Nyerere National Park: Facts & Information about Africa's Largest National Park

Ecosystem and Geography

Nyerere National Park is spread over 30,893 square kilometers of land area, making it the largest National Park in Africa.
The Park is located in south eastern Tanzania, and was carved out of the Selous Game Reserve. Prior to creating of the Nyerere N.P, Selous Game Reserve measured approximately 54,600 square kilometers, which at the time made it the 11th largest National Park in the world.
The nearest large city to Nyerere National Park is Dar es Salaam, the capital city of Tanzania. Dar es Salaam is about 230 kilometers from the main access gate to Nyerere N.P.
GETTING THERE: By road from Dar es Salaam the trip takes around 5 to 6 hours. It is more common for tourists to fly to Nyerere National Pak and Selous Game Reserve. It is roughtly 45 minutes in flying time from Dar es Salaam and the aircraft lands at a variety of airstrips spread around the park. There are also direct flights available from Zanzibar to Nyerere though some connections may be non direct with brief stops in Dar es Salaam.


Altitude: 35 to 1450 meters above sea level (116 feet – 4800 ft);
Rainfall: 750mm Eastern Territory to 1250mm in the Western territory of the Park.( figures per annum).
Temperature range: The average maximum temperature is approximately 29°C and the minimum 21°C.

Facts about Wildlife in Nyerere National Park: The park is home to a large number of birds and mammals. Tourists visiting this park have agood chance to spot Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Elephant, Rhino and other plains game such as Giraffe and Zebra. Because this park is less visited, the animals here tend to be less familiar with humans, something that makes a safari here a more authentic African experience.
For bird watchers, there are more than 430 recorded bird species in the park combined with Selous Reserve. Some of the birds one can spot here include the Giant Kingfishers, Pink-backed Pelicans, White-fronted Bee-eaters, African Skimmers, Ibises, Yellow-billed stork, Purple-crested Turaco, Malagasy squacco Heron, Fish Eagles, Hornbilland many more birds.
Click here to read more about Animals in Nyerere National Park

Rufiji River: The mighty Rufiji river runs through parts of both Nyerere National Park and Selous Reserve. Some of the areas within the park that touch and surround the river are classified as photographic zones and are a major attraction not only due to the chances of spotting Hippo and other animals here but also because of the picturesque landscapes. The river also allows for tourists to enjoy Boat Safaris.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Mid June to October is generally considered the best time to visit Nyerere National Park. This is the typical Dry season which means the vegetation is thinner and the animals are easier to spot, with many of them being found at various watering spots in the park such as watering holes or the river shores. October to May tends to be wetter and this means thicker, lush green vegetation though the days can get rather warm and humid.

Plan a Trip

Planning a Trip to Nyerere National Park or Selous Game Reserve would require careful planning possibly more so than one to northern Tanzania's more frequented parks such as Serengeti, because Nyerere Park is less accessible, less visited and more remote with fewer tour professionals well versed enough to provide the best advise for travel to this park. You may therefore want to visit our Plan your Trip section below.