Tanzania›Southern Safari Circuit›Ruaha National Park›May
Ruaha National Park in May
Better avoided: Most Ruaha camps close for the long rains in April and May, and some of the bush flights stop. Go from June to October, when the game gathers at the river.
The season opens in June, next month.
Ruaha National Park is closed in May
Open June – March.
Before you book May
Closures, crowds and rules at Ruaha National Park this month.
Worth knowing
Most Camps Closed for the Long Rains
Most camps here close from about April to May (some from mid-March or until June), the tracks become impassable, and several bush flights stop. Go between June and March.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 3 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹79,707 for two
- Room a night₹19,020
- Food a day, each₹988
- Main sight entry, each₹15,220
Mid-range
₹1,93,866 for two
- Room a night₹66,570
- Food a day, each₹2,280
- Main sight entry, each₹15,220
Luxury
₹4,23,841 for two
- Room a night₹1,61,670
- Food a day, each₹5,320
- Main sight entry, each₹15,220
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Tanzania yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Dar es Salaam (DAR), 483 km away
Then: Flight · 3h 30m (Bush flight Dar es Salaam (DAR)–Ruaha (Msembe), Coastal / Auric)
Flights from India: from 8 cities, one way from ₹25,000
Fly into Stone Town (ZNZ), 502 km away
Then: Flight · 4h 30m (Bush flight Zanzibar (ZNZ)–Ruaha via Dar es Salaam or Nyerere, Coastal)
Flights from India: from 6 cities, one way from ₹28,000
Routes compared
Entry rules
E-visa before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹4,760
- Apply for the Tanzania e-visa (ordinary, single entry) on the official portal at immigration.go.tz at least 2-3 weeks before you fly: US$50, about ₹4,830, for up to 90 days. Processing takes about 5-10 working days; print the grant notice. Avoid look-alike visa sites, which charge more.
- Get a yellow fever vaccination at an authorised centre in India at least 10 days before you leave, and carry the yellow certificate. Tanzania asks for it if you transit more than 12 hours in Kenya, Ethiopia or another risk country, and India asks every traveller returning from Tanzania for it at the airport.
- Going to Zanzibar: buy the compulsory Zanzibar inbound travel insurance (US$44 a person, about ₹4,250) from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation online before you arrive, and keep the certificate. It is required even if you have your own travel insurance.
- Carry US dollars in clean notes printed in 2009 or later for park fees, tips and visas; older or torn notes are often refused.
Carry: Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your stay, with two blank pages; E-visa grant notice (printout); Yellow fever vaccination certificate (needed again to re-enter India); Zanzibar insurance certificate, for Zanzibar; Return or onward ticket; Hotel and safari bookings.
Visas on arrival are sold at the main airports for many passports, but whether Indian passports get one was not confirmed in 2026, so get the e-visa first. Tanzania has also published rules for a compulsory insurance on the mainland, reported to start on 1 October 2026; check before you fly whether you need it.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Tanzania in May
Nearby in Southern Safari Circuit:
Want this as a real plan?
Ruaha National Park in May, day by day, priced for your group.