3-Day Tanzania Wildlife Safari-Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater

Tour overview.

Our 3-day African safari, which includes Lake Manyara, Tarangire, and Ngorongoro Crater explicitly, has been designed to offer you a short but intense Tanzanian Northern Circuit safari experience for a shorter and time-constrained period of 3 days / 2 nights. You will experience the excitement of game viewing in three of Tanzania's most spectacular national game parks.

Tour Highlights – 3 Day Wildlife Safari

Destinations: Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire & Lake Manyara

• Ngorongoro Crater – Discover a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to Africa’s densest wildlife populations, including all Big Five. Descend into the crater floor for a truly unique safari experience.
• Tarangire National Park—Experience the beauty of ancient baobab trees and large herds of elephants. This hidden gem has rich biodiversity and fewer crowds.
• Lake Manyara National Park – Explore a compact park full of contrasts—lush groundwater forests, open savannah, and a soda lake famed for flamingos and elusive tree-climbing lions.
• Scenic Game Drives – Enjoy professionally guided safari drives in a 4x4 pop-up roof vehicle for panoramic wildlife viewing.
• Birdwatching Paradise—Over 400 bird species are found across the three parks, ideal for bird lovers and nature photographers.
• Cultural Encounters (Optional) – Visit a local Maasai village or the vibrant town of Mto wa Mbu for a quick taste of Tanzanian culture and traditions.
• Ideal Short Safari – Perfect for limited-time travellers who want to experience Tanzania’s top safari highlights.

Best Overall Time (June – October)

Season: Dry Season
Highlights:

• Excellent wildlife viewing — animals gather around water sources.
• Tarangire has large herds of elephants and predators around the river.
• Clear skies and comfortable daytime temperatures.
• Roads and game viewing conditions are ideal.

Note: This is also the peak tourist season, so parks are busier and prices are slightly higher.

Good Alternative (November – March)

Season: Green / Short Rain Season
Highlights:

• Parks are lush and scenic with fewer tourists.
• Ngorongoro offers superb year-round game viewing.
• Birdwatching is fantastic, especially around Lake Manyara.
• Calving season (late January – March) near Ndutu attracts predators.

Note: Occasional rain showers, but they rarely disrupt game drives.

A DETAILED ITINERARY FOR 3-DAY AT TANZANIA WILDLIFE SAFARI

Arrive in Tanzania
You will be picked up at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi/Arusha town. You will meet our guide there, who will brief you on your upcoming safari.

Day 1: Moshi / Arusha - Lake Manyara
-Non-game-viewing travel time: 2.5 hours.
-Distance: 130 km.
Meet our professional tour guide/driver in Arusha/Moshi town, who will provide a brief safari information briefing, after which we will travel to Lake Manyara National Park. We will arrive in time for lunch at the park. After lunch, we will explore Lake Manyara National Park. This impressive park is one of Tanzania's most renowned wildlife areas, featuring a vast but shallow soda lake at the foot of the Great Rift Valley western escarpment. The park's diverse habitats attract a wide range of animals, including one of Africa's largest concentrations of elephants, Manyara's famous tree-climbing lions, and large flocks of flamingos drawn by the algae in the lake—dinner and overnight will be arranged according to the standard and type of accommodation option requested.

Day 2 : Lake Manyara to Ngorongoro Crater
-Non-game-viewing travel time: 1.5 hours.
-Distance: 60km.
After breakfast, we descend 600 meters into this magnificent crater for a half-day game drive. The Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa's most densely populated wildlife areas, home to an estimated 30,000 animals, including some of Tanzania's last remaining black rhinos. With a year-round water supply and ample fodder, the Ngorongoro Crater supports a wide variety of wildlife, including herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippos, and giant African elephants. Another major attraction of this scenic national park is its dense population of predators, including lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the elusive leopard, which sometimes requires a trained eye to spot. We will enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater, after which we will travel to Tarangire National Park for dinner and overnight accommodations based on your requested option.

Day 3: Tarangire National Park - Moshi
-Non-game-viewing travel time: 3 hours.
- Distance: 210 km.
After breakfast, we head into Tarangire National Park for a morning game drive. The park follows the course of the Tarangire River and consists mainly of low-lying hills on the Great Rift Valley floor. Its natural vegetation primarily includes Acacia woodlands, giant African Baobab trees, and expansive swamp areas in the south. Both the river and the swamps attract wild animals during Tanzania's dry season. Tarangire National Park is famous for having some of the largest elephant herds in Africa. We have lunch at the picnic area, after which we will depart for Moshi town to conclude our African safari adventure.

Depart Tanzania
The day is free for you to wind down after the safari before your flight home. Depending on your flight times, you could explore Moshi town and pick up some souvenirs before heading to the airport.
*Mount Kilimanjaro trekking, Zanzibar, and other add-ons are available to continue exploring Tanzania.