Today we explore the beauty of Selous on both land and water. The morning game drive takes us across open woodlands and savannahs where elephants, buffalo, lions, and wild dogs roam freely. In the afternoon, we set out on a boat safari along the Rufiji River, gliding past hippos, crocodiles, and flocks of colorful birds as the sun dips below the horizon. It’s a truly magical way to experience the reserve’s vast wilderness.

Accommodation: Selous Impala Tented Camp

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

After breakfast, we continue our journey west toward Mikumi National Park, passing through Morogoro town and the scenic Uluguru Mountains. The drive offers glimpses of daily Tanzanian life — farmers tending fields, children walking to school, and markets full of color and rhythm. We arrive in Mikumi by evening and relax at our lodge with views of the park’s rolling plains.

Accommodation: Tan Swiss Hotel

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

After breakfast, we continue west, passing through the charming highland town of Iringa where we stop for lunch and a short stroll through the local market. From there, the landscape grows wilder as we ascend toward the Ruaha escarpment, with sweeping views over the Great Rift Valley. The final stretch winds through dusty roads lined with ancient baobabs, a prelude to the rugged beauty of Ruaha National Park. We arrive at our hilltop lodge overlooking the park’s vast wilderness — the perfect setting for a quiet evening.

Accommodation: Ruaha Hilltop Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

We rise early for a full day of game viewing in Ruaha, Tanzania’s largest and most dramatic park. Its landscapes of rocky kopjes, acacia forests, and the great Ruaha River create one of the country’s most photogenic scenes. We may encounter large herds of elephants, prides of lions, cheetahs, and even leopards resting in the shade. After a picnic lunch in the park, we drive back to Iringa in the late afternoon, passing through small villages and beautiful mountain vistas.

Accommodation: Sai Villa

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

We depart early with packed lunch for one of the most scenic drives of the trip. The road winds through the Kipengere Range, a region of rolling green hills, traditional homesteads, and highland farms growing tea and maize. We stop to visit the Kimani Waterfalls, where clear water cascades through lush vegetation — a refreshing break before continuing to Mbeya, a vibrant town nestled in Tanzania’s southern highlands, known for its cool climate and fertile farmlands.

Accommodation: Utengule Coffee Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

After breakfast, we head out to explore Lake Ngozi, Tanzania’s second-largest crater lake located in the heart of the Poroto Mountains. A short hike through lush montane forest brings us to the lake’s rim, offering stunning panoramic views of the emerald-green crater below. After lunch, we return to the lodge for a coffee tour, learning about the cultivation, processing, and tasting of Mbeya’s aromatic beans.

Accommodation: Utengule Coffee Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Today’s journey takes us deep into Tanzania’s lesser-known western corridor. With packed lunch, we drive through Tunduma and along the shores of Lake Rukwa, one of the country’s most remote and wildlife-rich lakes. The road winds through untouched wilderness and rural communities before arriving in Sumbawanga, a town that marks the gateway to Katavi National Park.

Accommodation: Southern Corridor Hotel

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

We continue our adventure westward to Katavi National Park, an isolated paradise rarely visited yet brimming with life. After lunch at our lodge, we enjoy an afternoon game drive in the park, where vast floodplains, herds of buffalo, and large pods of hippos define the wild landscape.

Accommodation: Mbali Mbali Katavi

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

We spend a full day exploring Katavi National Park, known for its raw wilderness and dramatic wildlife encounters. During the dry season, the Katuma River attracts thousands of animals, and sightings of lions, crocodiles, and elephants are common. The remoteness of Katavi offers an authentic safari experience far from the crowds — just us, the open plains, and the rhythm of nature.

Accommodation: Mbali Mbali Katavi

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

After an early breakfast, we depart Katavi with packed lunch and drive to Kigoma, a historic town on the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika. We take a boat ride across Lake Tanganyika to reach Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge, the gateway to Gombe Stream National Park where Dr. Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking chimpanzee research began in 1960. The forested slopes rising from the lake feel timeless, untouched, and deeply spiritual.  We arrive at our lodge in time to relax and watch the sunset over one of the world’s deepest and oldest lakes.

Accommodation: Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch,dinner

Today we have an exciting day ahead. After an early breakfast, we head out to Gombe National Park for Chimpanzee tracking. Gombe Stream National Park, though Tanzania’s smallest, holds immense significance as the site where Dr. Jane Goodall began her pioneering research on wild chimpanzees in 1960.

As we trek through the forest, we follow in her footsteps, tracing the paths where she first observed chimpanzees using tools, showing emotion, and forming complex family bonds — discoveries that forever changed how humanity understands its closest relatives. Watching these remarkable primates interact in their natural habitat feels like witnessing her legacy come alive before our eyes.

Beyond the chimps, Gombe’s emerald hills and waterfalls create a serene setting alive with red-tailed and colobus monkeys, tropical birds, and butterflies.

In the evening, we return to camp with a renewed appreciation for Jane Goodall’s extraordinary contribution to conservation and the enduring spirit of Gombe — a place where science, compassion, and wilderness beautifully intertwine.

Accommodation: Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

After breakfast, we return by boat to Kigoma and check back into our lakeside lodge. The afternoon is free to relax, swim, or visit Ujiji, where Stanley met Livingstone — another chapter of exploration along these legendary shores.

Accommodation: Kigoma Hilltop Hotel

Meal Plan: Breakfast, dinner

After breakfast, we take an early morning flight to Dar es Salaam, to connect to our international departure. As we look back, it’s more than just the landscapes and wildlife we’ll remember — it’s the feeling of discovery, connection, and awe that came with every mile.

From Dian Fossey’s journey with the mountain gorillas to Jane Goodall’s revolutionary discoveries with the Gombe Chimpanzees, this journey is both an adventure and a celebration of the women who gave voice to the wild.

Meal Plan: Breakfast only