Dar es Salaam to Nyerere National Park in brief
Nyerere is in southern Tanzania, and most visitors start in Dar es Salaam. You have three ways in. The fastest is a scheduled flight to an airstrip in the park. The road takes you through Kibiti and Utete to a gate. The railway runs through the park's area, and its services are limited at the moment.
Many visitors book a safari from Dar es Salaam that handles the transfer, the park fees and the stay in one go. The Nyerere tours from Dar es Salaam page shows the options, and the safari from Zanzibar page covers the flight from the islands.
Our pick: the flight to the Mtemere airstrip
This day trip shows how the flight works in practice, there and back on the same day.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Nyerere trips from Dar es Salaam
Safaris and fly-in trips to Nyerere National Park with transfers arranged for you. Live prices and availability.
Flights to the park airstrips
Planned times from a 2026 flight plan, not a promise for your day.
| Route | Planned time | Fare example |
|---|---|---|
| Dar es Salaam to the park, first rotation | 08:30 to 09:15 | $192 adult or child, plus $46 charges |
| Dar es Salaam to the park, later rotations | 10:30 to 11:00 and 16:30 to 17:00 | – |
| Park to Dar es Salaam | 12:50 to 14:00 | – |
| Zanzibar to the park, via Dar es Salaam | 07:50 to 09:15 | $248 adult, $198 child, plus $52 charges |
Flight plans still use the name "Selous" for the destination. The flight plan runs to 31 May 2027, and a flight needs at least two booked seats. The fares are base fares without airport taxes and fees, and they are not a safari package. Flight times do not include the ground transfer or your game drive.
The park has several airstrips, among them Mtemere. Not every airstrip has the same timetable, and your camp arranges the transfer from the strip. For most visitors with a short stay, the flight is the sensible choice, because it saves a long drive.
By road from Dar es Salaam
The main route runs from Dar es Salaam via Kibiti and Utete. The road to Mtemere Gate is about 240 km. The longer route via Morogoro and Kisaki to Matambwe Gate is about 350 km. These are distances and not drive times. Times vary with the road and the season, so ask your operator how long it takes on your day.
Other routes start from Morogoro or Ifakara, depending on the gate. A 4×4 is recommended, particularly in the rain. Our Nyerere weather page explains the seasons.
TAZARA railway
A line through the area, with limited service.
What the line offers
The TAZARA line runs through the park's area. Guests can be picked up from the station at Kisaki, and the line has a stop at Matambwe. No train replaces the organised transfer to your camp.
Kisaki
Kisaki is the station named for pick-ups. The longer road route to Matambwe Gate also runs through Kisaki, so it is a place you may pass either way.
Current services
Train services have been disrupted recently. Check the current timetable and whether your stop is served before you plan around the train. Do not count on a regular connection.
Taxi and transfer from Dar es Salaam airport (DAR)
Getting from the arrival hall to your next leg.
What the airport offers
The airport has taxi and car-rental services, transfer and transit information and parking. Agree the fare before you get in.
Connecting to a bush flight
Allow generous time between an international arrival and a bush flight, and ask your operator for its own minimum connection time.
Agree the transfer in advance
Camps and operators arrange the transfer from the airstrip or the gate. Settle the pick-up point before you pay.
Car hire and parking
What to know if you drive yourself.
Choose a 4×4
The park authority recommends a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Ask about the state of the tracks and rivers, particularly after rain.
Not every track is for self-drivers
Ask before you set out which routes are open to a hire car. Your vehicle pays a park fee by weight, see our Nyerere park fees page.
Parking
The airport offers parking. Ask about parking charges there and at your camp before you arrive.
Entry rules and travel advice
Stand 2026.
eVisa
The ordinary visa costs $50 for up to 90 days. For US passport holders on a tourist trip, the multiple-entry visa costs $100. Not every nationality needs the same category.
Local insurance
Since October 2026, the compulsory local insurance applies to the mainland as well, currently $44 for up to 92 days. Holders of a Tanzanian residence permit are exempt. If you visit both the mainland and Zanzibar, one policy is enough.
Travel advice
German travel advice recommends against non-essential travel to the far south of the Mtwara region on the Mozambique border and to islands and coastal areas south of Kisiju. Check your routes if you plan coastal detours.
Our Nyerere lodges and camps page covers where to sleep once you arrive.
Boat safaris on the Rufiji
What you do once you arrive.
History of the park
How the park came to be in 2019.
The Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station
The dam at Stiegler's Gorge.
Another national park within reach of Dar es Salaam is covered in Mikumi National Park from Dar es Salaam.
Getting to Nyerere National Park: frequently asked questions
How do I get from Dar es Salaam to Nyerere National Park?
By a short scheduled flight to an airstrip, by road via Kibiti and Utete to Mtemere Gate, or by a longer road route via Morogoro and Kisaki to Matambwe Gate. The railway runs through the area but has limited service.
How far is Nyerere from Dar es Salaam?
About 240 km by road to Mtemere Gate and about 350 km by the longer route to Matambwe Gate. These are distances, not drive times.
Do I need a 4×4?
A 4×4 is recommended for the roads, especially in the rain. It is a recommendation and not a legal rule.
Can I take the train?
The TAZARA line runs through the area, but services have been disrupted recently. Check the current timetable first, and expect to arrange a transfer from the station.
Can I fly from Zanzibar?
Yes. The 2026 flight plan has a daily flight from Zanzibar via Dar es Salaam, planned at 07:50 to 09:15. A flight needs at least two booked seats.
Is there a transfer from Dar es Salaam airport?
Camps and operators arrange the transfer from the airstrip or the gate. The airport itself has taxi and car-rental services, so agree the fare before you get in.