Udzungwa Mountains National Park rises from the Kilombero valley in southern Tanzania, across the Iringa and Morogoro regions. It covers about 1,990 km², from around 250 m in the lowland forest to 2,576 m on Lohomero, the highest peak, and it is part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, a chain of ancient forested ranges so rich in species found nowhere else that they are called the Galápagos of Africa.
There is almost no road access inside the park. The way in is on foot, along trails that range from twenty-minute strolls to expeditions of a week or more. That is the point of coming: a forest walk with a guide, monkeys moving overhead, and a waterfall at the end of the climb.
Warriors of Africa Safari pairs Udzungwa with Mikumi, its neighbour on the road from Dar es Salaam: game drives on Mikumi's plains, then a day or two on the Udzungwa trails. We tell you plainly that this is a hiking park, not a game-drive park, and choose a route that suits your fitness and the season.
Udzungwa holds one of the richest collections of life of any national park in Africa: more than 400 bird species and around 2,500 plant species, roughly a quarter of them endemic. Six primate species live here, five of them found only in Tanzania, among them the Udzungwa red colobus, which lives nowhere else on earth, and the Sanje crested mangabey, unknown to science until 1979.
The forest changes as you climb, from lowland forest to mountain forest, miombo woodland and grassland on the high plateaus. Elephants use the trails too, and on the lower slopes the canopy shades you from the heat while elephant shrews, duikers, butterflies and birds go about their day.
Waterfalls, rare primates, the forest and the views: what you walk into Udzungwa for.
The most popular hike climbs to Sanje Waterfalls. The short route is the most straightforward way to the top: a well-trodden trail that zigzags up a ridge to a picnic bench and a viewpoint over the falls, then on to the rocks at the top, where you can have lunch and swim in the upper pools. It is still a steep climb, especially in the heat, so go early and carry plenty of water.
Other trails go further. The Sanje circuit returns by a quieter path that is good for mangabeys; Njokamoni is a similar length, about 6.5 km, climbing to around 700 m; and longer routes and multi-day treks head up into the high forest with porters, tents and a cook. Park guides accompany every hike, and your guide chooses the route with you on the day, in line with the weather and current park guidance.
Accommodation around Udzungwa is simple and close to the trails, in the villages along the park's edge near Mang'ula. This is the lodge we use.
See our 5-Day Mikumi and Udzungwa Mountains Safari for a full itinerary that pairs game drives in Mikumi with two nights here.
June to October is the most comfortable time to hike. The trails are drier, the mornings cooler, and it lines up with the best game-viewing months in Mikumi next door.
The forest is green year-round, and the waterfalls are fullest after the rains. November to February brings showers, lush forest and good birding. The long rains from March to May make the trails slippery and the roads slower, so that is the time to be flexible or plan elsewhere.
A drier spell between the short and long rains. The forest is lush and the waterfalls are running well.
A good month for birding and photography, with the trails usually manageable.
Udzungwa is reached by road from Dar es Salaam, past Mikumi, which makes the two a natural pair. It also fits on longer southern routes towards Ruaha, and many guests finish on a Zanzibar beach after returning to Dar es Salaam.
Drag and explore pictures from the Udzungwa Mountains, courtesy of Udzungwa Forest Lodge
Sanje Waterfalls dropping through the forested mountainside
Hikers at the foot of one of the Sanje falls
A red colobus, one of the park's endemic primates
A clear stream running over rocks under the canopy
Crossing a forest river on one of the park's trails
The Udzungwa escarpment above the Kilombero valley
A dugout canoe on the river in the valley below the mountains
Udzungwa's forest is home to species that exist nowhere else, and it is surrounded by farming villages whose future is tied to it. Walking it well means staying on the trails, following your guide, and choosing a lodge that works with the local community.
Everything you need to know about visiting Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Our routes that stop here, each tailored to your dates.
5 Days · 4 NightsMikumi · Udzungwa Mountains · from Dar es Salaam
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