Fruits & Love Safaris Tanzania logoFruits & LoveVolunteering Safaris
3-Day Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro & Tarangire Safari in Tanzania

3-day private safari

3-Day Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro & Tarangire Safari

The best-value way to see three completely different landscapes and stand a real chance of the Big Five in three days.

From

$750

USD per person

Duration

3 days / 2 nights

Parks

Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire

Group

Private departure — usually 2 to 6 guests

Prices are per person based on a group of 6 sharing a private 4x4. Smaller groups are priced higher — ask us for a quote for your party size.

If you only have a long weekend, this is the safari to take. Three parks, three distinct ecosystems — forest and soda lake, volcanic caldera, baobab savannah — and a genuine chance of all of the Big Five. It is our most booked itinerary and the one we recommend to volunteers who want to see northern Tanzania without a full week away.

Best for
First-time safari, short trips, volunteers on a weekend break
Best months
June–October and January–March, but good year-round
Accommodation options
Camping from $750 pp · Lodge from $950 pp (USD)

Day-by-day itinerary

  1. 1

    Arusha → Lake Manyara National Park

    Pick-up at 07:30, a short briefing and the drive down the Rift Valley escarpment to Lake Manyara. Full day game drive through the groundwater forest and along the lake shore looking for elephant, baboon troops, hippo and the park's tree-climbing lions. Late afternoon we climb to Karatu on the Ngorongoro highlands.

    Meals: Lunch, dinner · Overnight: Karatu — campsite or lodge

  2. 2

    Ngorongoro Crater

    Early breakfast and a first-light descent 600 metres onto the crater floor. Six hours of game viewing among the resident lion prides, elephant bulls, buffalo, hyena, flamingo on Lake Magadi and — with luck — black rhino. Picnic lunch beside the hippo pool, then back up the rim in the afternoon.

    Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner · Overnight: Karatu or Mto wa Mbu — campsite or lodge

  3. 3

    Tarangire National Park → Arusha

    Drive to Tarangire for a full day among the baobabs and the park's famous elephant herds, with lion and leopard along the river. Late afternoon return to Arusha, arriving around 18:00, with a drop-off at your hotel or the airport.

    Meals: Breakfast, lunch

What's included

  • Private 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof and window seat guaranteed
  • Professional English-speaking driver-guide
  • All national park and conservation area fees
  • Accommodation as listed
  • All meals on safari as listed
  • Drinking water throughout the safari
  • Pick-up and drop-off in Arusha or at Kilimanjaro Airport
  • Government taxes and VAT
  • 10% of your payment donated to the Fruitful Orphanage

Not included

  • International flights and Tanzania visa
  • Travel and medical insurance (required)
  • Tips for your guide and camp staff
  • Alcoholic and soft drinks
  • Personal items, laundry and souvenirs
  • Optional activities: Serengeti balloon safari (approx. $600 pp), Maasai village visit (from $30 pp), canoeing

How payment works

No payment is taken online. We confirm availability and send a written quote in US dollars. A 30% deposit by bank transfer secures your dates, and the balance is payable on arrival in Arusha in cash USD or by transfer. Once your safari is paid, 10% of the total is transferred to the Fruitful Orphanage & Day Care Center and we send you confirmation.

Read the full payment & booking terms →
Hot air balloon drifting over the Serengeti plains at sunrise

Optional add-on · from $600 per person

Sunrise balloon flight over the Serengeti

Lift off before first light and drift an hour over the plains, low over rivers and herds, landing to a champagne bush breakfast laid out under an acacia. It is the one extra almost everybody who takes it says was worth the money.

  • Always optional. Nothing on this safari depends on it — you can decide before you travel or once you are in camp, subject to availability.
  • It does not change the programme. The flight and breakfast finish mid-morning and your guide collects you in the park, so the day's game drives and every other day run exactly as written.
  • It does not affect your group. Travelling companions who prefer to stay on the ground keep the vehicle and the guide, and simply meet you afterwards.
  • Reference price $600 per person (USD, paid direct to the balloon operator). Children have a minimum age and height; we confirm the exact rate with your quote.

Balloon flights only take off inside the Serengeti, so on this itinerary we add a Serengeti night for you — tell us in your enquiry and we will quote it.

Maasai men in red and pink shukas singing together under a blue sky

Optional add-on · from $30 per person

Maasai village visit

Spend a couple of hours in a Maasai boma between parks: the welcome dance, the inside of a hand-built home, the cattle and the medicinal plants, and a chance to ask the questions a guidebook never answers. The fee is paid to the community itself.

  • Always optional. Tell us before you travel or decide on the road — your guide arranges it with the village.
  • It does not change the programme. The visit slots into a transfer between parks, so every game drive runs exactly as written.
  • From $30 per person (USD, paid direct to the village). We confirm the exact rate with your quote.
  • Respectful by arrangement. Photographs are welcome once you have asked; your guide translates and explains the etiquette first.

Parks on this safari

Lake Manyara National ParkNgorongoro Conservation AreaTarangire National Park

Planning a 3-day trip?

Compare routes, prices and the best months for 3-day safaris from Arusha before you decide on this itinerary.

3-day Tanzania safari guide →

Other safaris

Read before you book

All Tanzania safari guides →

3-Day Northern Classic safari FAQ

How much does the 3-Day Northern Classic safari cost?
The 3-Day Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro & Tarangire Safari starts at $750 per person on our camping option and $950 per person staying in lodges. Prices are in US dollars and include park and conservation fees, a private 4x4 with a driver-guide, accommodation, meals and transfers from Arusha.
What is included in the 3-Day Northern Classic price?
Private 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof and window seat guaranteed; Professional English-speaking driver-guide; All national park and conservation area fees; Accommodation as listed; All meals on safari as listed; Drinking water throughout the safari. International flights, your Tanzania visa, travel insurance, drinks and tips are not included.
Which parks does the 3-Day Northern Classic safari visit?
Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire — over 3 days and 2 nights starting and ending in Arusha.
When is the best time to do the 3-Day Northern Classic safari?
June–October and January–March, but good year-round
How many people share the safari vehicle?
Private departure — usually 2 to 6 guests You always have a window seat in a private 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof.
Does the 3-day safari include the Serengeti?
No. The Serengeti needs at least two nights inside the park to be worth the drive, which is why it starts on our 5-day safari. The 3-day trip covers Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire instead.
How do I book and how does the 10% donation work?
Send an enquiry — no payment is taken online. We confirm availability and send a written quote in USD, a 30% deposit by bank transfer secures your dates and the balance is paid on arrival in Arusha. Once the safari is paid, 10% of the total goes to the Fruitful Orphanage & Day Care Center and we send you confirmation of the transfer.

Questions about dates, group size or combining this with volunteering? We answer within 24 hours from Arusha.

Enquire about this safari