3 Days Safari

Overview

The perfect short safari for travellers with limited time. Combine Tarangire's huge elephant herds, Lake Manyara's tree-climbing lions and flamingos, and the Ngorongoro Crater for a chance at the Big Five in just three days.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Arr
   Arrival Day

   Arrival Day

   When you arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), a representative from Tanzania Travelers will meet you and transfer you to your hotel in Arusha. After your journey, you’ll have the rest of the day to relax and settle in. Your comfortable hotel offers everything you need for a pleasant stay, including well-appointed rooms, hot water, friendly service, Wi-Fi, and a swimming pool. This overnight stay in Arusha gives you time to rest and prepare for your safari adventure, which begins the following day. If you arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya, we can arrange a transfer to Arusha by shuttle bus.

   Note: Hotel check-in starts at 2:00 PM.

   Meals: Breakfast, DinnerArusha Planet Lodge
2. 1
   Day 1

   Arusha → Tarangire National Park

   Your guide meets you at your Arusha hotel at around 08:00 for a briefing on the vehicle, the route and the wildlife you can expect. It is roughly a two-and-a-half hour drive south-west past Maasai bomas and sunflower fields to Tarangire Gate. After park formalities you begin a game drive along the Tarangire River, the dry-season lifeline that draws some of the largest elephant herds in East Africa. Ancient baobabs, giraffe, zebra, waterbuck and resident lion prides are all regular sightings. A picnic lunch is taken at a viewpoint over the river before more afternoon game viewing, then you continue to camp for sundowners and dinner.

   Trip Essentials

   Accommodation

   Marera Valley Lodge

   Accommodation type

   Lodge

   Meal plan

   Picnic Lunch – Dinner in Lodge

   Mode of transport

   Private 4×4 SUV Vehicle

   Transfer duration

   Approximately 2.5 hours (Arusha → Tarangire)

   Game drive duration

   5 – 6 hours

   Activity

   Game Drive Safari (Tarangire National Park)

3. 2
   Day 2

   Tarangire → Lake Manyara → Ngorongoro Highlands

   After an early breakfast you drive to Lake Manyara National Park, a narrow strip of groundwater forest, acacia woodland and soda lake beneath the Rift Valley escarpment. The forest section is home to large troops of baboon and blue monkey, while the floodplain attracts buffalo, giraffe, hippo and — in the right season — thousands of flamingos. Manyara's famous tree-climbing lions are often found draped in the acacias. After lunch you climb the escarpment through Mto wa Mbu and Karatu's coffee farms to the Ngorongoro Crater rim, arriving in time for sunset over the caldera. Dinner and overnight at camp on the highlands.

   Trip Essentials

   Accommodation

   Marera Valley Lodge

   Accommodation type

   Lodge

   Meal plan

   Breakfast in Lodge – Picnic Lunch – Dinner in Lodge

   Mode of transport

   Private 4×4 SUV Vehicle

   Transfer duration

   Approximately 1.5 hours to Lake Manyara, then 2 hours to the Ngorongoro rim

   Game drive duration

   3 – 4 hours

   Activity

   Game Drive Safari (Lake Manyara National Park) and transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

4. 3
   Day 3

   Ngorongoro Crater → Arusha

   An early breakfast, then you descend the steep access road 600 m onto the crater floor just as the mist lifts. This 260 km² collapsed caldera holds around 25,000 large animals in a single, self-contained ecosystem — black rhino, big-maned lions, elephant bulls, hyena clans, buffalo and flamingos on Lake Magadi. You have a full morning of game viewing with a picnic lunch beside the hippo pool, then climb out of the crater and drive back to Arusha via Karatu, arriving late afternoon for a drop-off at your hotel or Kilimanjaro Airport.

   Trip Essentials

   Accommodation

   Arusha Planet Lodge

   Accommodation type

   Lodge / Hotel Accommodation

   Meal plan

   Breakfast in Lodge – Picnic Lunch

   Mode of transport

   Private 4×4 SUV Vehicle

   Transfer duration

   Approximately 4 hours (Ngorongoro → Arusha)

   Game drive duration

   7 – 8 hours

   Activity

   Game Drive Safari (Ngorongoro Crater)

5. Dep
   Departure Day

   Departure Day

   You will rest at the hotel and then head to the airport when it’s time for your flight. If you like, you can choose to take an extra trip to Zanzibar instead. This marks the end of your safari.

   Note: Standard hotel check-out time is 11:00 AM. If your flight is later in the day and you require a late check-out, you can extend your stay for an additional cost.

   Meals: Breakfast