Home → Destinations → Ruaha National Park
Ruaha National Park is Tanzania's largest national park and one of Africa's great wildlife sanctuaries. Remote, wild and relatively untouristed, Ruaha offers an authentic bush experience far from the crowds. The park is named after the Great Ruaha River, which draws enormous concentrations of wildlife during the dry season and forms the lifeline of this vast wilderness. For those seeking a raw, exclusive African safari, Ruaha is unmatched.
Ruaha protects Tanzania's largest population of elephants, with herds numbering in the hundreds regularly seen along the river. It has one of Africa's largest lion populations, with some unusually large prides recorded. African wild dog are frequently seen — rarer elsewhere — along with leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena and striped hyena. The park hosts both greater and lesser kudu, along with roan and sable antelope not found in the Northern Circuit parks.
Walking along the Great Ruaha River at dawn or dusk, with hippo pools, crocodile-lined banks and elephant families drinking, is one of Tanzania's most atmospheric wildlife experiences. Most camps are positioned right on the river, offering continuous game viewing from camp.
June to October is the prime season when the dry Ruaha River concentrates wildlife. The park is accessible year-round by small aircraft. Ruaha is often combined with Mikumi or the Gombe–Mahale chimpanzee parks for an exceptional Southern Circuit safari.
