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Nyerere (Selous) Safari Tours & Holidays
One of the largest protected spaces in Africa, Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) is a fabulous, beautiful world of big cats, big elephants and big herds of wildlife. The landscape here is also something special, with a beguiling mix of the mighty Rufiji River, palm-fringed lakes, deep gorges and wild woodlands. The Selous, as most locals still call it, has a refreshingly wild feel about it, and it’s nicely removed from the crowds that you often get in the parks of Tanzania’s Northern safari circuit. In fact, this is one of few places in East Africa where you can enjoy the region’s famous safari trails in relative peace, and where each wildlife encounter still feels like a real discovery.
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Best Seller
12-Day Remote Tanzania: Safari & Beach
$4,637 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented Bush CampYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Ruaha NP, Mafia Island (Beach), Dar Es Salaam (End)
Wayfairer Travel
5.0/5 – 130 Reviews
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5-Day Combined Selous Reserve - Mikumi National Park
$780 to $870 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Mikumi NP, Maasai Village (Cultural Village), Dar Es Salaam (End)
Selous Ngalawa Camp
4.6/5 – 58 Reviews
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3-Day Selous Experience - Game Drive/Boat/Walking Safari
$699 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Connect African Safaris
5.0/5 – 21 Reviews
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3-Day Selous (Nyerere) NP - Walking Tour, Boat Safari
$850 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetLodge
You Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Tanz America Safaris
5.0/5 – 3 Reviews
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3-Day Nyerere Wildlife Safari Game Safari
$700 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetLodge
You Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Obag African Safaris
4.8/5 – 27 Reviews
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5-Day Mikumi National Park to Selous GR + Boat Safari
$915 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Mikumi NP, Nyerere NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Uwanda Tours and Safaris
4.9/5 – 73 Reviews
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3-Day Safari in Nyerere National Park (Selous)
$1,102 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Nyerere NP, Zanzibar (End)
Greg Adventures
4.9/5 – 13 Reviews
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3-Day Nyerere National Park Mid-Range Tour
$1,450 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Kilimanjaro On Foot
4.5/5 – 4 Reviews
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3-Day Fly from Zanzibar to Nyerere NP, Game Drive & Boat
$1,050 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Nyerere NP, Zanzibar (End)
MangiEmpire Tours & Safaris
5.0/5 – 31 Reviews
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4-Day Mikumi and Nyerere National Park Safari
$899 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Mikumi NP, Nyerere NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Exposed Africa
5.0/5 – 8 Reviews
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3-Day Fly - Zanzibar to Nyerere NP - Two Crazy Game
$898 to $925 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Nyerere NP, Zanzibar Airport (End)
Shammah Wonders Safari
5.0/5 – 66 Reviews
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5-Day Safari to Nyerere and Mikumi National Parks
$1,328 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Mikumi NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Bujo Tours
5.0/5 – 46 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Wildlife Safari in Selous Game Reserve
$535 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
KAMar Safaris
4.8/5 – 184 Reviews
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4-Day Fly-in Nyerere NP, 2 Game Drive + Boat Safari
$1,420 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Nyerere NP, Zanzibar (End)
Selous Kinga Lodge
4.5/5 – 6 Reviews
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5-Day Selous, Mikumi & Boat Safari Adventure
$1,100 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Mikumi NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Happy Moments Tours
4.9/5 – 32 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Nyerere NP and Mikumi Walking, Boat Tour + Maasai-
$930 to $950 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Mikumi NP, Nyerere NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Smile With Us Tours In Africa
5.0/5 – 118 Reviews
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3-Day Selous GR, Boat +Walking with Bushman Family Tour
$620 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Shanga Tours And Safaris
4.8/5 – 6 Reviews
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7-Day Nyerere National Park & Zanzibar Island
$2,344 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & ResortYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Zanzibar (Beach), Zanzibar Airport (End)
High Peaks Expeditions
4.9/5 – 25 Reviews
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4-Day Dar-Es-Salaam, Selous - Nyerere NP and Zanzibar
$923 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented Bush CampYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Zanzibar (End)
Daigle Tours Tanzania
4.8/5 – 34 Reviews
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Best Seller
3-Day Nyerere NP Safari from Dar Es Salaam or Zanzibar
$580 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetLodge
You Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Nyerere NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Kiliholidays Tours & Safaris
4.9/5 – 237 Reviews
5 Questions About Nyerere (Selous) National Park Tours

Answered by
Anthony Ham
Anthony has extensive experience in writing about Tanzania, and he has always had a soft spot for Selous, now known as Nyerere National Park. The final chapter of his book, The Last Lions of Africa, was centered on the Selous, its lions and the communities along the Rufiji riverbank.
5 Questions About Nyerere (Selous) National Park Tours

How does a safari in Nyerere National Park compare to a Serengeti safari?
“The ideal scenario is a holiday in which you visit both Nyerere National Park and the Serengeti. That way you could compare these two magnificent parks for yourself. At the highest level, both parks have incredible wildlife and you’ll get to see the animals against a backdrop of beautiful landscapes. Looking a little closer, Nyerere has much more water and subtropical vegetation, as well as denser woodlands. These landscape differences are also reflected in the subtle differences in the wildlife you can see here. Although there are many species that are common to both, such as big cats, elephants, zebras, giraffes, crocodiles and hippos, Nyerere has fewer plains or savannah species and is a crossover zone where you can see bird species from both East and southern Africa.”
1What can I expect from a Nyerere National Park safari?
“The simple answer is that you can expect to see lots of wildlife against a backdrop of stunning landscapes when you’re on a safari in Nyerere National Park. More specifically, the most exciting part of your holiday will be the early morning and late afternoon wildlife experiences. Usually this means a before-dawn wake-up call, a hot drink, then a game drive looking for birds and animals. Unless you’re moving on to a different location for the next night, you’ll return to camp mid- to late morning for breakfast and/or lunch. This is often a time to relax, before afternoon tea and another game drive immediately afterwards. While out on the trail, just before sunset, you’ll most likely stop somewhere scenic for a sundowner where you can enjoy the drink of your choice at a simply gorgeous time of day. In Nyerere National Park, there’s one fine variation on this classic safari experience: instead of one or more of the game drives, you might go on a boat tour or safari out on the Rufiji River, from where you’ll get a whole new perspective on the park.”
2How much do safari packages to Nyerere National Park cost?
“Prices vary widely when it comes to Nyerere National Park safari packages, starting from $150 per person per day for the cheapest safari, up to more than $1,000 per person per day for the height of luxury. At the cheaper end of the price range, you’ll most likely be sleeping in simple rooms or bungalows, possibly with shared bathrooms, or in camp tents. If you’re on a camping safari, you might be expected to contribute to group chores, such as setting up camp and cooking. For midrange safaris, you can expect rooms, meals and vehicles of a higher standard. If your accommodation is in safari tents, you’ll have en suite bathrooms and a few other furnishings, with space to walk around in. At the luxury end of the scale, accommodation is superb and spacious, with high levels of personal service, excellent meals and less-crowded safari vehicles.”
3What animals can I expect to see on a safari in Nyerere National Park?
“Nyerere National Park has the advantage of having incredible scenery and wildlife habitat on both land and the Rufiji River. On a boat safari out on the river, you’ll almost certainly see hippos, crocs, and abundant birdlife, and you never know which land mammals might come down to drink by the river’s edge. On game drives, you’re almost guaranteed to see both lions and elephants: the Selous (as Nyerere National Park is still called by many locals) has some of Tanzania’s largest populations of both species. Other big cats are always a possibility, as are African wild dogs, and the park has large populations of zebra, giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest and so many other species. More than 440 bird species have been recorded in the park, making this a top-notch destination for birders.”
4How many days is recommended for a trip to Nyerere National Park?
“Spend as much time as you can in Nyerere National Park. I would recommend a minimum of 3 days for a safari to Nyerere National Park. That will give you time to go on a number of game drives, take a Rufiji River boat safari, enjoy more than one river sunset, and get a good overall experience of what the park has to offer. With just 2 days, you could achieve much of the same, but it will be a bit of a rush, and you’ll most likely leave wanting more. Each extra day you have here will bring rewards, allowing you to see more of the park and return to some of your favorite corners of the park. Additional days also mean you can factor in relaxation time to enjoy your accommodation and downtime without feeling as though you’re missing out if you don’t go out and explore.”
5Nyerere Safari Reviews

Sue is an award-winning writer who specializes in African travel and conservation. She writes for national newspapers, magazines, Rough Guides and Lonely Planet.
True Wilderness – and wild dogs
If you’re after a true wilderness sensation that goes beyond the confines of a Land Cruiser, then come to Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve). A vast chunk of Nyerere, most of the land south of the Rufiji River, is sadly...

Gemma authored several Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guides to Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.
My top tip for Tanzania
Nyerere National Park (Selous) is my favourite game area in Tanzania, and possibly the whole of Africa. The landscape, with its emerald-green swamplands, dead trees submerged in water and shaggy-topped palms, is ravishingly beautiful. You...
The large area of this park means that the wildlife can be a bit more spread-out and the animals can be a bit more timid of vehicles. But in my opinion that is a good thing and exactly as it should be. Another plus is that the scenery is...

We did not spot the big 5, but Al lot of great animals. When one of the guides spotted lions, it suddenly gets very crowded. The rest of the day you will hardly see any other drivers. We had a beautiful boat safari and two fantastic full...

The Selous Park is beautiful. And so many of our dibrtch memories from Tanzania. Afebxha was waiting for us by changing the number of employees in the contract. It was only after our intervention that she confessed to guilty and we...

Fantastic Reserve: Full of Animals, Not Full of People
Selous Game Reserve is a real jewel, full of wildlife and birds and intriguing flora with the added bonus of very few visitors. I stayed at Asilia Africa's Roho Ya Selous and it could not have been better. As a solo traveler, I look for...