Arusha: 3-Day Tanzania Safari & Ngorongoro Crater

Experience the Great Migration and spot rare black rhinos at dawn in Ngorongoro Crater

You meet your guide in Arusha, then spend three days moving between Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park, with game drives each morning and afternoon, lodge stays with meals included, and a picnic lunch inside the crater itself. All park fees and taxes are covered. The guide expects a tip of around $20 per day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park

• Meet guide in Arusha town
• Receive safari briefing
• Travel to Lake Manyara National Park
• Arrive for lunch at lodge
• Afternoon game drive in Lake Manyara NP

Day 2: Ngorongoro Crater game drive

• Breakfast at lodge
• Descend into Ngorongoro Crater
• Morning half-day game drive in crater
• Picnic lunch in Ngorongoro Crater
• Travel to Tarangire National Park

Day 3: Tarangire National Park and return

• Breakfast at lodge
• Morning game drive in Tarangire NP
• Return to lodge for lunch
• Depart for Arusha town
• End safari and transfer to hotel

The experience

The sun hasn't cleared the escarpment yet when your guide meets you in Arusha town. There's a briefing (quick, practical), then you're rolling north toward Lake Manyara National Park, arriving in time for lunch at the lodge. The afternoon game drive is where it hits: the lake itself takes up two-thirds of the park, a shallow soda expanse that draws flamingos in impossible numbers, and the elephants are everywhere. Manyara's famous tree-climbing lions are here too, though spotting them takes patience and a guide who knows where to look. The habitat shifts constantly (woodland, grassland, water), so the animals don't cluster in one place the way they do elsewhere.

Day two, you drop 600 meters into the Ngorongoro Crater before breakfast settles. This is the densest concentration of wildlife you'll see on the safari: an estimated 30,000 animals in a space that feels almost enclosed, ringed by walls of volcanic rock. Wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, hippo, giant elephants. They're all here because the crater holds water year-round and the grazing never stops. The predators know this too. Lions, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs. A half-day game drive means you're moving through the crater floor while the light is still sharp, and the picnic lunch happens down there, not back at the lodge. After that, you head to Tarangire National Park for the night.

Tarangire runs along its river, and during the dry season the animals follow the water like it's a map. The park is known for elephant herds, some of the largest in Africa, and for three rare species: the Greater Kudu, the Fringed-eared Oryx, and the Ashy Starling. The landscape is different here: low hills, Acacia woodland, massive Baobab trees that look like they've been growing since the beginning of time, and swamp areas in the south that pull in everything thirsty. Your final morning game drive happens before breakfast, then you drive back to Arusha by midday. The whole thing is 3 days and 2 nights, which sounds short until you realize you've moved through three separate ecosystems and seen more wildlife than most people see in a lifetime.

What’s included

• Your 3-day safari includes hotel pickup in Arusha, professional guide-driver, entry fees to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Parks, two nights at Kizumba Tented Camp, all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), a picnic lunch inside Ngorongoro Crater, and morning and afternoon game drives across all three parks. All park fees and taxes are covered.
• guide tips (approximately $20 per day) are additional.

Information

Lasts 3d, runs every day at 07:30, from US$ 780 per person, with live guides in 5 languages, in groups of up to 6 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30Another time? ›

GroupUp to 64 private ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

AgesAdult (15 and older) · Child (1 to 14 years)

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Super Game Tanzania Tours and Safaris

Is this one for you?This works well if you have only 3 days but want to see Tanzania's Northern Circuit without arranging park permits, transport between sites, or timing your own game drives. The fixed itinerary handles all of it, and the professional guide knows where the animals congregate by season.

Traveler reviews

4.93★★★★★★★★★★Exceptional15 verified traveler reviews

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (1 to 14 years).

How long is the drive from Arusha to Lake Manyara?

The reference doesn't specify the exact duration, but you arrive in time for lunch on day one, suggesting a morning departure and early-afternoon arrival.

What animals will I definitely see?

Lake Manyara is known for large elephant concentrations and tree-climbing lions. Ngorongoro Crater holds around 30,000 animals including wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, hippo, and predators like lions and leopards. Tarangire is famous for large elephant herds and three rare species: Greater Kudu, Fringed-eared Oryx, and Ashy Starling. Sightings depend on season and luck.

Is this safari suitable for people with health concerns?

The tour is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health, but is suitable for all other fitness levels.

What's included in the price?

All park fees, taxes, accommodations at Kizumba Tented Camp, meals, and a professional guide-driver. Tips for the guide (around $20 per day) are separate.

How many game drives do I get?

You have afternoon game drives on days one and two, and a morning game drive on day three. Three game drives total across the three parks.

Where do I stay?

You stay at Kizumba Tented Camp on nights one and two.

What time do we return to Arusha?

The reference indicates you return by midday on day three after the morning game drive in Tarangire.

Is this a group tour or private?

The reference describes it as a safari experience but does not specify group size or whether it's private or shared.