Southern Tanzania
Udzungwa Mountains National Park
A rainforest with no roads at all
Overview
There is not a single game-viewing road in Udzungwa. You walk, and the forest gives up primates found nowhere else on Earth and a waterfall that drops 170 metres into the trees.
The Udzungwas are the largest block of the Eastern Arc Mountains, an ancient chain so long isolated that biologists call them the Galápagos of Africa. Two primates — the Iringa red colobus and the Sanje mangabey — live here and nowhere else, and new species are still being described.
The classic walk climbs to Sanje Falls in about four hours return, through buttressed forest loud with birdsong. Udzungwa pairs naturally with Mikumi an hour up the road, giving a short southern trip both big game and something genuinely different.
The landscape
Steep, unbroken tropical rainforest rising from 250 to over 2,500 metres, cut by rivers and the great cascade of Sanje Falls.
Quick facts
- Size
- 1,990 km²
- Drive from Mikumi
- ≈ 1 hour
- Famous for
- Endemic primates and Sanje Falls
- Ideal stay
- 1 – 2 nights
Wildlife
Who lives here
- Iringa red colobus and Sanje mangabey, both endemic
- Over 400 bird species including the rufous-winged sunbird
- Elephant and buffalo in the lowland forest, rarely seen
- More than 2,500 plant species, a quarter of them endemic
Seasons
When to come
Dry seasonJune – October
Firmer trails and easier walking conditions.
Wet seasonNovember – May
The falls at full force; trails slippery and leech-prone.
Experiences
Sanje Falls hike · Primate walks · Multi-day Mwanihana trek · Birdwatching · Village visits
In Pictures
Scenes from Udzungwa
Journeys Here
Safaris that visit Udzungwa Mountains National Park
7 Days / 6 NightsTarangire · Ngorongoro Crater · Serengeti
Serengeti Signature Safari
The essential northern circuit, done properly
View journey
8 Days / 7 NightsNgorongoro Crater · Serengeti
Great Migration Safari
Follow the greatest show on Earth
View journey9 Days / 8 NightsMount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro — Machame Route
Seven days to the roof of Africa
View journeyGood to Know
Questions, answered
Reasonably. The Sanje Falls walk is four to five hours with a steady climb and humid conditions. The three-day Mwanihana trek to the plateau is a serious undertaking.
Southern
Pairs well on the southern circuit
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is one of 5 destinations on the southern circuit. Most itineraries combine two or three.
