3-Day Safari From Dar es Salaam - Compare 126 Tours

4.8/5 – 1,867 Tanzania Reviews

Dar es Salaam is a fun and fascinating city to explore in its own right, but it also puts you in an excellent position for exploring the amazing wildlife destinations in Tanzania’s south. On a 3-day safari from Dar es Salaam, you’ll be traveling to your destination on day 1 and returning on day 3. That means you have 2 nights and 1 full day on safari, plus part of 2 other days. This is certainly enough to get a taste of one of the fantastic national parks in southern Tanzania. So start planning what animals you want to see and where you’d like to go. Then get ready for a wonderful safari experience.

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5 Questions About 3-Day Safaris From Dar es Salaam

Expert

Answered by

Anthony Ham

Anthony has written numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, including ‘Tanzania’ and ‘East Africa’. He writes about Tanzania and the wider region for magazines and newspapers worldwide. He is also the author of ‘The Last Lions of Africa’, part of which is set in southern Tanzania.
› More about Anthony

Where can I go on a 3-day safari from Dar es Salaam?

“With 3 days, you should have enough time to visit Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) or Mikumi National Park. These are two of the best parks for wildlife and wild landscapes in East Africa. Nyerere is a fantastic place to see lion, elephant, hippo, crocodile, zebra and giraffe, and so much more. You can also enjoy some time on the Rufiji River on a boat safari. Mikumi is similarly good with many of the same animals, and its floodplains are often compared to the Serengeti. If you’d like to combine wildlife with a coastal location, you could consider Saadani National Park, although this would realistically only take up a day or two. Saadani is probably best suited to a shorter safari. If you’re willing and able to fly, you could, in theory, fly to any park in Tanzania. However, you won’t find many cheap or affordable safari options of this kind.”

Is 3 days enough for a trip from Dar es Salaam?

“In my opinion, 3 days is a minimum amount of time for a safari trip from Dar es Salaam. If you can organize to have more time, then you should try and do so. To really make the most of your time on safari, it’s always best to have at least 1 full day in the destination, so you can wake up surrounded by wild Africa and then fall asleep under the same conditions later the same day. Having 1 full day like this is something everyone should experience at least once. It’s also best to maximize the number of early mornings and late afternoons you spend in the destination: the more you have of these the better it is for you. That’s because this is when the animals are at their most active and easiest to see. It’s also the best time for the nicest light for taking photos. With 3 days, you should have four of these experiences, which could mean four game drives, or three game drives and a boat safari on the Rufiji River.”

Is a fly-in safari recommended for a 3-day safari from Dar es Salaam?

“Flying can be an excellent way to make the most of your time on a 3-day safari from Dar es Salaam. By flying directly from the city into one of the national parks, you get there in the quickest way possible. This usually means flying into an airstrip in, or close to, the national park in a small plane. You will also get to enjoy some fantastic views on the way, turning your transfer into a scenic flight (and possibly a highlight of your trip). The downside of a fly-in safari is the cost. Flying can be very expensive, which means that the per-day cost of your safari will be high. In this sense, flying is not a very cheap or affordable way to get around for many travelers. If instead you travel by road, you’ll get to see more of the country in an entirely different way, with lots of vignettes of local life along the way.”

What animals can I expect to see?

“The animals you see will vary depending on which park you visit during your 3 days. If you visit Mikumi National Park or Nyerere National Park, there’s a good chance that you might see lion, elephant, zebra, giraffe, hippo and crocodile. Other big cats and, in Nyerere, African wild dog, may be unlikely in just 3 days but they are in the parks and certainly possible. Nyerere also has the Rufiji River, which means you’ll almost certainly see lots of birds as well. If you include Saadani National Park on your trip, watch out for hippo, crocodile, giraffe, elephant and Lichtenstein’s hartebeest. If you’re very lucky, you may even see a lion or two. In Saadani, it’s also about the location and the chance to see many of these animals right by the Indian Ocean.”

How much does a 3-day trip from Dar es Salaam cost?

“With so many different tours and packages to choose from for your 3-day safari, it can be difficult to be precise about prices. If you’re on a budget camping safari and you travel to (and around) the parks by road, you might be able to arrange a budget safari for around US$100 to US$150 per person per day. If you’re paying this little, it’s possible that you’ll need to help with camp chores that might include cooking, washing up, and setting up and taking down tents. If you choose a fly-in safari, prices should start at around US$350 to US$400 per person per day, but this could go significantly higher if you pay for luxury overnight accommodation, especially in high season (June to October). And if you go on a private safari (where you’ll pay for the guide, vehicle and driver all by yourself) rather than a group safari (where these costs are shared), you could pay even more. Make sure that you understand what is included in any quoted price from a safari company. Transfers, guide, driver, game drives, food and some drinks, park entry fees and accommodation (including, where applicable, camping equipment) should all be included, but always ask.”

Tanzania Reviews

4.8/5 1,867 Reviews

Expert

Gemma Pitcher –

Gemma authored several Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guides to Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.

Africa as I pictured it

5/5

I still remember the first picture of Africa I saw when I was a kid. Vast, stretching plains of undulating yellow grass, broken only by flat-topped acacia trees and the odd strolling giraffe, all set beneath the dome of a perfect blue sky....

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Mike Unwin –

Mike is an award-winning wildlife writer, former editor of Travel Zambia magazine and author of the Bradt Guide to Southern African Wildlife.

Endless Space

5/5

While Kenya may be the African destination most synonymous with safaris, Tanzania – its larger neighbour – boasts Africa’s single most famous park, and arguably offers even more than Kenya in terms of variety and quantity of wildlife....

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Ellen Maryati –

Reviewed: May 28, 2025

Paradise

5/5

I went to Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire in low season. I was afraid that I won’t see lots if animals because it’s rainy season. Turns out the weather is great, just a little bit rain, saw lots of animals, perfect scenes, and saw...

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Liviu Cira –

Reviewed: May 17, 2025

Tales of Tanzania

5/5

Hi! We went to Tanzania for a safari trip and came back with unforgettable memories! The safari was beyond expectations. Seeing animals in their natural habitat was blissful. From a group of 13(!) lion cubs chilling together under...

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Corinne Conrad –

Reviewed: May 14, 2025

Tanzania, with its diverse wildlife and magical landscapes, evokes deep emotions with every encounte

5/5

Our adventure began in Tarangire National Park, with our first encounters with wildlife: majestic elephants, curious giraffes, striped zebras, and lazy wildebeests… The magic took hold immediately. The next day, as we left the region, the...

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Joy Frech –

Reviewed: May 4, 2025

EPIC

5/5

Good day, we had a wonderful time in Tanzania, our safari was more then we expected, our driver Rajab amazing, we still converse on WhatsApp.
the sites, animals, accommodations, food and new friendships. thank you Tanzania

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3-Day Safari From Dar es Salaam - Compare 126 Tours

3-Day Selous (Nyerere NP) Boat, Game & Walking Safari

3-Day Selous (Nyerere NP) Boat & Game Drive

3-Day Mikumi National Park by Train

3-Day Serengeti from the Sky

3-Day Mid-Range Safari to Nyerere with Scenic Wildlife

3-Day Mikumi Private Safari with Sgr from Dar

3-Day Safari to Nyerere Park Former Selous Game Reserve

3-Day Mikumi Safari Adventure - Wildlife & Maasai

3-Day Best Safari Tour to Mikumi National Park

3-Day 2 Nights Mikumi Adventure Safari

3-Day Explore Mikumi Wildlife & Scenic Views by Train

3-Day Fly in from D'Es Salaam to Famous Parks

3-Day Mikumi & Udzungwa NP by Train from Dar Es Salaam

3-Day Mikumi National Park Safari

3-Day Drive in Safari to Nyerere NP

3-Day Mikumi Wildlife Experience Safari

3-Day Selous|(Nyerere Park), Walking and Boat Safari

3-Day Maasai Boma Visit & Safari in Nyerere ( Selous)

3-Day Nyerere National Park Lodge Safari + Boat Safari

3-Day Selous Tour, Walking and Boat Family Safari

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5 Questions About 3-Day Safaris From Dar es Salaam

Answered by

Anthony Ham

5 Questions About 3-Day Safaris From Dar es Salaam

Where can I go on a 3-day safari from Dar es Salaam?

Is 3 days enough for a trip from Dar es Salaam?

Is a fly-in safari recommended for a 3-day safari from Dar es Salaam?

What animals can I expect to see?

How much does a 3-day trip from Dar es Salaam cost?

Tanzania Reviews

Africa as I pictured it

Endless Space

Paradise

Tales of Tanzania

Tanzania, with its diverse wildlife and magical landscapes, evokes deep emotions with every encounte

EPIC