Tanzania · Safari

4-Day Tanzania Wildlife Safari from Arusha with Ngorongoro Crater

4 Days Round trip from Kilimanjaro Airport Rd Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Visit the famous 2000 m deep Ngorongoro Crater
02 Spot Africa's Big Five: elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, and rhinoceros
03 Enjoy multiple game drives through Tanzania's wildlife reserves
04 See Tarangire's large baobab trees and elephant herds
05 Look for birdlife and tree-climbing lions at Lake Manyara National Park

Embark on an incredible wildlife safari through Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara National Park from Arusha. Enjoy multiple game drives across Tanzania's famous wilderness areas, from Tarangire's baobabs and elephant herds to the vast Ngorongoro Crater and the bird-rich shores of Lake Manyara. Along the way, look out for lions, hartebeests, buffalos, zebras, giraffes, elephants, reedbucks, and a wide variety of birdlife.

Embark on an incredible wildlife safari through Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyara National Park from Arusha.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 4 Days

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Included · Standard

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Arusha, Moshi, Mount Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara, Tarangire National Park

Languages English, Swahili

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Arrival in Arusha

Upon arrival at Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport, your Wide Range of African Safaris guide will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel in Arusha or Moshi, Tanzania. Settle into your accommodation, relax, and get used to the African atmosphere.

Day 02

Arusha to Tarangire National Park

Depart early in the morning from Arusha town. You will drive across the beautiful and scenic Masai steppe to Makuyuni Junction, then take a left along the Arusha to Dodoma Highway towards Tarangire National Park, a drive that will take about 2 hours at most.
Arrive at the park gate at Tarangire and begin the game drives almost straight away from the gate in a bid to see as many birds and animals as possible. Tarangire is known for two things: the large baobab trees and the largest herds of jumbos, but there is more to visiting the park than just that. The park hosts many migratory big and small animals, as well as abundant birdlife, including some very rare species almost indigenous only to this park, such as the Ashy Starling. Other rare animals include hartebeests, gazelles, elands, leopards, buffaloes, giraffes, lions, dik-diks, impalas, cheetahs, and others.
Your professional guide will take you to the best wildlife-spotting areas of the park, including the Tarangire River, which is a permanent water source. Later, continue to Manyara/Karatu in the Ngorongoro Highlands for dinner and overnight.

Day 03

Full-Day Ngorongoro Crater Safari

Early in the morning, we start the game drive before heading to Ngorongoro. Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a special place in that it is a conservation area, not a national park. This means that the whole area is managed for both the animals and the Masai local people. During the drive to Ngorongoro, we have the chance to glimpse something of the Masai way of life.
After stopping at the entrance gate, where there is a chance to learn more about this fascinating volcanic landscape, we will drive around the rim of the crater itself. From there, we can look down and see herds of buffaloes or wildebeest.
Finally, we descend into the crater, the floor of the largest unbroken caldera in the world, also called the Ngorongoro Crater. Home to over 120 species of animals, including the Big Five, Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most sought-after safari destinations in the world. It is a particularly good area to see the endangered black rhinoceros enjoying a lonely meal out on the grass plains, as well as a place to see larger numbers of hippopotamuses enjoying the cool water.
You will spend this whole day on the crater floor during game drives in search of animals that can be spotted at very close range.
From the comfort of your vehicle, you will spot plenty of wildlife. Picnic lunch will most likely be taken at the Hippo Pool picnic site, where you can also visit the washroom, then continue with game drives in the afternoon as you head out of the Ngorongoro Crater.
In the afternoon, drive up the crater rim and out of the park, and your guide will take you to Manyara/Karatu in the Ngorongoro Highlands for dinner and overnight.

Day 04

Lake Manyara Safari and Return to Arusha

On this day, we will drive to Lake Manyara National Park for a full day of game drives. This is one of Tanzania's smaller parks but still offers a rewarding and diverse safari experience. The lakeshore at Manyara teems with different species of birds. You might also spot one of the elusive tree-climbing lions. There are several other large animals here as well, along with the striking cliffs on the Rift escarpment.
Later, drive back to Arusha, which will be the end of the tour.

Where this trip takes you

Tarangire National Park, Tarangire River, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from Kilimanjaro Airport Rd 6 cities · 4 Days

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Park fees, government fees, and taxes inclusive of 18% VAT
Accommodation as stated in the itinerary
Transport in 4X4 Toyota Land Cruisers
English-speaking driver guide
Meals as stated in the itinerary
Bottled mineral water throughout the safari
One night of hotel accommodation in Moshi/Arusha

What's Not Included

Tips for the driver guide
Alcoholic beverages, sodas, and items of a personal nature
Laundry service
Pre- and post-safari accommodation in Moshi/Arusha
Flights
Travel insurance
Safari add-ons
Tanzania visa: $50 per person on arrival for USA and Canada passport holders

What to bring

Make sure you bring money for spending and shopping.

Know before you go

Ensure you have all necessary travel documents.
Arusha is a city in northern Tanzania and the capital of the region, with a population of 416,442, plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha District. Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, Arusha has a temperate climate. The region is close to Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Olduvai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, and Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.

Logistics