Mikumi National Park Tanzania

Mikumi National Park covers an area of 3,230 sq km and is rich in wildlife including buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, lion, elephant, impala, hippos, baboon, giraffe, warthog, waterbuck, and eland which can be viewed throughout the year. Reptiles including crocodile, monitor lizard, and python are also resident in the park. Other animals that can be sighted although rare are the Sable Antelope resident in the southern part of the park bordering the Selous, the Greater Kudu, leopard, and the wild dog also known as the African Hunting Dog. More than 400 bird species have been recorded, including European migrants during the rainy season.

Sharing a common border and ecosystem with Selous Game Reserve to the south, Mikumi National Park is only three to four hours’ drive from Dar es Salaam, lying astride the main highway to Zambia, and en route to the National Parks of the Udzungwa Mountains, Ruaha, and Kitulo. The main feature of the park is the Mikumi flood plain, along with the mountain ranges that border the park on two sides. Open grasslands dominate in the flood plain, eventually merging with the miombo woodland covering the lower hills.

Mikumi National Park is one the most popular visitor points sold from our Dar es Salaam branch office. Being close to Dar es Salaam on a good road, day trips are popular especially for those who have little time to spend an overnight there. But it is recommended to spend at least a night in Mikumi to enjoy a fulfilling game drive in this beautiful park. A number of accommodation facilities are available in Mikumi.

Size of Mikumi National Park Tanzania

The Mikumi National Park near Morogoro, Tanzania, was established in 1964. It covers an area of 3,230 km² is the fourth largest in the country. The park is crossed by Tanzania’s A-7 highway connecting to Zambia.

Location of Mikumi National Park Tanzania

The closest park to Dar-es-Salaam, Mikumi National Park is transacted by the surfaced road between Dar and Iringa and is thus the most accessible area of a 75,000 square kilometer tract of wilderness. It is part of a much larger ecosystem centered on the vast Selous game reserve

How to get to Mikumi National Park Tanzania

When getting to the park from Dar es Salaam it takes between 4 to 5 hours’ drive along the scenic mountains of the area through a great nice tarmacked road. The small distance has made it one of the weekend hot spots for the short days or day trips by the travelers.

Things to do in Mikumi National Park

Game drives in Mikumi National Park

For a typical African wilderness safari, it’s not considered a safari if one doesn’t conduct a game drive as safari activities. The game drives at Mikumi national park offer travelers an opportunity to explore and see the wildlife in their natural habitat/ setting, some of the prominent features to seek after in the game drive include the artificial hippo pools filled with a huge school of hippos swimming. The hippos pool as from time to time collect several herds of wildlife to mention giraffes,  elephants, elands, zebras, hippos, and many more.  With the game drive, you will also encounter the pride of lions and if you are lucky you could meet them on a hunt making kills.

Birding in Mikumi National Park

On surveys conducted, especially the most recent one, the number of bird species at Mikumi national park is projected to approximately 500 bird species. The species ranging from migratory birds, savannah birds, water birds, and many more. Some of the local Zanzibar red bishop, yellow-throated longclaw, and lilac-breasted roller, Bateleur eagle, and open billed stork among the rest.

Picnics Mikumi National Park

 Mikumi national park boasts spectacular views, terrains, and sites deeming it an acentric wilderness arena for having the best of picnics, some of the things to do in the picnics include has meals, games, and many more.

Camping Mikumi National Park

Mikumi national park has got two camping sites/grounds, offering public camping and private camping respectively. Both camping sites offer the same experience of camping irrespective of the difference in management. The camping sites remain open all year round but the best time to camp is the dry season between the months of June and November. The private campsite is in Vuma hills also known as campsite 5 while the public campsite is at Nkata plains also known as campsite 1, 3.

Nature Walks Mikumi National Park

Nature is another way of getting acquainted with your environment, as it enables you to see what your surrounding is composed mainly is in terms of features, wildlife, and other environment details.

When to visit Mikumi National Park

June to October is the best time to visit Mikumi National Park. During the dry season, the wildlife concentrates around waterholes and rivers – making it easier to spot them.

Where to stay in Mikumi National Park

There quite a lot of accommodation options available ranging from Budget to upmarket lodges and our recommendations are Stanley’s Kopje and the Vuma hill tented camp.