4 days / 3 nights
Nyerere National Park (Selous) Safari
Dar es Salaam · Nyerere National Park · Rufiji River
Discover the wild beauty of Nyerere National Park, formerly known as Selous Game Reserve, on a 4-day safari combining classic game drives with the unique experience of exploring the Rufiji River by boat. As one of Tanzania's largest protected areas, Nyerere offers vast wilderness, diverse wildlife and a more secluded safari atmosphere.
Safari highlights
- Large elephant populations and diverse wildlife
- Opportunities to see lions, leopards and African wild dogs
- Boat safari along the scenic Rufiji River
- Close encounters with hippos and crocodiles
- Giraffes, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest and other plains wildlife
- Excellent birdwatching opportunities
- Beautiful river, lakes and woodland landscapes
- Excellent opportunities for wildlife and landscape photography
- A quieter alternative to Tanzania's busier northern safari circuit
Day by day
4 days, 3 nights
The route below is the standard version. Game drives follow the wildlife rather than a timetable, and your guide adjusts as the animals move.
- 1
Dar es Salaam to Nyerere National Park
Depart Dar es Salaam in the morning and travel to Nyerere National Park. After arrival and lunch, begin your first game drive through the park's diverse wilderness.
Explore open grasslands, woodland and wetland habitats while looking for elephants, giraffes, buffalo, zebras, wildebeest and predators.
- 2
Full-Day Game Drive in Nyerere National Park
Spend a full day exploring the park on game drives. Your guide will focus on areas with the best current wildlife activity.
Nyerere is particularly renowned for its large landscapes, elephants, hippos, crocodiles and opportunities to encounter African wild dogs.
- 3
Rufiji River Boat Safari
After breakfast, enjoy a boat safari along the spectacular Rufiji River and its surrounding lakes and channels. Look for hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds and other wildlife gathering around the water.
The river safari offers a completely different perspective from a traditional vehicle game drive and is one of the signature experiences of southern Tanzania.
- 4
Nyerere to Dar es Salaam
After breakfast, begin your journey back to Dar es Salaam. Depending on your departure schedule, an optional final morning activity or short game drive may be arranged before departure.
Included
What the price covers
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking safari guide
- Private game drives as outlined in the itinerary
- Rufiji River boat safari
- 3 nights of safari accommodation
- Meals
- Nyerere National Park entry and conservation fees
- Boat safari fees
- Drinking water during game drives
- Transfers between Dar es Salaam and Nyerere as specified
- Government taxes and applicable tourism fees
Accommodation options: Your accommodation will be selected according to your preferred comfort level, travel dates, availability and safari route. Exact properties will be confirmed in your personalised quotation
Not included
What you arrange yourself
- International and domestic flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for safari guide, boat crew and lodge staff
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Laundry and personal expenses
- Optional activities not specified in the itinerary
- Souvenirs and personal purchases
- Any service not specifically mentioned under "Included"
Best for
This safari is ideal for couples, families, wildlife photographers, first-time safari travellers and adventurers looking for an authentic southern Tanzania experience away from the more heavily visited northern circuit.
Accommodation levels
Choose the level, and we build the trip around it
The same route can be run four ways. The level you pick decides where you sleep, how far you drive to the wildlife each morning, and most of what the safari costs.
Budget
Clean, simple camps and small lodges. Everything you need after a day in the park, and nothing you do not.
Mid-range
Comfortable lodges and permanent tented camps with en-suite bathrooms, pools and full service. Where most safaris sit.
Luxury
High-end lodges and luxury tented camps in prime locations, with the shorter drives to the wildlife that come with them.
Premium
The best addresses in each park. Exclusive-use camps, private guiding and the quietest corners of the reserves.
Why there is no price on the page
A safari price that fits everyone fits nobody. Two people in a premium camp in August and a family of four in a mid-range lodge in April are different trips at different costs, on the same itinerary. Rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most people reading it, we price each trip properly.
Tell us your dates, your group and the level you want, and you get an accurate quote back with the accommodation named.
What the quote is built from
- Accommodation level and the type of camp or lodge
- Where you sleep: park rates differ, and so do the drives
- Travel dates, since low, high and peak seasons are priced apart
- Group size, and the ages of any children
- Safari style: private, shared, or tailor-made
- Length of the trip, the parks you enter and the activities you add
- Vehicle and transport arrangements
- Anything special: flights, transfers, honeymoon touches, dietary needs
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