Nyerere National Park

What and Where It Is

The park sits inland from Dar es Salaam in the Rufiji River basin. The Rufiji is Tanzania's largest river, and in the north of the park it spreads into a network of channels, sandbanks and lakes, including Tagalala, Manze and Nzerakera. Most camps are set along these waterways. Further from the river the country turns to woodland and open grassland.

The wider Selous has been on UNESCO's World Heritage in Danger list since 2014, after heavy elephant poaching.

Wildlife and Activities

Boat safaris on the Rufiji and its lakes are the highlight: hippo, Nile crocodile, elephants coming down to drink and plenty of waterbirds, all at water level. On land you can find lion, leopard, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest, and the park is a stronghold for the endangered African wild dog. About 440 bird species have been recorded.

Walking safaris with an armed ranger are offered, and some camps run fly camping, a night out under canvas away from the main camp. Ask your camp about minimum ages for walking.

Best Time to Go

June to October, the dry season, is best for wildlife, as animals concentrate near the river and lakes. The long rains from March to May make some areas inaccessible, and many camps close. January and February can be good for birding. See our month-by-month safari guide for the bigger picture.

Getting There and How Long to Stay

Light-aircraft flights take about 45 minutes to an hour from Dar es Salaam, and about an hour from Zanzibar, which makes it easy to pair with a beach stay. Three or four nights works well. Combining it with Ruaha gives you two very different southern parks on one trip.

Where to Stay in Nyerere

Camps are spread along the Rufiji and its lakes, with Lake Manze, Lake Tagalala and the Siwandu area all popular bases. We do not yet feature a Nyerere camp on our site, so contact us and we will suggest the right one for your dates, especially if you want to walk or fly camp.