

Travel Tips

Tanzania's unit of currency is the Tanzanian Shilling but credit cards

View Details
Getting There

Getting There

Your entry point to the land is Dar-es-Salaam International Airport

View Details
Weather & Climate

Weather & Climate

The Average summer temperature in Tanzania is 18°C to 29°C and the

View Details
People & Culture

People & Culture

Blessed with a wealth of wildlife and breath-taking landscape, Tanzania

View Details
Tanzania Currency

Currency

The currency of Tanzania is a shilling, which is written as TZS. The

View Details
Tanzania Food

Tanzania Food

Tanzanian cuisine reflects both the country’s history and geography.

View Details
Tanzania Guide

Tanzania Guide

Explore the country’s rich history, diversified culture, and stunning

View Details
Tanzania Visa

Tanzania Visa

Tanzanian cuisine reflects both the country’s history and geography.

View Details
Tanzania Health

Tanzania Health

Tanzanian cuisine reflects both the country’s history and geography.

View Details
Tanzania Uniqueness

Tanzania Uniqueness

Tanzanian cuisine reflects both the country’s history and geography.

View Details
Tanzania Flights

Tanzania Flights

Tanzanian cuisine reflects both the country’s history and geography.

View Details
Tanzania Accomodations

Tanzania Accomodations

Tanzanian cuisine reflects both the country’s history and geography.

View Details

Suggested Itinerary

Give Us Opportunity To Serve You

Let us Tailor-make your unique and dream safari and trekking trip.

Get the dream challengers email newsletters

Keep Up-To-Date With our news and events