Nyerere National Park (Selous)
Africa's largest national park — 30,893 km² of wild Rufiji riverscapes and the continent's biggest wild dog population.
About Nyerere National Park (Selous)
Nyerere National Park (formerly the Selous Game Reserve's northern photographic sector) covers approximately 30,893 square kilometres in southern Tanzania, making it the largest national park in Africa. Gazetted in 1922 and renamed in 2019 after Tanzania's founding president Julius Nyerere, the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing the Rufiji River — Tanzania's largest river system — its lakes, hot springs, and miombo woodland. The Selous ecosystem is one of the last great African wilderness areas.
When to Go
June to November dry season when boat safaris on the Rufiji and its lakes are optimal. Game concentrates around water, and road conditions are best. The park closes partially during the heavy rains from March to May.
What You'll See
Africa's largest population of African wild dog (estimated 1,300), approximately 70,000 buffalo, 40,000 hippo in the Rufiji River system, over 4,000 lion, substantial crocodile populations, and over 440 bird species. Boat safaris offer unique water-level encounters with hippo, crocodile, and African skimmer.
Your Journey Begins
Scheduled flights from Dar es Salaam's Julius Nyerere International Airport to Selous airstrips (45 minutes). Road access from Dar is approximately 240 km but takes 6-7 hours. Most visitors fly in. The park is typically combined with Ruaha for a comprehensive southern Tanzania circuit.
Within Nyerere National Park (Selous)
Rufiji River & Lakes
Boat safaris past pods of 50 hippos on the Rufiji — a water-level perspective found nowhere else in Tanzania.
The Rufiji River flows west to east through the park's northern sector, its channels creating a network of oxbow lakes — Lake Tagalala, Lake Manze, Lake Nzerakera, and Lake Siwandu — teeming with hippo, crocodile, and waterbirds. Boat safaris along the Rufiji and its lakes are the park's signature experience, offering unique water-level photography of African fish eagle, malachite kingfisher, and pods of up to 50 hippos.
Beho Beho Hills
Hilltop walking safaris through WWI history and hot springs — the Selous from above.
The Beho Beho area in the park's northern sector features elevated terrain with hot springs, providing panoramic views across the vast Selous wilderness. Named after the Swahili word for breeze, this area was a key battleground during World War I between German and British forces. Walking safaris from Beho Beho's hilltop camps are among the finest in Africa, traversing palm-lined springs and open miombo woodland.
Stiegler's Gorge
A 100-metre-deep Rufiji gorge — dramatic geology, massive crocodiles, and wild dog packs.
Stiegler's Gorge is a dramatic 100-metre-deep, 100-metre-wide canyon carved by the Rufiji River through ancient rock. Named after a Swiss explorer killed by an elephant here in 1907, the gorge is now the site of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project. The gorge area supports large crocodile and hippo concentrations, and the surrounding woodland is prime lion and wild dog territory.
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