Mikumi and the Udzungwa Mountains sit next to each other on the road south from Dar es Salaam, and together they make an unusually varied short trip: two days of classic game drives on the Mikumi floodplain, then a day in Udzungwa Mountains National Park, a roadless walking-only park protecting the largest intact block of the Eastern Arc forests.
The standard Udzungwa walk climbs through the forest to the Sanje Waterfall, which drops 170 metres in three stages, with a chance of endemic primates — the Udzungwa red colobus and the Sanje mangabey — and a huge list of birds along the way. It's a moderately demanding half-day hike.
Drive from Dar es Salaam (about 4 hours) and an afternoon game drive on the Mkata Floodplain. Overnight near the park.
A full day of game viewing — elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion and the hippo pools. Overnight near the park.
Short transfer to the Udzungwa gate. Guided forest hike (4–6 hours round trip) to the three-tiered Sanje Waterfall, watching for red colobus, Sanje mangabey and forest birds. Overnight near Mikumi.
A final short game drive in Mikumi, then the drive back to Dar es Salaam.