Tanzania is alive with colorful wildlife herding in vast unusual parks. We will explore two of these wonderful wildlife areas on this carefully planned 3-day Tanzania Safari.
Starting off in the Tarangire National Park, you will witness a spectacle of elephant concentrations and magnificent ‘upside-down trees’ (Tarangire’s signature baobabs) as well as big cats and riverside wildlife. Then we move to Ngorongoro Crater – a unique in the world of safaris.
It’s the largest intact volcanic crater on Earth and one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders. The crater is home to the densest concentration of big animals in Africa where it is not unusual to see the Big 5 – lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino, and elephant – all in one game drive.
Your 3-day Tarangire/Ngorongoro safari starts and ends in Arusha. It includes all transportation, park entrance fees, game drives, accommodations, and meals.
Highlights
- Professional driver/guide & classic safari accommodation
- Seeing Big 5 animals in their natural habitat
- Fantastic elephant sightings in Tarangire
- Exploring Ngorongoro Crater – a natural wonder
- Excellent birding near Tarangire Wetland
- A picnic lunch in the largest intact volcanic caldera on earth
- Optional Maasai Village Cultural Tour
Summary
Day 1: Drive from Arusha to Tarangire National Park, afternoon game drive.
Day 2: A short game drive in Tarangire & Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater
Day 3: Extensive game drive in Ngorongoro Crater & drive back to Arusha.
Details
Day 1: Visit Tarangire National Park
Our 3-day Tanzania safari begins today!
The road transfer from Arusha to Tarangire National Park will take around two and a half hours, while you sit back and enjoy the views of the Tanzanian landscape. We will arrive at our lodge in time for lunch. After lunch, we have some time to rest before setting out to explore the Tarangire landscape on a game drive and become well acquainted with its roaming beasts.
Tarangire is a lovely quiet park on the northern safari circuit safari wonderland. The Tarangire bush is scattered with the iconic baobab trees of Africa, massive in size and believed to be up to a thousand years old. Spread among them are herds of elephants and buffalo, often in their hundreds.
Elephants and buffaloes aside, Tarangire has one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife outside Serengeti. It is home to wildebeests, hartebeests, zebras, gazelles, elands, giraffes, leopards, lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, waterbucks, impalas, warthogs, fringe-eared oryx, long-necked gerenuk, Dwarf Mongoose, monkeys, Caracals, and Honey Badgers.
Over 550 bird species have also been recorded in the park, and specials include Yellow-collared Lovebird, Ashy Starling, Red-throated Tit, Red-necked Spurfowl, Lazy Cisticola, Black Bishop, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Rufous-tailed Weaver, and Northern Pied Babbler, along with a host of vultures, eagles, and other raptors, including African Hawk-eagle and Pygmy Falcon.
We will return to our lodge/safari camp in the early evening, have a superb dinner, and enjoy being out in the African bush – a truly special experience that we will cherish forever! Tonight might also be a good idea to do some ‘owling’ before or after our dinner. And on a short walk, we might be lucky to get Freckled Nightjar and Slender-tailed Nightjar or even African Scops Owl.
Accommodation Options
Luxury: Tarangire Sopa Lodge/Oliver’s Camp
Midrange: Tarangire Kirurumu Camp
Budget: Roika Tented Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 2: Game Drive In Tarangire & Transfer To Ngorongoro
After a short morning game drive in Tarangire, we will return to the camp/lodge for a good breakfast. We will then pack our bags, check out of the lodge, and set off westwards towards Ngorongoro Conservation Area for the next part of our 3-day Tanzania Safari.
Along the way, we might visit an authentic Maasai Village and learn a lot about their interesting culture and everyday way of life. The name Ngorongoro, in fact, comes from the Maasai. The Maasai pastoralists named the area Ngorongoro after the sound produced by the cowbell (ngoro ngoro)!
We will also travel through the colourful town of Karatu, a small town that serves as an overnight stopover for visitors exploring the area’s many wildlife parks. Karatu town offers several activities including sampling beer at a local brewery, browsing the busy marketplace, and more!
We will reach our destination, in time for a late lunch. After lunch, we will have some time to rest and then we will go on a game drive. We will descend to the crater floor and look for the animals that reside inside Ngorongoro Crater. It will be a remarkable experience!
On our way into the crater, we will learn some amazing facts about this stunning natural geological wonderland. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) covers approximately 8,500 square kilometers (3,300 square miles). The conservation area is adjacent to the Serengeti National Park plains, with which it shares 80 kilometers (50 miles) border. It is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site and is listed as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area’s key feature is the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken volcanic caldera on Earth. The caldera is surrounded by incredibly steep walls rising over 600 meters (2,000 feet) above the floor of the volcano. It is breathtakingly beautiful and definitely a must-visit place on any Tanzania safari or even a safari in East Africa.
Crater’s grasslands and wetlands are the permanent home to about 30,000 large mammals, including numerous ungulates such as Wildebeests, Hartebeests, Buffalos, Zebras, Gazelles, and Elands. Other mammals that we will look for include elephants, hippos, Hippos, Black Rhinos, Bushbucks, Waterbucks, monkeys, and the rare Bohor Reedbucks.
There are of course also predators present, with the crater boasting sizeable Lions and Cheetahs populations. There are also some leopards, Hyenas, Bat-eared Foxes, side-striped Jackals, black-backed jackals, caracals, and Servals. Mysteriously there are no Giraffe or Impala inside the crater.
We will return to the rim of the crater and go back to our lodge to freshen and relax. We will then enjoy a delicious dinner before falling asleep under the vast, star-filled African sky. Enjoy!
Accommodation Options
Luxury: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge/The Highlands
Midrange: Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3: Game Drive In Ngorongoro Crater & Back To Arusha.
We will enjoy an extensive game drive inside the crater, enjoy a picnic lunch on the 260 square Kilometer (100 square miles) crater floor, and returning the afternoon for transfer back to Arusha.
Expect to see some spectacular fauna and flora! Pick a superlative: incredible, fantastic, amazing, – they all apply to Ngorongoro!
Sometimes referred to as ‘the 8th wonder of the world’, the Ngorongoro Crater is best known for its natural beauty and abundance of diverse wildlife, which makes it one of Africa’s most popular safari destinations.
Surrounded by the highlands of Tanzania, this UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site is really something every wildlife lover and naturalist should witness. It is also a photographer’s dream destination- Most wild animals are very relaxed and habituated to the presence of vehicles and humans. And the cloud-draped crater walls make for dramatic pictures and memories.
While mammals are of course a major attraction, bird watching within the Ngorongoro crater and on the top of the crater rim is very good. We will certainly spend some time ticking a good number of specials like Common Ostrich, Secretarybird, Kori Bustard, Black-billed bustard, Grey Crowned Crane, Bateleur, Martial Eagle, Augur Buzzard, and Golden-winged Sunbird.
After the game drive, we will descend the crater and head to Arusha (about 3 hours away). If your flight is on the same day, then you will be dropped off directly at the Kilimanjaro International Airport. Safe Travels!
*Please note: Extensions to Zanzibar, safari parks in Kenya or even the gorilla trekking destinations of Uganda and Rwanda can easily be arranged. Don’t hesitate to contact us.
End Of 3-Day Tanzania Safari
3-Day Tanzania Safari Inclusions
- Ground transport in a 4X4 Safari Land cruiser/Van
- Crater fees
- Full board accommodation on Safari
- Full-time English-speaking professional driver/guide
- Complimentary bottled water while in the vehicle
- All Park/Reserve Entry fees
- Tourism Development Levy ÔÇô In Tanzania hotels
- All tour activities as detailed in the itinerary
3-Day Tanzania Safari Exclusions
- Tips
- Laundry services
- Other Beverages/ drinks
- International flights
- Visas
- Optional Activities
- Any other extras not mentioned in the above itinerary.
- Extra meals not mentioned in the program
- Inoculations and personal insurance
- Items of personal nature such as beverages not mentioned, telephone, laundry, etc.
- International/local airfares