6-Day Tanzania Budget Camping Safari TourArusha, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Arusha, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro
• 02 Lake Manyara: Groundwater forest, hippo pool, alkaline lake, flamingos
• 03 Ngorongoro: Crater rim viewpoint, Lerai Forest, Ngoitokitok Spring (hippo pool), Lake Magadi
• 04 Culture: Mto wa Mbu village, Maasai village, Olduvai Gorge, Karatu coffee farms
• 05 Arusha: Mount Meru views, cultural market

A 6-day, 5-night budget safari from Arusha to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. You sleep in tents at campsites, except the first night in a budget hotel in Arusha. A cook prepares your meals. It is a good choice for travellers who want a real safari at a lower price.

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 6 Days

Tour type Shared

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Included · Budget

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Arusha, Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Arrival in Arusha

• Arrival: You arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport, and your driver meets you.
• Drive: You drive about 1 hour to your budget hotel in Arusha.
• Briefing: Your guide gives you a tour briefing and checks your camping gear.
• Evening: You rest for the evening.
• Meals: Dinner
• Overnight: Overnight in Arusha

2

Day 02

Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park

• Meals: After breakfast
• Drive: You drive about 2 hours to Lake Manyara National Park.
• Game drive: You spend the afternoon on game drive, looking for elephants, giraffes, hippos, buffalo, baboons, flamingos and many birds.
• Sights: You see the groundwater forest and the alkaline lake.
• Meals: You have a picnic lunch.
• Camp: In the late afternoon, you drive to Mto wa Mbu village and set up camp.
• Meals: Dinner
• Overnight: Overnight in your tent

3

Day 03

Mto wa Mbu to Ngorongoro Crater Rim

• Meals: After breakfast
• Activity: You take a short cultural walk in Mto wa Mbu village.
• Sights: You see banana farms, a local market and local crafts.
• Drive: Then you drive up the Rift Valley wall to the Ngorongoro highlands.
• Arrival: You reach the crater rim in the afternoon and enjoy the views.
• Note: It is cold here, so wear warm clothes.
• Meals: Dinner
• Overnight: Overnight in your tent at the rim campsite

4

Day 04

Ngorongoro Crater

• Meals: After an early breakfast
• Drive: You drive down into the crater (about 600 m deep) for a half-day game drive.
• Wildlife: You can see lions, rhinos, hippos, hyenas, flamingos and large herds of wildebeest and zebra.
• Meals: You have a picnic lunch at the hippo pool.
• Drive: In the afternoon, you climb out of the crater and drive to Karatu.
• Camp: You set up camp.
• Meals: Dinner
• Overnight: Overnight in your tent

5

Day 05

Olduvai Gorge, Maasai Village and Karatu

• Meals: After breakfast
• Visit: You visit Olduvai Gorge, known as the "Cradle of Mankind".
• Sights: You see the museum and learn about early human history.
• Visit: Then you visit a Maasai village to learn about their daily life and traditions.
• Optional: In the afternoon, you can visit a coffee farm in Karatu or rest at camp.
• Meals: Dinner
• Overnight: Overnight in your tent

6

Day 06

Karatu to Arusha

• Meals: After breakfast
• Camp: You pack up camp and drive back to Arusha.
• Drive: The drive takes 3 to 4 hours, with an optional photo stop.
• Drop-off: You are dropped off in Arusha around midday or early afternoon, and the tour ends.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• Airport pick-up and drop-off
• Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
• English-speaking driver-guide
• Camp cook
• Park entrance fees (Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro)
• Crater service fee and vehicle fees
• Camping fees and 1 night in a budget hotel
• Tent, sleeping mat, table and chairs
• Meals as listed
• Drinking water during the safari
• Government taxes and VAT

What's Not Included

• International flights
• Tanzania visa
• Travel and medical insurance
• Sleeping bag hire (about US $10 to $15 per tour, if you do not bring your own)
• Drinks (soft and alcoholic)
• Tips for driver and cook
• Entrance fees for Olduvai Gorge, Maasai village and coffee farm
• Personal items (laundry, phone, souvenirs)
• Optional activities not listed

What to bring

• Documents and money: Passport and Tanzania visa, insurance papers, flight tickets, small US dollar notes for tips
• Camping gear: Warm sleeping bag (nights at the crater rim are very cold), small travel pillow, headlamp or torch, small towel
• Clothes: Light long-sleeve shirts and trousers in neutral colours (khaki, green, brown), warm jacket, fleece, hat and gloves for the crater rim, light rain jacket, closed shoes, sun hat, sunglasses
• Safari gear: Binoculars, camera or phone, power bank, sunscreen, insect repellent, reusable water bottle, small day bag
• Health: Personal medicine, anti-malaria tablets (ask your doctor), motion sickness tablets, hand sanitiser, wet wipes, toilet paper

Know before you go

• Accommodation (examples, please confirm): Night 1 Arusha Backpackers Hotel (Arusha) 2-star; Night 2 Twiga Campsite (Mto wa Mbu (Lake Manyara)) Camping; Night 3 Simba Campsite (Ngorongoro Crater Rim) Camping; Nights 4, 5 Karatu campsite (Karatu) Camping.
• Note: Campsites have no star rating. Final places depend on availability.
• Note: It is cold here, so wear warm clothes.
• Tips: Use soft bags, not hard suitcases.
• Tips: Bring a universal plug adaptor.
• Tips: Plastic bags are not allowed in Tanzania.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Kilimanjaro Airport

Tour start

Arusha (Kilimanjaro Airport)

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.