30893 km²
Size
18-35°C
Temperature
100-500 m
Altitude
Hot lowland, wetter than the northern circuit, distinct dry season
Climate
Nyerere, the old northern Selous, is now Africa's largest national park: a Rufiji floodplain of channels, lakes and wild dog country that still feels empty after the northern circuit.
The boat is not an extra. It is how you see this place. Hippo, croc, kingfisher, and elephant coming to drink look different from waterline than from a roof hatch. Drives in the dry season still produce lion and African wild dog if you are patient and based in the right sector. In the green months some camps close and the sand roads turn to glue.
Fly in. The road from Dar is a long day and you lose the point of being here. Two nights is a taste; three is the start of a proper stay. Combine with Ruaha on the 10-Day Southern Wildlife Circuit if you want Tanzania without Ngorongoro traffic.
Fishing on the Rufiji is catch-and-release in the stretches where it is allowed. Walking is with an armed ranger from camps that run it well. This is not a park for a tight 5 a.m. crater timetable. You slow down or you waste the ticket.
Things to See & Do
Getting There
Flight
Light aircraft from Dar, Zanzibar or Ruaha to the park strips. Soft bags, 15 kg, and a boat or 4x4 from the strip to cam...
Road
Possible from Dar in a long day. We rarely recommend it unless you are already overlanding Mikumi with extra time.
Boat
Camp boats on the Rufiji and lakes. This is daily activity, not a transfer, except for a few riverside properties.
Wildlife you can see here
All 29 speciesElephants
African Elephant
Loxodonta africana
The largest land animal on Earth, living in family herds led by a matriarch.
Tarangire, Nyerere +7 more
Bovids
African Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
A heavy, dangerous grazer that lives in herds of hundreds.
Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +7 more
Ungulates
Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
A huge, semi-aquatic grazer that spends the day in water and feeds at night.
Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +6 more
Antelopes
Impala
Aepyceros melampus
A graceful antelope, common in herds, known for high jumps.
Serengeti, Tarangire +5 more
Antelopes
Sable Antelope
Hippotragus niger
A handsome black antelope with long, curved horns.
Nyerere, Ruaha +2 more
Carnivores
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus
A rare, highly social painted hunter that runs down prey in packs.
Nyerere, Ruaha +2 more
Raptors
African Fish Eagle
Haliaeetus vocifer
A white-headed eagle whose ringing call is the sound of the African waterway.
Nyerere, Serengeti +5 more
Waterbirds
Saddle-billed Stork
Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
A tall wader with a striking red, black and yellow bill.
Nyerere, Serengeti +3 more
Best Time to Visit
FAQs
Is Nyerere the same as Selous?
The photographic southern tourist sector of the old Selous Game Reserve was upgraded and renamed Nyerere National Park. Some older maps and camp names still say Selous. The hunting blocks are a different story to the south.
Tsetse flies?
Yes, in woodland. Wear muted colours, not navy blue. We carry repellent. They are irritating, not a reason to skip the park.
Wild dog chances?
Better than in the Serengeti for many of our southern trips, still not a promise. Dry season, patient guiding, and a camp that radios sightings.
Safaris Visiting Nyerere National Park
Add Lake Manyara National Park to Your Safari
The route is ours to design — you just pick the places that call you.
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