4 Days - Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire
TRIP OVERVIEW
In this tour we will cover the 3 most popular destinations in Tanzania - Lake Manyara National Park (1 night), Ngorongoro Crater (1 night) and Tarangire National Park (1night). Tour starts and ends at Arusha. With our experienced driver guides, it will be a trip of a lifetime!
Short Itinerary
- Day 1 -Arusha to Lake Manyara. Game drives in Lake Manyara park
- Day 2 - Ngorongoro Crater Tour (5 hours) & transfer to Karatu/Tarangire
- Day 3 - Transfer to Tarangire for game drives
- Day 4 - Tarangire game drives and transfer to Arusha
Basic Camping Packages
Below are packages with basic camping for your private tour, starting on Jan 01, 2024, in a group of two adults. On basic camping tours, you sleep in small dome tents that are pitched at campsites & bathrooms are shared. A cook travels with you & prepares meals.
Option C1: $1,145 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser
- Day 1 - 2 : Stay at Migombani Campsite, Mto Wa Mbu, Lake Manyara (Outside the Park)
- Day 3 - 4 : Stay at Tarangire Campsite (Inside park), Tarangire (Within the Park)
Ensuite Accommodation Packages
Below are packages with a few popular ensuite options for your private tour, starting on Nov 13, 2023, in a group of two adults. Ensuite hotels are tented camps/lodges that can be inside/around national parks. You will have a private room with attached bathroom. Meals are provided by hotels.
Option E1 : $1,253 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser
- Day 1 - 3 : Stay at Omega View Hotel, Karatu
- Day 4 : Stay at Sangaiwe Tented Lodge, Tarangire (Outside the Park)
Option E2 : $1,449 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser
- Day 1 - 3 : Stay at Migombani Cottage, Lake Manyara (Outside the Park)
- Day 4 : Stay at Sangaiwe Tented Lodge, Tarangire (Outside the Park)
Option E3 : $1,545 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser
- Day 1 - 3 : Stay at Manyara Best View Lodge - Silver Room, Lake Manyara (Outside the Park)
- Day 4 : Stay at Manyara Best View Lodge - Silver Room, Lake Manyara (Outside the Park)
Option E4 : $2,409 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser
- Day 1 - 3 : Stay at Manyara Best View Lodge - Platinum Room, Lake Manyara (Outside the Park)
- Day 4 : Stay at Topguide Bush Camp Lolkisale, Tarangire (Within the Park)
Option E5 : $3,229 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser
- Day 1 - 3 : Stay at Lake Manyara KIlimamoja Lodge, Lake Manyara (Outside the Park)
- Day 4 : Stay at Lemala Mpingo Ridge, Tarangire (Within the Park)
Option E6 : $3,229 per adult for safari with Land Cruiser
- Day 1 - 3 : Stay at The Manor at Ngorongoro, Karatu
- Day 4 : Stay at Sanctuary Swala Camp, Tarangire (Within the Park)
TRIP ITINERARY
Day
1
Transfer from Arusha to Tarangire. Game drives in Tarangire
We start at around 7:00 AM from Arusha and drive to Tarangire National park with packed lunch boxes. Tarangire gate will be about 2.5 hours drive away. Once we reach the park, we start game drives here. Tarangire National park is known for its majestic baobab trees that dot the landscape, dwarfing the animals that feed beneath them. The Tarangire River is the centerpiece of this park which is famous for some of the largest herds of elephants in Africa. Here you may see lion, leopard, cheetah, lesser kudu, buffalo, Oryx, eland, giraffe and zebra. We will have a lunch break at a picnic scenic picnic spot. Post lunch, we will continue with game drives till around 5:00 PM or so. Post the game drive, you will head back to your camp/lodge where a delicious dinner awaits you.
Day
2
Ngorongoro crater tour (5 hours)
On the second day of your safari, you will have an early start. Finishing up with a quick breakfast you will make an early descent at around 6:30 AM into the crater floor. The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. It has a massive floor of about 260 sq kms with a depth of over 2000 feet. The 5-hour game drive on the crater floor will show you a lot of animal action. Keeping the camera ready is definitely recommended. The African elephant, buffalo, Black rhino, Hippos, Hyenas, Cheetahs and Lions are found in plenty. Post the picnic lunch at the beautiful Hippo pool, you will begin a steep ascend to the top exit of the crater. Post the game drive, you will head back to your lodge to reach before 6:00 PM where a delicious dinner awaits you.
Optional add-on tours this day: Canoeing at Lake Manyara for about 2.5 hours ($74 per person ), Night game drives ($114 per person).
Day
3
Transfer to Lake Manyara National park for game deives in the morning and afternoon transfer to Arusha
After an early breakfast, finish your breakfast and get ready by around 8:30 AM. Depart to Lake Manyara National Park with a picnic lunch for a full day game drive. As you enter the national park, lush forests of Acacia and Mahogany trees begin to set the mood for what is waiting ahead. The game drive will go on till afternoon with a small break for picnic lunch. During the game drive watch out for buffaloes, giraffes, impalas, baboons and the blue monkeys. Another spectacle of Lake Manyara National park is the tree climbing lions, however spotting them is a game of luck. In the right season, you can see the shoreline turning pink with millions of flamingos flocking there.With a 3 hr drive left to your accommodation in Arusha, the day will come to a close. Freshly made delicious dinner will be ready for you at your accommodation. All these days of the safari, will have you quite tired and a good rest is essential. You will also bid farewell to your safari guide and vehicle today as last leg of your tour will be done with a different vehicle (toyota alphard or similar) and driver. The eventful day comes to an end with a heavy dinner and a good night’s rest in your accommodation.
Day
4
Visit to Materuni falls, chagga tribe and coffee plantation tour and drop at Arusha or Kili airport
After breakfast, around 8:00 AM we start the 2 hour drive to Materuni which is located under the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Upon arrival, you will do a 35 minutes hike to the waterfalls. If weather is clear, we might get decent views of Mt Kilimanjaro this day. Make sure to wear good boots as the trail can be often muddy. The pool at the bottom of the waterfall is a good place for a refreshing swim after the hike. 25-minute hike back from the waterfalls afterward you will join a local tribe with whom you will a enjoy delicious Swahili/Chagga lunch. After lunch, you will explore the coffee-making process and get to processes your own cup of coffee. Later you will be driven either back to the hotel in Arusha or to the airport. With an incredible experience and loads of memories to cherish, our tour comes to an end. Hotel in Arusha can be arranged at extra cost.
Stay Locations
- Day 1 - Karatu or Tarangire (Within the Park) or Tarangire (Outside the Park)
- Day 2 - LKaratu or Lake Manyara (Outside the Park) or Lake Manyara (Within the Park)
- Day 3 - Arusha
Pre & Post Tour Hotels
Arusha is the base for safari tours in North Tanzania. If you need accommodation in Arusha before/after your safari tour you can check some popular hotel prices on bed and breakfast basis below.
Single Room
- - Crest Safari Lodge - USD 47
- - Kutoka Lodge - USD 64
- - Karama lodge - USD 113
- - The African Tulip - USD 149
- - Four Points by Sheraton, Arusha - Traditional queen room - USD 205
- - Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge - Plantation room - USD 375
Double Sharing room
- - Crest Safari Lodge - USD 29
- - Kutoka Lodge - USD 49
- - Karama lodge - USD 76
- - The African Tulip - USD 112
- - Four Points by Sheraton, Arusha - Traditional queen room - USD 120
- - Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge - Plantation room - USD 240
Triple Sharing Room
- - Crest Safari Lodge - USD 29
- - Kutoka Lodge - USD 40
- - Karama lodge - USD 73
- - The African Tulip - USD 93
- - Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge - Plantation room - USD 180
Add-on tours in Serengeti
- Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 540 per person
- Rhino Tracking: USD 110 per person
- Short Walking Tour (upto 4 hours): USD 45 per person
- Long Walking Tour (upto 6 hours): USD 60 per person
Add-on tours in Ndutu
- Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 540 per person
- Short Walking Tour (upto 4 hours): USD 45 per person
- Long Walking Tour (upto 6 hours): USD 60 per person
Add-on tours in Ngorongoro
- Masai Village Tour: USD 25 per person
- Olduvai Gorge museum visit: USD 35 per person
- Ngorongoro Crater Rim Hike: USD 35 per person
Add-on tours in Tarangire
- Hot Air Balloon Ride: USD 540 per person
- Short Walking Tour (upto 4 hours): USD 45 per person
- Long Walking Tour (upto 6 hours): USD 60 per person
- Night Game Drives (for clients staying inside): USD 100-200 per person depending on lodge
Add-on tours in Karatu
- Coffee Plantation Tour: USD 20 per person
- Iraq Village Tour: USD 25 per person
- Endoro Falls & Elephant Caves visit: USD 35 per person
Transfers
This tour starts from Arusha. Kilimanjaro airport is the nearest international airport and Arusha airport is the nearest domestic airport.
Airport Pickup/Drop
Pickup or drop off at Arusha airport on the day of safari: No extra charge Pickup or drop off at Kilimanjaro airport on the day of safari: USD 30 per vehicle
Airport to Hotel transfers
Transfer from Arusha airport to Arusha hotel or vice versa: USD 25 per vehicle Transfer from Kilimanjaro airport to Arusha hotel or vice versa: USD 50 per vehicle
InterCity transfers
Transfer from Moshi to Arusha or vice versa: USD 100 per vehicle Transfer from Nairobi to Arusha or vice versa: USD 275 per vehicle
Flights
We do not book International Flights.
We can book local flights based on availability. Below are indicative additional costs for local flights.
Intercity Flights
- From Zanzibar to Arusha: From USD 100 per person (Morning flight)
- From Dar es salaam to Arusha: From USD 90 per person (Morning flight)
- From Arusha to Zanzibar: From USD 170 per person (Late Afternoon flight)
- From Arusha to Dar es salaam: From USD 110 per person (Late Afternoon flight)
This tour starts & ends at Arusha with road transfers between all locations. Central Serengeti is the farthest location you will be visiting in this tour and it is 7 hours from Arusha, each way. You can check about driving and flying to Serengeti here. To save drive time, you can directly fly into Central Serengeti where your safari vehicle with guide will be waiting to directly start the safari and cover other parks over the next few days making your way to Arusha by road on the last day. We will reroute the itinerary such that you cover all the parks included in the original itinerary with the same choice of accommodations & same number of nights as included in the original itinerary. This is called a Fly-in Safari
We can also reroute the itinerary such that you start with driving from Arusha on day 1 and cover other parks before you drive to Serengeti. We end the safari tour at Central Serengeti on the last day from where you can fly out to Ausha (or other cities). We will reroute the itinerary such that you cover all the parks included in the original itinerary with the same choice of accommodations & same number of nights as included in the original itinerary. This is called a Fly-out Safari.
Fly into Serengeti
- From Arusha to Central Serengeti: From USD 310 per person
- From Zanzibar to Central Serengeti: From USD 370 per person
- From Dar es Salaam to Central Serengeti: From USD 370 per person
Fly out of Serengeti
- From Central Serengeti to Arusha: From USD 200 per person
- From Central Serengeti to Zanzibar: From USD 420 per person
- From Central Serengeti to Dar es salaam: From USD 420 per person
Note 1: Rates mentioned above are indicative and subject to change based on airlines and party(group) size
Note 2: In the Fly into Serengeti rates mentioned above, in addition to airfare, above rates also include cost to send the safari landcruiser with guide a day in advance to Serengeti, in time for your arrival & additional park fees that results due to rerouting of itinerary.
Note 3: Flights into Serengeti land at around 10:30 AM and game drives can start soon after landing while flights out of Serengeti depart around 11:00 AM and game drives can be done till about 45 min before flight departure.
Meals
- Day 1 - Lunch & Dinner
- Day 2 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Day 3 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Day 4 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Day 5 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Day 6 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Day 7 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Day 8 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Day 8 - Breakfast & Lunch
Drive Times
- Day 1 -Arusha to Tarangire takes about 2.5 to 3 hours (106 km)
- Day 2 -Tarangire to NCA takes about 1.5 to 2 hours (108 km)
- Day 3 -NCA to Lake Manyara takes about 2 to 2.5 hours (80 km)
- Day 3 - Lake Manyara to Arusha takes about 2.5 to 3 hours (114 km)
- Day 4 - Arusha to Materuni Falls takes about 2 hours (97 km)
Note: These are estimated drive times. Because of the traffic, location of the accommodations, and several other factors, actual drive times may vary. Driving distances are approximate and do not account for exact places.
Inclusions
- Park Fees (for Non-Residents).
- Concession/ Camping Fees.
- Daily game drives while on Safari.
- A professional driver/guide.
- 4x4 Land Cruiser or Safari Van.
- All Taxes and VAT.
- Meals as per itinerary.
- Drinking water while on safari (2 litres per person per day).
Exclusions
- International flights.
- Optional activites in Lake Natron.
- Airport Transfers (Unless mentioned otherwise).
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour (Unless mentioned otherwise).
- Personal Items (Souvenirs, Travel Insurance, Visa Fees, etc.).
- Tips
- Government imposed increase of Taxes and or Park Fees.
- Any activities not mentioned in the itinerary.