Udzungwa Mountains National Park is located in Morogoro and Iringa regions of Tanzania, covering an area of 1,990 square kilometers.
Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands declared the area a national park in 1992; he is the co-founder of the World Wide Fund.
The name of the Tanzanian national park is derived from the Kihehe word “Wasungwa,” which translates to mean “people that live on the mountains.”
Udzungwa Mountains are home to 2,500 species of plants, of which 25% are endemic to the park, 400 species of birds, and 6 primate species, of which 5 are endemic to the park.
The Kihansi spray toad can be found around Kihansi River waterfall, where scientists reintroduced it after a successful breeding program.
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is characterized by Miombo woodlands, tropical rainforests, steppe, Savannah grasslands, montane forest, and rivers.
See our most popular Tanzania hiking tours here.
Animals of Udzungwa Mountains
Udzungwa Mountain National Park boasts several species of wildlife, some of which are endemic to the park.
While exploring the park, tourists can come across animals like Bushbucks, African bush elephants, palm civets, duikers, leopards, hyenas, miombo genets, hunting dogs, buffalos, Iringa red colobus, sanje crested mangabey, Abbott’s duiker, grey-faced sengi, and many others.
Hiking in Udzungwa Mountains
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is quite unique compared to other national parks in Tanzania because there are no roads within the park, and the main activity is hiking and walking safaris.
Several hiking and walking trails have been established in the park for visitors to explore.
These hiking trails vary in length, from 20-minute trails to 5-day trails, differing in difficulty and destinations.
However, most of them offer spectacular experiences.
Hiking starts with a briefing at the park headquarters.
See our most popular Tanzania hiking tours here.
Birding in Udzungwa Mountains
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is home to over 400 species of recorded birds.
Some of the species you can expect to spot include African black duck, tambourine dove, Namaqua dove, dusky turtle dove, pied cuckoo, African swift, scarce swift, black-backed puffback, Zanzibar boubou, African black-headed oriole, house crow, pied crow, African penduline tit, white-tailed crested flycatcher, eastern nicator, moustached grass warbler, African tailorbird, red-faced cisticola, wing-snapping cisticola, African yellow warbler, rock pigeon, Livingstone’s turaco, African woolly-necked stork, shoebill stork, black-winged kite, hadada ibis, black-headed heron, palm-nut vulture, little sparrowhawk, African fish eagle, Pel’s fishing owl, African wood owl, Narina trogon, bar-tailed trogon, crowned hornbill, striped kingfisher, white-fronted bee-eater, white-throated bee-eater, European roller, green barbet, white-eared barbet, moustached tinkerbird, African hobby, Meyer’s parrot, slate-colored boubou, red-winged prinia, rattling cisticola, yellow-throated mountain greenbul, Usambara greenbul, brown woodland warbler, slender-billed starling, ashy starling, southern black flycatcher, African stonechat, familiar chat, village weaver, bronze manikin, Peter’s twinspot, village indigo bird, southern citril, spot throat, golden-breasted bunting, and Iringa akalat, to mention a few.
One of the best places for birding is Magimbera Forest, located just outside the park.
Mountain Biking and Cycling in Udzungwa Mountains
Udzungwa Mountains provide some of the best hiking trails in Africa.
Hiking usually starts with a briefing from the park headquarters, where an experienced guide will be allocated to you.
While you should bring your cycling gear, bicycles can be hired from Hondo Hondo Udzungwa Forest Camp.
Canoeing in Udzungwa Mountains
Visitors at Udzungwa Mountains National Park can explore Kilombero River using a traditional dugout canoe.
Rubber Plantation Tour in Udzungwa Mountains
The rubber plantation tour at Udzungwa Mountains typically takes half a day.
This educational trip allows you to learn how rubber is produced, from the process of tree planting to harvesting and transportation out of Tanzania.
Traditional Ngoma Drumming in Udzungwa Mountains
The traditional Ngoma drumming group, comprised of farmers at Hondo Hondo, performs traditional dances and music for tourists and during village ceremonies.
It’s a good opportunity to visit and support them through their performances.
Mang’ula Village Tour in Udzungwa Mountains
Tourists can also visit the locals at Mang’ula village during their stay at Udzungwa Mountains National Park.
Get to know more about the locals, enjoy African traditional music and dance, and explore the local marketplace.
Hiking Trails
There are a number of trails set up in Udzungwa Mountains National Park for tourists to hike or walk, and some of these can be seen below:
- Sanje Waterfall Trail: Sanje Waterfalls are one of the largest and highest waterfalls in Tanzania, cascading from enormous rocks several meters high into a vibrant pool below. Tourists can enjoy the hike while coming across some wildlife, birds, and plant species. After reaching the waterfalls, you can cool off from the heat by swimming in the natural pool.
- Lumeno Trail: The Lumero trail is the longest hike you will find at Udzungwa Mountains National Park, covering 65 kilometers and taking about 4 nights and 5 days to complete. The hike is worth it, as you’re likely to come across a lot of wildlife and bird species.
- Hidden Valley Trail: Hidden Valley Trail is one of the longest but most scenic trails in the park. It takes visitors almost the entire day, but the rewards are well worth the time.
- Prince Bernhard Waterfalls: The Prince Bernhard Waterfalls were named after Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, who declared Udzungwa Mountains as a national park in 1992. This trail is one of the shortest trails in the park, only 500 meters from the park headquarters.
- Njokamoni Waterfall Trail: Njokamoni Trail is the least used trail, but most tourists choosing this trail spot several species of primates and birds.
- Mwanihana Peak Trail: Mwanihana Peak Trail traverses through different types of vegetation at Udzungwa National Park, and tourists will also have a chance to spot various species of birds and wildlife.
Best Time to Visit
Udzungwa Mountains National Park can be visited all year round, but some months are better for wildlife viewing and birding than others.
The best time for wildlife watching is during the dry seasons of June to August and December to February when the vegetation is not thick, and wildlife concentrates around water points.
The best time for birding is from November to April when migratory birds from North Africa and Europe are present in the park.
Where to Stay
Accommodation options at Udzungwa Mountains National Park are limited.
The only available options are camping within the park, but tourists can also stay in lodges outside the park in the neighboring village.
Some of the available options include Udzungwa Tented Forest Camp, Udzungwa Mountain View Camp, Udzungwa Falls Lodge, and Angalia Tented Camp.
Getting There
Udzungwa Mountains National Park is located 360 kilometers from Dar es Salaam.
The drive from Dar es Salaam takes about 4 hours via Mikumi town.
Tourists who want to use the train can visit on Tuesdays or Fridays when the train departs from Dar es Salaam for Zambia.
Alternatively, tourists using air transport can fly to Mikumi Airstrip from Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam and then drive to the park.
Another option is to fly to Kilombero or Udzunga Airstrips.
Mikumi National Park
Visitors to Udzungwa Mountains National Park can combine their Tanzania safari with a visit to Mikumi National Park.
Mikumi is situated in the Morogoro region of Tanzania and covers an area of 3,230 square kilometers.
The park has become a perfect getaway destination from Dar es Salaam, making it an ideal destination for travelers who come to Tanzania on business but don’t have enough time to explore the country’s national parks.
Tourists in Mikumi National Park can enjoy wild game drives at the Mkata Plains and see animals like vervet monkeys, yellow baboons, giraffes, bush pigs, lesser kudus, warthogs, buffalos, elephants, lions, spotted hyenas, leopards, zebras, olive baboons, wildebeests, yellow baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, impalas, elands, and many others.
Nyerere National Park
Nyerere National Park is another park you can include in your itinerary while visiting Udzungwa Mountains National Park.
The park was formerly known as Selous Game Reserve, named after German big game hunter Sir Frederick Selous, who later became a conservationist.
A German colonial governor first gazetted the area as a protected wildlife hunting reserve in 1896.
The hunting reserve adopted the name Selous in 1892, and it was later changed to Nyerere National Park when it was upgraded to a national park in 2019, in honor of the first Tanzanian president, Julius Nyerere.
Nyerere National Park is teeming with exotic wildlife species spread across its plains, and it’s usually less congested than other Tanzanian national parks.
Some of the wildlife you can find at the park includes African wolves, Sable antelopes, wildebeests, elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, leopards, cheetahs, cape buffalos, black rhinos, African wild dogs, gazelles, Nile crocodiles, and warthogs, to mention a few.
There are several activities tourists can engage in while at the park, such as birding, guided nature walks, boat rides, hot air balloon safaris, fishing, and much more.
