Here we list the best ways of getting to Nyerere National Park from Dar es Salaam. The road distance from Dar es Salaam to Nyerere National Park is about 230 kilometers to the nearest entry point, though this differs depending on which entry gate you plan to access. One of the most common questions from tourists is how long is the drive from Dar es Salaam to Nyerere National Park. So the road trip from Dar es Salaam to the park takes about 5 hours, and this is to one of the nearer entry gates in the Nyerere Park. Road conditions are poor in places with the last 75 kms to the park being on a bumpy gravel road.
Flying to Nyerere National Park is the most popular and convenient option, being only about a 1 hour flight from Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam to a variety of different airstrips in Nyerere.
Listed below is relevant information on how to reach Nyerere National Park by road and air from Dar es Salaam with information also on how to reach Nyerere Park and Tanzania from overseas, such as from USA, UK, Canada, Europe, Australia India and Dubai UAE. You may contact us for international flight options.
Nyerere National Park can be accessed on a road safari from either Dar es salaam or Arusha. The road to Nyerere from Dar es Salaam is graded regularly, however it’s worth checking how the road is, after the main rainy season of April & May. The distance varies from 184 km to 230 kms depending on which gate or entry point of Nyerere National Park you want to access. Well, in terms of journey time, typically you want to allow for 6 hours for most Park entry gates such as Mtemere and matembwe and upto 6 to 6.5 hours for gates on the northern side of Selous Game Reserve.
Route: There is a direct route from Dar es Salaam that covers a distance of 240 km / 149 miles following the eastern road. The drive is bumpy and long taking you 6 to 7 hours which is nearly half a day’s drive. This road takes you through Kibiti as well as Mloka and you will finally be able to access the park through Mtemere gate. In case you are combining the Nyerere with other game parks on the Southern Safari Circuit like Ruaha National Park and Mikumi National Park then you can take an alternative route that takes you through Morogoro town via Kisaki and Mkuyuni and then finally enter the park through the Matambwe Gate.
We often get asked how the road is to Nyerere National Park by prospective clients planning their safari. Well, most of the route is actually a tarred road starting with highway A104, B3 and finally C12, except for the last section of approximately 1 hour. The tarmac portion of the tarmac road is however in sub standard condition in certain places which includes a few stretches with potholes, while the last unpaved portion can be bumpy and dusty, which however for some simply adds to the adventure of getting to the African wilderness.
A road in the Western side of the reserve
Main road leading to Nyerere park
So which type of Safari vehicles do you get in Nyerere National Park ? There are two basic types of vehicles commonly used for Safaris in Tanzania and generally in East Africa for that matter and these are the Safari Tour Minibuses ( Tour Vans) and the 4x4 Safari Jeeps, typically Toyota Landcruiser or less commonly Landrover vehicles. All types of vehicles have built in, pop-up game viewing roof hatches which the Driver opens once on a game drive in the park or reserve, UHF Radio Calls and Cooler Boxes. The Tour Vans cost much less than the four wheel drive Safari Jeeps. Should be noted that there are some tour vans which also come with 4x4 capability, albeit with the lack of ground clearance or off road ability that comes with a Landcruiser. Both types of vehicles typically seat a maximum of 7 passengers with 6 being ideal and 8 passengers being the upper limit with an extra seat fitted into the vehicle. Luggage restrictions apply.
Typical Safari Tour Van or Minibus
Typical 4x4 Safari Jeep Landcruiser
There are several airlines flying from Dar es Salaam to various airstrips in Nyerere National Park, and several of these offer daily return flight to the park, with a one way flight taking approximately 1 hour. The same plane then usually turns around back to Dar es Salaam after dropping off or collecting passengers from a number of airstrips in Nyerere Park. Almost all these flights take off from Julius International Airport Dar es Salaam or Kilimanjaro International Airport if you coming from Arusha and you need only be at the airport about 45 mins prior to the flight. The main airlines are Regional Air, Coastal Aviation, Safari Air Link and Auric Air. All these airlines have a reliable service and credible safety record.
- Morning Flight: Depart Dar es Salaam 10am - Arrive Nyerere Park 11am
- Return Morning Flight: Depart Nyerere Park 11am - Arrive Dar es Salaam 12pm
- Afternoon Flight: Depart Dar es Salaam 3pm - Arrive Nyerere Park 4pm
- Return Afternoon Flight: Depart Nyerere Park 4pm - Arrive Dar es Salaam 5pm
There are a number of airstrips in Nyerere National Park and surrounding Selous Game Reserve. These airstrips are spread out in different parts of the park and reserve to serve lodges and camps in close proximity to them inorder to cut down transfer time from the airstrip to the hotel. Listed below are some of the commonly used airstrips in Nyerere.
The type of aircraft used for flights to Nyerere National Park include propellor planes with seating capacities ranging from 40 seaters for DeHavilland Dash 7 and 8 aircraft to 13 seater Cessna Caravans. Passengers are limited to 15 kilos of carry on and check in luggage combined.
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