Mikumi’s southern boundary runs into something much larger. Nyerere National Park was created in 2019 from the northern part of the Selous Game Reserve and, at around 30,000 square kilometres, is Tanzania’s biggest national park. Many people — and many tour listings — still call it “the Selous”.
The two parks share an ecosystem but feel very different. Nyerere is defined by the Rufiji River and its lakes and channels: this is where you take a boat safari past hippos and crocodiles, walk in the bush with an armed ranger, and have a realistic — though never guaranteed — chance of African wild dogs.
Top things to do: Nyerere National Park (Selous)
Take a boat safari
Drifting along the Rufiji or one of its lakes brings you level with hippos, crocodiles and a great variety of waterbirds, and elephants and buffalo come to the banks to drink. It is the activity that most sets Nyerere apart from Mikumi.
Go on a walking safari
Walking with an armed ranger is a long tradition here. You will not get as close to big game as in a vehicle, but you learn to read tracks and notice the small things.
Game drives
Drives are usually in open vehicles through a mix of woodland, palm-fringed lakes and open glades. Giraffes are very common, along with elephant, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, lion and hyena.
Combine it with Mikumi
Multi-park safaris of four days or more link the two: Mikumi for easy plains game, Nyerere for water and wilderness. From Zanzibar, both are also sold as separate fly-in day trips.
How to get to Nyerere National Park (Selous)
- From Dar es Salaam the usual road route goes south to the eastern (Mtemere) gate: around five to six hours. There is also a northern entrance at Matambwe, reached from Morogoro via Kisaki on a rough road that can be difficult in the rains — the link some overland Mikumi–Nyerere itineraries use.
- Light aircraft fly to the park’s airstrips from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. Which airstrip and gate you use depends on the camp or tour, so let the operator plan it.
Insider tips
- Boat safaris depend on water levels; ask what is running in the month you travel.
- Many camps close for part of the long rains, roughly April and May.
- Tsetse flies are present in the woodland. Dress in light, neutral colours.
- Two nights is the sensible minimum by road; a day trip only makes sense by air.
Best tours & safaris: Nyerere National Park (Selous)
These experiences are the easiest way to see Nyerere National Park (Selous):
Fly-in day safari from €360 From Zanzibar: Selous Game Reserve Day Safari with Lunch
The other big fly-in safari from Zanzibar, to the former Selous Game Reserve — today largely Nyerere National Park. It is wilder and much larger than Mikumi, with rivers and lakes as well as bush. We list it because most people choosing a one-day safari from the island end up comparing exactly these two.
- Flights, entry and guide included per the listing
- Game viewing in Nyerere National Park (ex-Selous)
- The main alternative to Mikumi from Zanzibar
Fly-in overnight safari from €706 From Zanzibar: 2-Day, 1-Night Selous Safari with Flights
A two-day, one-night fly-in safari to the Selous (Nyerere National Park) with return flights from Zanzibar and a night in the bush. If you have decided you want an overnight rather than a day trip, compare this with the two-day Mikumi fly-in.
- Return flights from Zanzibar
- One night in the Selous / Nyerere
- Very well reviewed
Multi-day safari from €577 3 Days Selous/Nyerere National Park: Game Drive, Boat & Walking Safari
Three days in Nyerere National Park from Dar es Salaam with all three classic activities — game drive, boat and walk. The park is known for wild dogs, although they range widely and are never guaranteed. A good follow-on if Mikumi has given you a taste for the south.
- Game drives, boat safari and walking safari
- Rufiji River birdlife, hippos and crocodiles
- A park known for its wild dogs
Multi-park safari from €1199 Mikumi and Nyerere National Parks 4-Day Safari
Four days across the two neighbouring parks: game drives on Mikumi’s plains, then Nyerere for a boat safari on the Rufiji River among hippos and crocodiles. The listing mentions the Big Five; be aware that rhino are not a realistic sighting in either park. Unreviewed when we last checked.
- Two southern parks in one trip
- Boat safari on the Rufiji River
- Plains game in Mikumi, river wildlife in Nyerere
