A giraffe and her calf in the Tanzanian savannah, beside a baobab tree

FOLK guide to southern Tanzania

23 Oct 2026

•

5 min read

In brief

Where we go. The Iringa highlands, Ruaha and Mikumi national parks, the Udzungwa Mountains, Dar es Salaam.
Languages. Swahili and English.
Currency. Tanzanian shilling. The visa and the entry insurance are paid in dollars.
Time zone. Three hours ahead of GMT.
Visa. Needed: 50 dollars, applied for online.
Best time to visit. June to October.
FOLK trips. The Great Ruaha, from 1,320 €. The unseen south, from 1,240 €. Both 14 nights.

Why the south

Almost everyone who goes to Tanzania goes north: Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Zanzibar. We go south, because that is where we met the people we build our trips with.

Iringa sits on a plateau at 1,600 metres, and in July you need a jumper in the evening. It is the land of the Hehe, who at the end of the nineteenth century held off the German colonial army for years, and they remember it well. Around it lie the savannah of Ruaha and the forest of the Udzungwa. There is little tourism: fewer services, more dirt roads, and in the villages nobody takes you for the hundredth group of the week.

Best time to visit southern Tanzania

June to October, in the dry season. Animals gather around the river and the pools, the tracks are easy going and there are fewer mosquitoes. September and October are the hottest months, and also the ones when you see the most wildlife. From November the rains arrive, and between March and May some tracks become impassable: we do not travel in those months.

Our departures are between June and August. Dates are on the trip pages.

Students in tracksuits smile in the school playground

Tanzania visa and documents

You need a tourist visa to enter Tanzania: for Italian citizens it costs 50 dollars. You can get it on arrival, but it is better to apply in advance at eservices.immigration.go.tz, at least ten days ahead. Your passport must be valid for at least six months.

Since 1 October 2026 you also need the state entry insurance: 44 dollars per person, bought online at inbound.nicinsurance.co.tz, even if you already have your own policy. Before departure we explain how to do it.

Rules change often, sometimes without warning. Before you leave, check your government's travel advice again, in the UK the FCDO page on Tanzania, or write to us.

Vaccinations and health in Tanzania

The first step is a travel clinic, at least six weeks before you leave. Hepatitis A and typhoid are usually discussed, along with malaria prophylaxis, which in the south is recommended on the plateau too. Your doctor decides.

A yellow fever certificate is only needed if you have a layover of more than 12 hours in a country at risk, such as Ethiopia or Kenya. Many flights go through Addis Ababa or Nairobi: check the length of the layover before you book.

Drink bottled or filtered water.

How much does a trip to Tanzania cost?

The trip costs 1,240 € (The unseen south) or 1,320 € (The Great Ruaha) for 14 nights. It includes food and lodging in Nyabula, the domestic flight to Iringa, the 4x4 with driver and guide, park fees and lodging inside the parks. The full list is on the trip pages.

Not included: the flight from Europe, which you buy once the departure is confirmed, the 50-dollar visa, the 44-dollar entry insurance, vaccinations, tips for guides and drivers, and your own spending. The insurance included in the trip covers cancellation. Health insurance, with medical costs, evacuation and repatriation, is paid by you, and we recommend it.

Getting there

You land in Dar es Salaam, and from there a one-hour domestic flight takes you to Iringa: it is included and we book it. From the moment you land there is nothing left to organise, the Local Folk knows when you arrive.

Then you travel by 4x4. The tarmac ends quickly and the tracks are bumpy. In the Udzungwa there are no roads at all: you walk.

What to see in Tanzania: Iringa, Ruaha, Mikumi and the Udzungwa

The first week is in Nyabula, near Iringa, at St. Thomas secondary school. You put yourself at the disposal of students and teachers, together with the association "Camminando con Mattia", at the school's pace.

Then you set off. The Great Ruaha includes three days of safari in Tanzania, in Ruaha National Park, one of the largest in the country and one of the least crowded: you go out at dawn and in the late afternoon, when lions, elephants and buffalo come down to the river. With The unseen south the safari is in Mikumi National Park, smaller and closer to Dar es Salaam.

Both trips reach the Udzungwa Mountains: primary forest, waterfalls, natural pools and two species of primate that live only here.

Being with the people who host you

In Tanzania you greet people before asking for anything. Habari?, how are you, and asante, thank you, are enough: they open more doors than you would think. Always ask before taking photos, of children above all. In the villages and at school, shoulders and knees stay covered.

We do not bring sweets or pens to hand out. If you want to bring something, ask us first: we decide with the school what is really needed, and it goes to the school.

What to pack for Tanzania

Not much, and in layers: a fleece for evenings in Iringa and dawn safaris, neutral-coloured clothes, hiking boots already worn in for the Udzungwa, swimwear for the waterfalls. Then repellent, sun cream, a head torch and an adapter for British-style sockets. And dollars in recent notes: old ones are often refused.

Frequently asked questions

Will we see the Big Five?
Lions, elephants and buffalo yes, often. Leopards when they feel like it. Rhinos, no. If you want the full list, the north works better. You come here for a safari without a queue of vehicles around the lion.

Is it a tiring trip?
The week in Nyabula is calm, but simple: a guest house and shared rooms. The travel week is more active, with early starts and hours on the tracks.

Can I travel solo?
Yes. Almost everyone joins a scheduled departure and meets the others before leaving. Groups are made of six.