3-Day Manyara, Ngorongoro & Tarangire Safari
A 3-day private safari from Arusha to Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire, with two nights at a mid-range lodge in Karatu.
Three Parks. Three Landscapes. One Short Safari.
A compact northern-circuit safari for travellers with limited time. Begin below the Rift Valley escarpment at Lake Manyara, where groundwater forest opens onto a soda lake. Spend a full day on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater, then finish among the baobabs and elephant herds of Tarangire before returning to Arusha. Two nights in Karatu, in the green highlands between the parks, keep the driving short and the game drives long.
Why You'll Love It
- Three very different parks in three days — forest and lake, crater floor, and open baobab country
- A full day inside the Ngorongoro Crater, one of the best places in Tanzania to look for black rhino
- Tarangire's elephants — at their most numerous in the dry season
- Private vehicle and guide, with no backtracking on the route
Morning pickup from your hotel in Arusha and a drive west into the Rift Valley to Lake Manyara National Park. Your game drive begins in the groundwater forest, home to baboons and blue monkeys, before opening onto the floodplain where elephant, buffalo, giraffe and zebra graze. The lake draws pelicans, storks and other waterbirds, and flamingos in season. Lunch is taken in the park. In the late afternoon, climb the escarpment to Karatu for dinner and the night.
Accommodation: Octagon Lodge, Karatu (or similar) | Lodge | Mid-Range
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
An early breakfast, then up through the highland forest to the crater rim for the first view of the caldera below. Descend to the crater floor for a full day of game viewing across grassland, swamp and soda lake — lion, spotted hyena, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra and hippo are regularly seen, and the crater is one of the few places in Tanzania where black rhino can be found. Picnic lunch at a designated site on the crater floor. Ascend in the afternoon and return to Karatu.
Accommodation: Octagon Lodge, Karatu (or similar) | Lodge | Mid-Range
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner
Breakfast and check-out, then drive to Tarangire National Park. Ancient baobabs rise over the savannah, and in the dry season the Tarangire River draws large elephant herds along with zebra, wildebeest and the predators that follow them. Game drive with a picnic lunch in the park, then return to Arusha, arriving in the early evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch
Price Per Person — Private Safari
| Group Size | Price Per Person |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $1,990 |
| 2 People | $1,230 |
| 3 People | $980 |
| 4 People | $860 |
| 5 People | $780 |
| 6 People | $770 |
Trip Notes
- Start & end of safari — Arusha
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Arusha included
- Airport transfers available on request
- Groups of more than 6 — price on request
- Prices may change if park fees change
Includes
- Private 4x4 Land Cruiser safari vehicle
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- All park conservation fees & Ngorongoro crater service fee
- 2 nights' lodge accommodation, full board
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Drinking water throughout
Excludes
- International flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Drinks other than drinking water
- Tips & gratuities
- Personal expenses & laundry
- Tanzania's compulsory inbound travel insurance for foreign visitors (44 US dollars per person, from 1 October 2026)
- Any government increase in park fees or taxes after booking
