What You Need to Know: Our 2-day Mikumi safari from Dar es Salaam by SGR train costs from US$964 per person for 2 travelers sharing, with the train tickets extra. You take the early train from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro, about 1 hour 40 minutes, and your guide drives you about 2 hours to Mikumi National Park for an afternoon game drive, a night inside the park at Mikumi Cottages and a sunrise game drive before the train back. Park fees, meals, soft drinks and guiding are included, and the safari runs all year.
Who Is the Mikumi Train Safari For?
It is for anyone in Dar es Salaam with a weekend or two days to spare: residents and expats, business travelers, visitors finishing a Zanzibar holiday, and AFCON 2027 fans between matches. The train cuts the slow road out of the city, so you spend more of the trip on game drives and less in traffic, and a night inside the park gives you both the evening and the early-morning light, when the animals are most active.
| This safari suits you if… | Consider another trip if… |
|---|---|
| You are in Dar es Salaam and have two days | You have only one day: the Mikumi day trip by road, from US$482 |
| You want an easy first safari, with open plains and plenty of game | You want boat safaris and more wilderness: Nyerere, 2 days from US$964 |
| You'd rather take the train than spend 5 hours on the road | You want the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater: our northern safaris from Arusha |
How Does the SGR Train to Mikumi Work?
The SGR (Standard Gauge Railway) is Tanzania's new electric railway. Since 2024 it has linked Dar es Salaam with Morogoro in under two hours. Morogoro is the nearest station to Mikumi; your guide meets you there with the safari vehicle.
| By SGR train | By road from Dar es Salaam | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting to the park | About 1 hour 40 minutes by train, then about 2 hours by road | 4.5–5 hours |
| Comfort | Reserved seats, clear of the city traffic | Private vehicle the whole way |
| Best for | The 2-day safari | The day trip, from US$482 |
- Classes: economy, business and royal (first) class. In 2024, one-way fares from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro ranged from about TSh 13,000 in economy on the regular train to TSh 45,000 in royal class on the express; fares are confirmed when we book.
- Tickets: seats are reserved and sell out at weekends and holidays, so we book your tickets with the safari.
- Timing: the morning train leaves Dar es Salaam early, around 6:00, so a hotel near the station the night before makes the start easy.
2-Day Mikumi Safari by Train, Day by Day
-
Day 1: SGR train to Morogoro and an afternoon on the plains
Take the early SGR train from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro, about 1 hour 40 minutes, watching the coastal plains and the Uluguru Mountains come into view. Your guide meets you at Morogoro station for the drive of about 2 hours to Mikumi. The first game drive starts at the park gate; after lunch you head out onto the Mkata floodplain until sunset, looking for elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes and lions, and stopping at the Hippo Pools.
Stay: Mikumi Cottages, inside the park; upgrades to Stanley's Kopje or Vuma Hills Tented Camp, or similar.
Train and game drivesMorogoro, MikumiLunch, dinner -
Day 2: Sunrise game drive, train back to Dar es Salaam
Out at sunrise, when lions and leopards are most active and the light is soft on the plains. After breakfast at the lodge and a last short drive, your guide takes you back to Morogoro for the afternoon train to Dar es Salaam, arriving in the evening.
Sunrise game driveMikumi, MorogoroBreakfast, lunch
What Wildlife Will You See in Mikumi?
Mikumi's Mkata floodplain is open, flat grassland, often compared to the Serengeti on a smaller scale, which makes animals easy to spot even on a short safari.
- Elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and zebras on the open plains
- Lions, sometimes resting in trees, and leopards in the woodland
- Eland, wildebeest, impala and Lichtenstein's hartebeest
- Hippos at the Hippo Pools
- More than 400 bird species, including lilac-breasted rollers and bateleur eagles
More about the park in our Mikumi National Park safari guide.
How Much Is a 2-Day Mikumi Safari by Train?
The safari costs from US$964 per person for 2 travelers sharing at Mikumi Cottages, from Morogoro station and back. The SGR train tickets between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro are extra; we book them for you at the official fare. Solo travelers, groups and the upgraded camps are quoted on request.
| Option | Price |
|---|---|
| 2-day safari by SGR train, Mikumi Cottages | From US$964 per person, 2 sharing |
| Upgrade to Stanley's Kopje or Vuma Hills Tented Camp | Quoted on request |
| SGR train tickets, Dar es Salaam–Morogoro return | At the official fare |
| Mikumi day trip from Dar es Salaam, by road | From US$482 per person |
| Mikumi day trip from Morogoro | From US$482 per person |
Park fees
| Fee | 2026 rate |
|---|---|
| Mikumi National Park conservation fee | About US$35.40 per adult per 24 hours (incl. 18% VAT); children 5–15 about US$11.80 |
Park fees are included in the safari price. See our Tanzania park fees guide for the other parks.
What the Mikumi Train Safari Includes
- Pickup and drop-off at Morogoro SGR station
- A night inside Mikumi National Park at Mikumi Cottages, or an upgraded camp if you choose
- All game drives with an English-speaking driver-guide
- Mikumi park fees and government taxes
- Meals and soft drinks during the safari, and drinking water in the vehicle
Not included
- SGR train tickets between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro (we book them for you)
- Hotel nights in Dar es Salaam and transfers to the station
- Tanzania visa (US$50 for most nationalities, US$100 for US citizens) and the mandatory inbound travel insurance, US$44 per adult
- Tips for your guide and lodge staff
- Alcoholic drinks and personal expenses
When Is the Best Time for a Mikumi Safari?
June to October is the dry season and the best time for game viewing, as animals gather near water and the grass is short. Mikumi is open all year: from November to May the plains turn green, with newborn animals and migrant birds, and the highway and the train keep the park easy to reach even in the rains.
Can You Add to the Mikumi Train Safari?
Yes. Each of these is quoted on request:
- From Zanzibar: take the fast ferry to Dar es Salaam (US$55 per person) the day before, stay a night near the station, and take the morning train.
- Udzungwa Mountains: about 1.5 hours from Mikumi, for a waterfall hike on a third day; see our Udzungwa guide.
- Nyerere or Ruaha: continue to Ruaha or Nyerere for a longer southern safari, such as our 7-day Nyerere, Mikumi and Ruaha circuit from US$3,374.
- AFCON 2027: fans based in Dar es Salaam can fit the safari between two matches; see our AFCON 2027 packages.
How to Book the Mikumi Train Safari
Send us your travel dates, the number of travelers and your preferred train class through the booking form, on WhatsApp +255 678 992 599 or by email to jaynevytours@gmail.com, and our team will reply with a written quotation; we run our southern safaris ourselves, with our own team. A 30% deposit confirms the safari and the balance is paid on arrival; you can pay online by card through Pesapal or by US-dollar bank transfer.
| When you cancel | Refund |
|---|---|
| 60 days or more before arrival | 100% |
| 30–59 days | 90% |
| 15–29 days | 60% |
| 10–14 days | 25% |
| Less than 10 days, or a no-show | No refund |
Common Questions About the Mikumi Train Safari
How much is a 2-day Mikumi safari from Dar es Salaam?
From US$964 per person for 2 travelers sharing, including a night inside the park, game drives, park fees, meals and soft drinks; the SGR train tickets are extra.
How long is the SGR train from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro?
About 1 hour 40 minutes. Mikumi is then about 2 hours by road from Morogoro station.
Is the train ticket included?
No. We book the tickets for you at the official fare and add them to your quotation.
Which train class should I choose?
Economy is comfortable for a short trip; business and royal class have more space. All seats are reserved.
Is Mikumi worth it for just two days?
Yes. The open plains make game easy to see, and a night inside the park gives you the sunset and sunrise drives, when animals are most active.
Can we see lions in Mikumi?
Often, though they are fewer and harder to find than elephants, giraffes and buffaloes.
Can I do this safari from Zanzibar?
Yes. Take the fast ferry to Dar es Salaam the day before, stay near the station and take the morning train; we arrange it all.
Is the Mikumi train safari good for children?
Yes. The train ride is short, the game is easy to see on the plains, and children aged 5–15 pay a lower park fee.
The Bottom Line
From Dar es Salaam, the SGR train is the easiest way to a real safari: under two hours to Morogoro, a night inside Mikumi National Park, sunset and sunrise game drives, and home the next evening, from US$964 per person for two sharing, train tickets extra. Book your dates and we arrange the tickets, the guide and the lodge.