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3 Days – Tarangire NP, Manyara NP and Crater from Zanzibar
3 Days / 2 Nights Days
Zanzibar, Tanzania (early morning flight to Arusha) → Zanzibar, Tanzania (flight from Arusha on Day 3)
Why Choose This Safari?
If you’re based on Zanzibar or enjoying a beach holiday there, this 3-day, 2-night safari is a compact way to see a traditional wildlife safari on Tanzania’s Northern Circuit, with only two nights away from the island. You fly early to Arusha on Day 1 and head straight to Tarangire National Park for a day of game viewing, then visit Lake Manyara National Park on Day 2. On Day 3 you descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before driving back to Arusha for the flight to Zanzibar. It’s a good choice for travellers who want elephants, baobabs, rift valley scenery and a crater floor full of wildlife in a short trip, and the same safari can start and end in Dar es Salaam or Arusha.
Safari Highlights
- Mid-Range Accommodation Safari
- US$ 1,985 per person sharing
- Minimum 2 Pax
Destinations to Travel
Zanzibar · Arusha · Tarangire National Park · Karatu · Lake Manyara National Park · Ngorongoro Crater
Itinerary
Day 1 — Zanzibar to Arusha to Tarangire National Park
Depending on the flight, you depart early in the morning from Zanzibar to Arusha, where you’re met and greeted on arrival and driven to Tarangire National Park with your packed lunch for a game drive. At 13:00 you take lunch at the park’s picnic area, and in the evening you drive to Karatu for dinner and an overnight stay. Tarangire is known for its large elephant herds and ancient baobab trees, and the Tarangire River is the main source of fresh water for wildlife in the dry season.
Day 2 — Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast at 08:30 you leave your lodge or hotel with your packed lunch and drive to Lake Manyara National Park for game viewing. The park combines a lake, groundwater forest and a rift escarpment, with hippos, baboons and more than 390 bird species recorded, and flamingos feeding along the lake edge in the wet season. At 13:00 you take lunch at the park’s picnic area, and in the late afternoon you drive to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 3 — Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha to Zanzibar
After breakfast you drive to the Ngorongoro Crater and descend to the crater floor with your lunch box for game viewing. The crater is rich in wildlife, with animals tending to keep to their own parts of it. Your packed lunch is served on the crater floor at the picnic site near the Lerai forest or the hippo pool. In the late afternoon you climb out of the crater and drive back to Arusha, where you’re dropped at the airport to connect with your flight to Zanzibar and your onward arrangements.
What's Included
Rate Includes
- Return flight Zanzibar/Serengeti/Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam
- Transport on 4WD vehicle with the pop-up roof, which enable you to spot wildlife easier
- Three meals a day on Safari
- Park entrance fees
- Driver’s allowances
- Service of an English speaking professional guide/Driver
- Hostel Fee
- Lodge fee
- Airport transfers in Arusha
- Crater fees
- Mineral water 1.5lt per person per day
- Activities as per itinerary above
Rate Excludes
- International flights to/from your home
- Tips & gratitude’s
- The first night on your arrival and last night after safari (book with us)
- Airport transfers in Zanzibar
- Personal insurance
- Olduvai Gorge fees
- Alcoholic drinks
- Flying doctor’s insurance, we can arrange for requests.
- Tips to the driver/guide and all items of personal nature/use.
- Easter, Christmas & New Year’s supplements may apply
Best Time to Go
No travel window was given for this itinerary, so the advice below comes from the route and general seasonality. The dry months, roughly June to October, are usually the easiest for game viewing, and from June to November large herds of zebra, wildebeest and buffalo gather in Tarangire National Park. Flamingos at Lake Manyara are most plentiful in the wet season, and the Ngorongoro Crater can be visited all year because its animals stay on the crater floor. The green months bring lush landscapes, young animals and fewer visitors, though roads can be muddier. For the best overall balance of game viewing and travel comfort, aim for June to October. You can find more on the Tanzania National Parks Authority and Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority sites.
Pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this safari start and end, and how long does it take?
It starts in Zanzibar with an early morning flight to Arusha and ends with a flight from Arusha back to Zanzibar on the evening of Day 3. It runs for 3 days and 2 nights, so it fits easily into a beach holiday.
Can the safari start or end in Dar es Salaam or Arusha instead?
Yes. The same safari can be arranged to start and end in Dar es Salaam, to start in Zanzibar and end in Dar es Salaam or Arusha, or to start in Dar es Salaam and end in Zanzibar or Arusha. Tell our team where you want to begin and end and we’ll plan it around your dates.
Can we see the Big Five on this safari?
This safari visits Tarangire, Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater, where you may see elephants, lions and buffalo. Leopards are hard to spot and the black rhino population is small, so the full Big Five can’t be guaranteed on any safari.
How long is Day 3, and will I make my flight?
Day 3 is a long day, with a crater game drive, a late-afternoon climb out and a drive back to Arusha before the flight to Zanzibar. Our team will confirm the flight time and plan the day around it when your booking is confirmed.
What will we see in the Ngorongoro Crater?
On Day 3 you descend to the crater floor for a full game drive and picnic lunch near the Lerai forest or the hippo pool. The crater is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with cliffs about 600 m high, and its wildlife includes lions, elephants, zebras, wildebeest and hippos. Sightings can’t be guaranteed on any given day.
What kind of accommodation is used on this safari?
You spend two nights at a lodge or hotel in Karatu, with dinner included on both nights. Our team will confirm the name when your booking is confirmed.