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Two African wild dogs lying in dry grass under palm fronds, one looking at the camera, large round ears pricked up

Nyerere National Park

TanzaniaSouthern TanzaniaNational park

In Nyerere, you follow the Rufiji, Tanzania's largest river, by boat among hippos and crocodiles, then on foot with an armed ranger. The park covers 30,893 km², twice the size of the Serengeti, and its wild dogs make it one of the best places in Africa to see a pack.

Why go to Nyerere?

  • Boat safaris on the Rufiji and its lakes, among hippos and crocodiles
  • African wild dogs, an endangered species still common here and seen in packs in the dry season
  • Walks with an armed ranger and nights at fly camps, a legacy of the reserve years
  • A 30,893 km² park, twice the size of the Serengeti, with few vehicles on the tracks
  • The Rufiji, Tanzania's largest river, and its lakes with their dead trees

The park on the map

Base: Mtemere Gate, 34 km as the crow flies.

See nearby parks on the map

Nyerere in pictures

Two hippos show only their eyes and ears above the water of the Rufiji, with a sandbank behind
An adult giraffe and a calf walk along the muddy shore of a lake, with a palm forest on the far side
Five elephants walk in single file in the distance through open miombo woodland with russet leaves, under a cloudy sky
Dead trees standing in the brown water of a lake, with blue hills on the horizon and a bank of green grass
A young male lion lying under a thorny thicket licks its nose, with scars on its muzzle

Which animals can you see in Nyerere?

The Rufiji rules everything. Its channels, lakes and floodplains gather hippos and Nile crocodiles by the hundreds, and elephants come there to drink in the late afternoon. The park paid a heavy price to poaching. From more than 100,000 elephants in the mid-1970s, the former Selous Game Reserve fell to about 13,000 in 2013. The herds are slowly recovering.

African wild dogs, endangered everywhere in Africa, are still common here, and a pack on the track is the sighting everyone hopes for. Lions, leopards, buffalo, Masai giraffes, zebras and wildebeest complete the list, along with more than 430 bird species in the riverine forests and the miombo.

Sighting calendar
SpeciesJFMAMJJASONDNote
African wild dogpossiblepossiblerarerarerarepeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblethe pack stays near its den in the dry season
Elephantpossiblepossiblerarerarerarepeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpossiblepossiblealong the river and the lakes in the dry season
Hippopotamuspeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonRufiji and lakes, seen from the boat
Nile crocodilepeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonRufiji sandbanks
Lionpossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpossiblepossiblenear the northern lakes
Leopardpossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossibleriverine forests
Buffalopossiblepossiblerarerarerarepeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpossiblepossiblefloodplains
Masai giraffepeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonopen woodland in the north
Plains zebrapeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonplains and lakeshores
Wildebeestpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonin herds on the plains
Spotted hyenapeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonmostly at dusk

peak seasonpossiblerare

What is a safari like in Nyerere?

The camps are in the north of the park, between Mtemere Gate and Matambwe, along the Rufiji and its lakes. The day alternates a game drive at dawn, a boat trip and, if you want one, a two- or three-hour walk with an armed ranger. Some camps arrange a night at a fly camp on the riverbank.

Self-drive 4x4s are allowed, but the distances are long and the tracks sandy. A park guide costs US$47.20 per group per day. The park covers the north of the former Selous Game Reserve, which became a national park in 2019, and the south remains a hunting reserve.

When to go to Nyerere?

idealgoodnot recommended

The dry season, from June to October, is the right time, with short grass, firm tracks and animals within reach of the river and the lakes. Wild dogs are easiest to see during this period, when the pack stays around its den.

The rains fall from November to May, peaking from March to May. Entry fees drop to US$70.80 from March 15 to May 15, but the flooded river limits boat trips and some tracks are cut off.

How to get to Nyerere?

Flights leave from Dar es Salaam, on the coast, and land 45 minutes later on the Mtemere or Kiba airstrip, depending on your camp. Coastal Aviation flies every morning, with a connection from Zanzibar, and continues to Ruaha so you can combine the two southern parks.

By road, allow 230 km from Dar es Salaam via Kibiti and Utete to Mtemere Gate, in a 4x4 during the rains. Matambwe Gate, in the northwest, is reached via Morogoro.

Stay in Mtemere Gate

Where to find a guide in Nyerere?

Guided tours you can book online, ranked by number of reviews. These are affiliate links: if you book, you support us at no extra cost.

Viator

1-Day Selous (Nyerere National Park) Fly-In Safari from Zanzibar

10 h, from €454

5.0 (42 reviews)View and book
Viator

A Day Trip To Selous Fly From Zanzibar

10 h 30, from €618

4.7 (22 reviews)View and book
Viator

Flight Package Zanzibar to Nyerere National Park (Selous GR) 3 Days 2 Nights

3 days, from €986

4.7 (12 reviews)View and book
Viator

2 Days Tour From Zanzibar to Nyerere National Park (Selous GR)

2 days, from €932

5.0 (12 reviews)View and book
Viator

1-Day Shared Safari to Nyerere NP from Zanzibar

8 h, from €534

5.0 (8 reviews)View and book

Where to stay near Nyerere?

Hotels, apartments and rooms around Mtemere Gate, with current prices.

Is Nyerere National Park the same as the Selous Game Reserve?

The Germans created the first reserve here in 1896. In 1922, the British named it after Frederick Selous, a hunter turned wildlife conservationist, who was killed at Beho Beho in 1917. UNESCO listed the reserve as a World Heritage Site in 1982, then added it to the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2014, because of elephant poaching.

In 2019, Tanzania split off the north of the reserve, about 30,000 km², to create Nyerere National Park, named after the country's first president. A hydroelectric dam has been built at Stiegler's Gorge, on the Rufiji, inside the park.

Frequently asked questions about Nyerere

When is the best time to visit Nyerere National Park?

June to October, when the grass is short and the animals stay near the Rufiji and the lakes. From March to May, the rains cut off tracks and limit boat trips.

How much is the Nyerere National Park entry fee?

US$82.60 per adult per 24 hours in high season, US$70.80 from March 15 to May 15, VAT included. A child aged 5 to 15 pays US$23.60. The boat safari costs an extra US$23.60 per person.

Can you do a boat safari in Nyerere?

Yes, the boat is what the park is known for. Camps on the Rufiji and the lakes go out in the morning or late afternoon, among hippos and crocodiles, and a life jacket is mandatory. The park charges US$23.60 per person.

How do you get to Nyerere from Dar es Salaam?

By air, in 45 minutes with Coastal Aviation, for US$219 including taxes, to the Mtemere or Kiba airstrip. By road, 230 km via Kibiti and Utete, in a 4x4 during the rains.

How many days do you need in Nyerere?

Three nights at a river camp, to alternate game drives, boat trips and walks. With Ruaha, allow a week for the south, as a flight links the two parks.

Can you visit Nyerere without a guide?

Yes, self-drive 4x4s are allowed, but the tracks are sandy and the distances long. A park guide costs US$47.20 per group per day, and walks require an armed ranger.

Our tip

Book a camp on the Rufiji or on one of the lakes in the north of the park, between Mtemere and Matambwe: the boat trips and walks leave from there. Come from July to October, when the grass is short and the animals stay close to the water, and avoid the April and May rains.

Other parks nearby

Stay in Mtemere Gate

Image credits

Photos under free licenses, credited to their author; the link leads to the source.