A first-time Tanzania safari, explained by a local operator. 12 honest tips on circuits, packing, timing, and what to expect before you...
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3 Day Mikumi Safari from Dar es Salaam by SGR Train
from
566
USD
/ person
Three Days in Mikumi National Park With Five Game Drives
Three days gives you what a short trip cannot: a full middle day inside Mikumi National Park and a lodge stay that does not feel rushed.
You leave Dar es Salaam on the 06:00 SGR in business class and reach Morogoro at 07:40. Your guide meets you with a private 4×4, and you are in the park by mid-morning. Day 2 has a sunrise drive and a longer afternoon drive, with a rest at the lodge in between. Day 3 starts with a final dawn drive before the trip back.
Birdlife is strong along the floodplain and the hippo pool, and the landscape shifts between open grassland and miombo woodland. Elephant, lion, giraffe, zebra and buffalo are regular sightings.
Safari details
Duration
3 days, 2 nights
Destinations
Mikumi National Park
Game drives
Full day game drive
Accommodation
Budget or mid-range lodge
Transport
SGR train + private 4x4, max 6
Meals
All meals included
Departs
Dar es Salaam
Best time
Year-round
Safari type
Classic game drive
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Your 3 days, 2 nights itinerary
Day 1
SGR to Mikumi, morning and afternoon game drives
Check in at the Dar es Salaam SGR station and board the 06:00 business class train to Morogoro. You arrive at 07:40.
Your guide meets you with a private 4×4. The drive to Mikumi National Park takes about 1.5 to 2 hours, so you enter the park in mid-morning.
Start with a game drive on the Mkata Floodplain, then return to the lodge for lunch and a rest. Head out again in the afternoon, returning at dusk. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 2
Full day in Mikumi National Park
Start with a sunrise game drive and return for breakfast. Rest at the lodge through the heat of the day.
Head out again in the afternoon for a longer drive covering the hippo pool and the open plains. Lion, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra and giraffe are all regular sightings. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3
Final dawn drive and return to Dar es Salaam
One last early game drive while the park is at its quietest. Return for breakfast and check out.
Transfer to Morogoro for lunch, then take the SGR back to Dar es Salaam, departing Morogoro at [ADD: RETURN TRAIN DEPARTURE TIME] and arriving at [ADD: ARRIVAL TIME IN DAR ES SALAAM].
What is included
Includes
- SGR business class train tickets, Dar es Salaam to Morogoro and return.
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle for all transfers and game drives.
- Professional English-speaking safari guide.
- Two nights lodge accommodation.
- All meals as listed in the itinerary.
- Mikumi National Park entrance fees.
- Drinking water in the vehicle.
Excludes
- Transport to and from the SGR station in Dar es Salaam.
- Tanzania e-visa ($50 for most nationalities).
- Travel insurance.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Personal tips for guide and lodge staff.
Why book this safari with us
Expert safari guides
Guides we know personally, not subcontracted. They know these parks year-round.
Private 4x4 vehicles
Your group only, maximum 6 per vehicle. Never shared with strangers.
Honest pricing
No middlemen margins. Prices on the page. Full breakdown before you commit.
Tanzania-based operator
We are in Tanzania. Your booking stays with us. No third-party handoff.
Fully customisable
Change parks, days, accommodation level, or departure city. We adjust until it fits.
Photographer friendly
Window seats, flexible timing, guides who understand positioning for wildlife shots.
What travelers say
Two days in Mikumi, two days in Ruaha then straight to Stone Town the contrast is part of the magic. Still dusty from the bush, sitting in a rooftop restaurant eating grilled lobster that night. Safari Elation handled every transfer and it was completely seamless.
We drove four hours from Dar es Salaam and by mid-morning were watching a pride of eight lions work their way along the Ruaha riverbed. No other vehicles. Our guide stopped the engine and we just listened. Nothing in two decades of travel has come close.
Before you book
How much does a 3-day Mikumi safari cost?
From $566 per person for Budget and $648 per person for Mid-range. Both include SGR business class tickets, a private 4×4, guide, park fees, lodge and meals.
Is a 3-day Mikumi safari good for families?
Yes. Game drives can be paced around children, and the midday lodge break helps younger travelers rest.
Which SGR train do you book?
We book the 06:00 business class departure, which reaches Morogoro at 07:40. A later 07:20 train exists, but it arrives at 08:50 and cuts into your first game drive, so we do not recommend it.
More Southern Safaris
Private 4x4, professional guide and park fees are included on every package.
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