Tarangire, Ngorongoro & Lake Manyara
Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater & Lake Manyara
4 Days — Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater & Lake Manyara
overview
The classic short circuit: elephants and baobabs in Tarangire, a full morning on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater with a genuine shot at the big five, and the tree-climbing lions and birdlife of Lake Manyara on the way home.
Highlights
- Descent onto the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater
- Big five opportunity, flamingos and the hippo pool
- Picnic lunch on the crater floor
- Tarangire's elephant herds and lion prides
- Lake Manyara's tree-climbing lions and hippos
- Two nights in the cool Karatu highlands
Day-by-day
Day 1
Arrival & Arusha
JRO → Arusha
Pick-up at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to Arusha, where your driver-guide talks you through the itinerary over dinner. Rest up — the early starts begin tomorrow.
Overnight: Gold Crest Hotel
Day 2
Tarangire National Park → Karatu
Arusha → Tarangire → Karatu
A long game drive through Tarangire from morning into the afternoon — elephants in numbers, lion prides resting in the shade, and the vast baobabs the park is known for. Late in the day we climb into the green farmland of the Karatu highlands below the crater rim.
Overnight: Marera Valley
Day 3
Ngorongoro Crater
Karatu → crater floor → Karatu
An early descent into the crater, while the light is still low and the animals are moving. Two thousand square kilometres of wildlife in one caldera: black rhino, lion, elephant, flamingos on Lake Magadi and the hippo pool. We stop for a picnic lunch on the crater floor, then climb back out to the highlands.
Overnight: Marera Valley
Day 4
Lake Manyara & departure
Lake Manyara → Arusha / JRO
A morning game drive in Lake Manyara — the groundwater forest, hippo pools, enormous flocks of pelicans and flamingos, and the park's famous tree-climbing lions. Afterwards we drive back to Arusha or the airport.
Travel times are approximate and lodges are subject to availability. Where a listed lodge is full we substitute a property of the same standard and tell you before you confirm.
Where you'll stay
Night 1 — Arusha
Gold Crest Hotel
Comfortable city hotel in central Arusha for your arrival night.
Nights 2-3 — Karatu
Marera Valley
Highland lodge in the farmland below the Ngorongoro crater rim.
Photographs show the style and standard of each property. The exact lodge depends on availability on your dates.
Glimpses
What's included
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- English-speaking driver-guide
- All park and conservation fees
- Accommodation as listed in the itinerary
- Packed lunches on game-drive days
- Bottled water throughout the safari
Not included
- International flights
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Personal items
- Optional activities (balloon safari, walking safari, cultural visits)