Why combine Nyerere and Ruaha instead of choosing one?

They are opposites: Nyerere is rivers, lakes and boats, while Ruaha is drier country with big predators and long walks. Auric Air’s daily flight, about an hour and three-quarters on its 2027 list, joins them without a return through Dar es Salaam.

Will I see lions and greater kudu in Ruaha?

Ruaha is known for lions, though no sighting is promised. Greater kudu also live here, alongside other antelope and predators. Give the park several days rather than treating any species as a checklist, and follow your ranger’s distance instructions on foot.

When is the best time for a Nyerere and Ruaha safari?

June to October generally suits both parks, but October’s low water can stop Nyerere boating and leave Ruaha’s river in pools. Auric pauses these services from 15 March to 31 May; other carriers and individual camps have their own schedules.

How many nights does a Nyerere and Ruaha safari need?

Seven to ten: three or four in Nyerere, four or five in Ruaha, and a Dar es Salaam night if you land late. With fewer than seven nights, choose one park; for the island afterwards, see Nyerere & Zanzibar or Ruaha & Zanzibar.

How do park fees in Nyerere and Ruaha compare?

The historical 2023/24 TANAPA tariff charged non-East-African adults aged 16 and over more in Nyerere than Ruaha, with separate overnight concession fees. Current rates depend on category and season; your quote must confirm the applicable charges before booking.

Is southern Tanzania too remote for a first safari?

It can work if you accept small camps, luggage limits and seasonal closures. Emergency access and evacuation can be difficult in remote parks, so discuss your needs before choosing. It suits returning safari travellers; Tanzania Classic offers the northern circuit instead.

Two young elephants touching trunks beside a baobab

Safari / Tanzania

The Wild
South

Price on request

Boats on the Rufiji, then lion country on the Great Ruaha: southern Tanzania by light aircraft.

7–10 nightsSafariNyerere (Selous) · Ruaha

The journey

Two parks, two kinds of country, and a single morning flight between them.

You begin in Nyerere, the former northern Selous, where the Rufiji spreads into channels and lakes and boats and walks matter as much as drives. Then a light aircraft carries you west to Ruaha, drier country on the Great Ruaha River, where lions, greater kudu and long walks take over.

The Wild South suits a second safari, or a first for travellers who prefer small camps and can accept luggage limits, remote settings and seasonal closures. If you want plains and herds, choose Tanzania Classic; for an island at the end, Nyerere & Zanzibar.

Water first, dry country second, light aircraft between, and every night shaped entirely on your terms.

Moments along the way

Wet country,
then dry.

Two hippos resting together in grey river water

The river by boat

Channels and lake shores slip past, with hippo and crocodile usual along the water.

Reading tracks on foot

An armed ranger reads tracks at walking pace and sets how close you go.

Two parks, one flight

A light aircraft takes you west in about an hour and three-quarters.

Lion country by the river

In the dry months animals gather along the Great Ruaha River, and predators follow.

Greater kudu at first light

Look for spiralled horns; few parks hold both greater and lesser kudu.

Night sky, small camp

Firelight, a small camp and a night sky with no town glow.

Where you’ll stay

Each stay adds to the story.

From a simple Essential camp on the Rufiji to a Private Collection camp above the Great Ruaha, each stay is chosen for what it adds. Southern camps are small and remote, and standards vary widely, so the level you choose matters.

Elephant wading across a wide river with palms behind

NYERERE

Tented camp on the Rufiji

RUAHA

Rock, sand and long views

DAR ES SALAAM

A quiet night before flying

EssentialPrivate Collection

Add to your journey

Make it yours.

Select an idea to carry into your brief. Nothing is added to a booking or priced automatically.

BEFORE YOU ENQUIRE

A route with room to breathe

Here’s how it comes together.

Dar es Salaam → Nyerere → Ruaha → Dar es Salaam, by light aircraft. Auric pauses these services from 15 March to 31 May; your proposal confirms flights and times.

Preparing the route map…

A sense of the days

The rhythm of the journey.

Typically three or four nights in Nyerere, four or five in Ruaha: seven to nine, or ten with a Dar es Salaam night.

Clear from the beginning

What’s included.

Typically included

Park and concession fees
Expert guides in both parks
4x4 game-drive vehicle
Accommodation at your chosen level
Meals as set by each camp
Light-aircraft flights as routed
Airstrip and airport transfers
Available boat trips, walks and drinking water

Not included

International flights
Tanzania visa, inbound and travel insurance
Premium drinks
Gratuities
Fly-camping, night drives and other extras

Every journey is quoted in full, with no surprises.

Good to know

Nyerere and Ruaha,
in context.

Nyerere National Park was created in 2019 from the northern Selous Game Reserve and covers about 30,900 km², so older itineraries still say Selous. The Rufiji River braids through it into channels and lakes. Ruaha covers about 20,000 km² along the Great Ruaha River, with Nyerere to its east. UNESCO kept the Selous on its danger list in 2026, pointing to two dams and a uranium project. Ask each camp how it supports conservation.

Parks on this journey

Nyerere (Selous)Ruaha Tanzania →

Before you go

Before your Nyerere, Selous journey Before your Ruaha journey Before your Tanzania journey

Read before you decide:

Walking safaris Water and canoe safaris Best time to visit Tanzania

Last checked: October 2026.

When to go

Pick your moment.
Not just a month.

A seasonal snapshot for southern Tanzania. Camp closures, water levels and the chosen airline shape the dates as much as the calendar.

Typically drierLonger rainsMore variable

Jul / Main dry season

Water, walking and gathered game.

Nyerere’s lakes and rivers are usually full in June and early July, and Ruaha’s animals gather at the river and its pools from July. Dry days suit walking, though sightings are never promised.

Broad seasonal guidance — not a forecast, availability calendar or migration promise. Picking a month sets it in your plan.

Travel with Nobu

The logistics handled quietly,
so your week stays effortless.

Temporary image: guide and two guests on a hilltop looking over open plains

Licensed Kenyan tour operator

Based in Kenya, arranging journeys across East Africa.

Temporary image: open safari vehicle with zebras on a grass plain

Our own guides and 4x4 fleet

Your guide and vehicle are arranged for the route you choose.

Temporary image: a night game drive with a spotlight illuminating a tree ahead

24-hour on-safari support

Help is a call or message away, day or night.

Temporary image: a couple beside a river at sunset next to a safari vehicle

Financial protection on every journey

Your proposal sets out the agreed arrangements for your journey.

East Africa, your way

A little closer to Kenya

Your way to explore

Look a little deeper

The Wild
South