3-Day Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro & Tarangire Safari

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 $690 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