6-Day Tanzania Safari: Four Parks
Arusha Tarangire Serengeti Ngorongoro Lake Manyara Arusha
From, per person$1,578
Tanzania safari
3-Day Tarangire, Crater & Manyara Safari from Zanzibar
Overview
Three national parks sit within a short drive of one another on the mainland, and this trip gives each of them a full day. Elephants and baobabs in Tarangire, the wildlife-packed floor of the Ngorongoro Crater, and the forest and lakeshore of Lake Manyara make a varied set, and none of them needs the long road journey that a Serengeti visit involves.
You leave your Zanzibar hotel in the morning, take the short flight to Arusha and are on a game drive by early afternoon. Both nights are spent at the same comfortable mid-range lodge in the Karatu highlands, so there is no repacking halfway through. On the last afternoon your guide drives you back to Arusha for the flight to the island.
Tanzania Tourism Safaris arranges the trip privately for your own group, in a 4×4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof. It suits travelers who want a real taste of safari without giving up more than two nights of a beach holiday, and who would rather spend their hours watching animals than sitting in the vehicle between parks.
Tour highlights
- Three parks, each with its own full day
- Return Zanzibar–Arusha flights included
- Two nights at one mid-range lodge near Karatu
- Full day on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
- Lake Manyara’s groundwater forest and hippo pool
- Hotel pickup on Zanzibar on the first morning
Day by day
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Day 1 Island Flight to Arusha, Afternoon in Tarangire Stay Mid-range lodge near KaratuMeals Lunch, Dinner
A driver collects you from your Zanzibar hotel in the morning for the short flight to Arusha, where your safari guide is waiting. The drive to Tarangire National Park takes about two hours. Lunch is a picnic inside the park, then the afternoon is yours for a slow game drive among the baobabs and along the Tarangire River, where elephant herds are often large. Giraffe, zebra, lion and many birds share the same ground. Late in the day, continue up to your lodge in the Karatu highlands.
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Day 2 A Whole Day Inside the Ngorongoro Crater Stay Mid-range lodge near KaratuMeals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, drive up to the crater rim, which takes about 30 to 45 minutes from Karatu, then descend to the floor. With a picnic lunch on board, you can stay down among the animals for most of the day. Buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, hyena and hippo are common, lions are seen often, and the crater is one of the best places in Tanzania to find black rhino. Climb back out in the late afternoon and return to the same lodge for dinner.
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Day 3 Lake Manyara Game Drive, Evening Flight to Zanzibar Meals Breakfast, Lunch
Leave the lodge after breakfast for the short drive down the Rift Valley escarpment to Lake Manyara National Park. The road in passes through tall groundwater forest where baboons and blue monkeys are common, before opening onto grassland and the lakeshore. Look for elephants, giraffe, buffalo and hippo, and for flamingos when water levels suit them. The park is also known for lions that sometimes rest in trees. After a picnic lunch, drive to Arusha in the afternoon for the flight back to Zanzibar.
Prices by season
Per person in US dollars. The price depends on when you travel and how many travelers share the trip.
| Season | 1 traveler | 2 travelers | 4 travelers | 6 travelers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low season 1 Mar – 31 May | $1,832 | $1,221 | $1,072 | $1,022 |
| High season 1 Nov – 20 Dec and 6 Jan – 29 Feb | $1,929 | $1,286 | $1,128 | $1,076 |
| Peak season Now 1 Jun – 31 Oct and 21 Dec – 5 Jan | $2,143 | $1,429 | $1,254 | $1,195 |
Tour price includes
- Return domestic flights between Zanzibar and Arusha
- Private 4×4 safari vehicle (up to 7 travelers) and all ground transport
- Experienced professional safari guide
- Park entry and service fees for Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara
- Two nights at a mid-range lodge near Karatu
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Government VAT (18%)
- First-aid kit in the vehicle
Tour price excludes
- International flights
- Tanzania visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Souvenirs and other personal spending
Questions about this safari
Why choose this trip over one that includes the Serengeti?
The Serengeti is a long drive from Arusha, so on a three-day trip it eats into your viewing time. These three parks are close together, which means more hours watching wildlife and less time on the road. If seeing the Serengeti matters most to you, ask about our other short safaris from Zanzibar.
Do I change hotels during the safari?
No. Both nights are at the same mid-range lodge in the Karatu highlands, between the crater and Lake Manyara. You unpack once, and the drives to the crater rim and to Lake Manyara are both short from there.
What time will I be back on Zanzibar?
The game drive in Lake Manyara runs until mid-afternoon, then your guide drives you to Arusha for the evening flight, so expect to land on Zanzibar in the evening. Exact times depend on the flight schedule on your date; we confirm them when you book.
Before you go
Where you will go
Parks on this safari
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