Tanzania Rewilded

Guests on a game drive, one pointing out wildlife from an open safari vehicle
 
 
 Private luxury safari · 4 days
Arusha
 
Tarangire
 
Ngorongoro Crater
 
Lake Manyara
Elephants, crater &

Lake Manyara

A 4-day luxury Tanzania safari on the classic northern route. A hotel below Mount Meru, two nights in the green crater highlands, and three parks that each feel different: baobab bush, a volcanic crater and a forest on the shore of a Rift Valley lake.

4days
3 nights
3
Parks
$1,125
From, per person
Plan this safari
Day by day ↓
Download PDF ↓
 ArushaDay 1
 TarangireDay 2
 KaratuDays 2–3
 NgorongoroDay 3
 ManyaraDay 4
Safari permit
TR · AD04L
Quick Wilderness Luxury
 
Duration
4 days · 3 nights
Daily departures, your dates
Start / finish
Kilimanjaro Airport
Ends in Arusha on Day 4
Best months
June – October
Dry, clear and easy game viewing
Travel style
Private · Luxury
Meru hotel & crater-highland lodge
Group
1 – 6 guests
Your own 4×4 & guide, never shared
Pace
Relaxed · All ages
No drive longer than ≈ 3 hrs

Why this4-Day Luxury Tanzania Safari Works

The three parks on this trip are close together, so four days feels unhurried. You never drive more than about three hours, and Karatu is home for two nights, halfway between the crater and Lake Manyara.

Each park shows you something different. Tarangire is dry bush and baobabs with some of the biggest elephant herds in the north. The Ngorongoro Crater is open grassland full of lions, buffalo and zebra. Manyara is forest and lakeshore, with baboons on the road and flamingos on the water in some months. Together they give you a real feel for the region in a short trip.

The route

Five Stops, Four Days

About 500 km on good roads, all with your own guide. Tap a stop to see where it sits on the map.

  1. 01

    Arusha

    Hotel on the slopes of Mount Meru

    1 night
  2. 02

    Tarangire National Park

    Elephants, baobabs and the Tarangire River

    Day visit
  3. 03

    Karatu

    Two nights in the crater highlands

    2 nights
  4. 04

    Ngorongoro Crater

    Game drive on the floor of the caldera

    Day visit
  5. 05

    Lake Manyara National Park

    Groundwater forest and lakeshore on the way home

    Day visit
Road ≈ 500 kmParks 3Ends Arusha
Day by day

The Journey

✦

This is how the trip usually runs. Your guide will adjust each day around the weather, the wildlife and what you most want to see.

Karibu
Day01
Arusha

Below Mount Meru

Your driver-guide is waiting at Kilimanjaro International Airport with your name on a board. On the hour’s drive west to Arusha you get a short briefing on the days ahead, and on a clear day a view of Mount Meru in front of you.

You stay at Gran Meliá Arusha, on the lower slopes of the mountain, or at the smaller Katambuga House. The afternoon is free to rest by the pool.

Good to know

Meals and drinks today are at your own cost, so you can eat whenever your flight allows. Both hotels have their own restaurant.

  • Transfer≈ 1 hr by road
  • OvernightGran Meliá Arusha or Katambuga House
  • Meals
    BreakfastLunchDinner
A boy in a safari jeep looking through binoculars, seen on a 4-day luxury tanzania safari
Binoculars out on the first game drive
Day02
Tarangire National Park → Karatu

The River Elephants

After breakfast it is about three hours to Tarangire National Park. The park is at its best in the dry season, when elephants, buffalo, zebras and wildebeest come to drink at the Tarangire River. In the green months they spread out, and the Silale swamp in the south becomes the place to look.

Keep an eye on the birds too; Tarangire has more than 500 species, from ostriches to yellow-collared lovebirds. You have a picnic lunch in the park, then drive two hours to Karatu in the late afternoon.

  • Drive≈ 3 hrs to park · 2 hrs to Karatu
  • OvernightThe Retreat at Ngorongoro or Kitela Lodge
  • Meals
    BreakfastLunchDinner
A pride of lions resting in the grass
Lions resting through the midday heat
Day03
Ngorongoro Crater → Karatu

Inside the Caldera

You leave Karatu after breakfast and reach the crater gate in about half an hour. The road climbs through forest to the rim, then drops 600 metres to the crater floor.

Down here you drive between open grassland, the Lerai fever-tree forest and the edge of Lake Magadi. Lions often rest in the open, old elephant bulls feed in the forest, and your guide will scan the grass for black rhino. Lunch is a picnic by the hippo pool. In the afternoon you climb out and return to your lodge in Karatu.

Field note

There are no giraffes in the crater. The walls are too steep for them, which is why you saw so many in Tarangire and will see none today.

  • Drive≈ 30 min to the crater gate
  • ActivityCrater game drive, about 6 hrs
  • OvernightThe Retreat at Ngorongoro or Kitela Lodge
  • Meals
    BreakfastLunchDinner
Rift Valley wall
Day04
Lake Manyara National Park → Arusha

Under the Escarpment

From Karatu it is 30 minutes to Lake Manyara National Park, which lies along the foot of the Rift Valley wall. The first part of the park is forest fed by underground springs, busy with baboons and blue monkeys. Further on, the trees open onto grassland and the lake.

Look for elephants in the forest, hippos in the pool near the shore and, with luck, lions resting in the branches of an acacia. After lunch in the park you drive about three hours back to Arusha, where the tour ends.

Where you sleep

Two Lodges, Three Nights

A polished hotel for your arrival night, then two nights in the crater highlands, close to the gate for the crater day.

The Retreat at Ngorongoro
The Retreat at Ngorongoro

Karatu · Crater highlands · 2 nights on this trip.

1night

Gran Meliá Arusha

Arusha · Foot of Mount Meru

A large, polished hotel set among coffee fields on the lower slopes of Mount Meru. It has a spa, a pool and several restaurants. Or Katambuga House, same standard.

PoolSpaMeru views
2nights

The Retreat at Ngorongoro

Karatu · Crater highlands

A luxury lodge near the crater gate with large suites, highland views and a spa. It is placed for an early start into the crater. Or Kitela Lodge, same standard.

SuitesSpaHighland views

Lodges are shown “or similar”. If one is full we’ll swap in a lodge of the same standard in the same area, and you’ll approve it first.

Timing & price

When to Go

This route works in every month. June to October is the dry season, with cool mornings, short grass and animals near water. From January to March the parks are green and quiet, and April and May are wet but the cheapest time to go.

Tarangire & Ngorongoro, month by month Highlighted: high season
MonthWeatherWhat it’s likePrice season
JanuaryDryWarm & greenShort dry spell. Green hills, newborn animals and far fewer vehicles.Mid season
FebruaryDryWarm & greenBaby wildebeest and zebra in the crater, and flamingos on the lakes.Mid season
MarchDry → wetWarm, some showersAfternoon showers begin. Good light and quiet game drives.Mid season
AprilLong rainsGreen seasonHeavy afternoon rain some days. Lush scenery and the lowest prices.Low season
MayLong rainsGreen seasonThe rains ease towards the end of the month. Very few other visitors.Low season
JuneDryCool & clearThe dry season starts. Grass shortens and animals are easy to spot.High season
JulyDryCool & clearElephants gather along the Tarangire River. Chilly mornings on the crater rim.High season
AugustDryCool & clearPeak dry season. Huge elephant herds in Tarangire.High season
SeptemberDryWarm & dustyWater is scarce, so animals crowd the rivers and swamps.High season
OctoberDryWarm & dustyThe last dry weeks. Some of the best game viewing of the year.Ask us
NovemberShort rainsWarm, showersShort afternoon showers. The bush turns green again.Ask us
DecemberShort rainsWarm, showersGreen and fresh, with busy holiday weeks from the 20th.High from 20th
Price per personYour groupDry seasonHigh seasonJune 1 + August + September+ 20 December – January 10Mid seasonJanuary 11 – March 31Warm, green and quietBest valueLow seasonApril 1 – May 31Long rains, fewer vehicles
1solo guest$2,861USD per person$2,861USD per person$2,661USD per person
2guests$1,775USD per person$1,775USD per person$1,615USD per person
3guests$1,675USD per person$1,675USD per person$1,470USD per person
4–6guests$1,435USD per person$1,435USD per person$1,125USD per person
 Check dates →Check dates →Check dates →
30%

Travel as a bigger group and save. A group of 4–6 pays up to 30% less each than two, because you share the vehicle and guide.

Prices are in US dollars, per person, sharing one private vehicle and guide. High season also covers 1 – 10 January. For October to mid-December, ask us for a quote.

No surprises

What's Included

Included / 08

  • Private 4×4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roofCharging points, cool box and binoculars on board
  • Your own professional English-speaking safari guide
  • All park, crater and conservation fees on the route
  • Game drive inside the Ngorongoro Crater
  • Accommodation as listed, or similar, including camp concession fees
  • All meals as shown in the day-by-day
  • Drinking water, coffee and tea on safari
  • Airport transfers on arrival and departure

Not included / 09

  • International flights to Kilimanjaro (JRO)
  • Tanzania visaSee our visa guide
  • Travel insuranceRequired. See our insurance guide
  • Optional activities and sightseeing not on the itinerary
  • Tips for guides and lodge staff
  • Laundry, drinks not listed and personal items
  • Meals and drinks on arrival day
  • Premium wines and spirits at the lodges
  • Local and domestic flights
Good questions

Before You Book

On Days 2 and 3, drinks with your meals at the highland lodge are included, apart from premium wines and spirits. On arrival day food and drinks are at your own cost, and on the last day drinks are not included. Water, tea and coffee are always on board during game drives.

All three follow the same route with the same vehicle and guide. This luxury version uses Gran Meliá Arusha or Katambuga House, then The Retreat at Ngorongoro or Kitela Lodge. The high-end trip moves up to Elewana and Gibb’s Farm with more included; the mid-range trip uses simpler, friendly lodges for a lower price.

Yes. The drives are short, the parks are varied and you see the classic animals of the north without long days on the road. If you enjoy it, the Serengeti is the next step, and we can add it to this route.

Something warm. Karatu and the crater rim are high and cool, especially early in the morning from June to August. A fleece, a light rain jacket and a hat for the sun on the crater floor cover most days.

Add to your trip

Related Activities

Ideas that fit well with this safari. Ask us and we’ll add any of them to your plan.

Meet the people
Culture

Maasai & cultural visits

Spend time in a Maasai village or with the Hadzabe near Lake Eyasi.

Read more →
Beach

Zanzibar beach days

Finish with warm sea, white sand and Stone Town’s old streets.

Read more →
Adventure

Climb Kilimanjaro

Add a climb to the roof of Africa before or after your safari.

Read more →
Destination

Ngorongoro Crater

A day on the floor of the world’s largest intact caldera.

Read more →
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Three parks,

Four Unhurried Days

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