Nyerere National Park

Nyerere National Park is a big, quiet park in southern Tanzania, carved from the northern sector of the Selous Game Reserve in late 2019. Its centre is the Rufiji River, so you watch hippos, crocodiles and elephants from a boat as well as a vehicle. We don't run a set itinerary there at the moment, but we're happy to plan one with you.

How is Nyerere different from the northern parks?

Water and space. TANAPA describes the Rufiji, Tanzania's largest river, as the park's wild heart: braided channels, ox-bow lakes and floodplains. Boat safaris on the river run alongside game drives, a change from the vehicle-based days on our trips to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. TANAPA also points to low visitor numbers and calls the park a key stronghold for African wild dogs.

The trade-off is distance. Every access route TANAPA lists starts from Dar es Salaam or Morogoro, a long way from Arusha and the northern circuit.

Is Nyerere the same as the Selous?

Not any more. Nyerere was the northern part of the Selous Game Reserve, and the rest is still a game reserve. When the park was created it covered 30,893 km². In June 2025 Parliament approved returning 1,617 km² to the Selous to settle boundary disputes with neighbouring communities, which brings the park to 29,276 km², the Daily News reported.

The UNESCO World Heritage listing belongs to the Selous Game Reserve. It was inscribed in 1982 and has been on the List of World Heritage in Danger since 2014. UNESCO's page still describes the property as the Selous and doesn't mention Nyerere by name.

What wildlife lives there?

TANAPA lists wild dogs, lions and leopards across the woodland and floodplain, and elephants, hippos and crocodiles along the river's channels and sandbanks. Buffalo, sable, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, waterbuck, impala and giraffe graze the miombo woodland and grassland. More than 430 bird species have been recorded.

UNESCO adds a feature of the old Selous: sand rivers that lie dry most of the year and turn into torrents in the rains.

When is the best time to visit?

The dry months, roughly June to October. TANAPA says river levels and rain shape where animals move, with grazers and predators using the woodland and plains through the dry season. In the wet season, UNESCO notes, the Rufiji floods large areas of grassland in the north of the old reserve.

There's no WMO station in the park. The nearest long-term record is Dar es Salaam on the coast, where April averages 254 mm of rain and June to September between 23 and 43 mm. Treat that as a guide, not a forecast for the park.

How do you get there, and what are the rules?

TANAPA lists road access from Dar es Salaam through Kibiti and Utete, or from Morogoro and Ifakara, and recommends a 4×4, especially in the rains. Scheduled and charter flights use park airstrips such as Mtemere and Kiba.

Inside the park you stay on designated tracks, keep your distance from animals and never feed them. Drones need a special permit. On the boats you wear a lifejacket and keep your hands inside. Fees depend on your category, age and activity, and they change, so TANAPA asks you to check its latest fee schedule before you travel.

Can we plan a Nyerere trip for you?

Yes. None of our published safaris visit Nyerere yet, so we'd build the trip around your dates and tell you honestly how it fits with the rest of your time in Tanzania. Send us your ideas on plan your trip. If the north suits you better, start with Tarangire or our best time to visit Tanzania guide.