3-Day Luxury Tanzania Safari to Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater
trip overview
Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater in three comfortable days.
This 3-day luxury safari is a short, well-paced introduction to northern Tanzania, combining Tarangire National Park's elephant herds and baobab landscapes with a game drive inside the Ngorongoro Crater. You'll stay in comfortable lodges in Arusha and Karatu, travel in a private 4×4 safari vehicle with an experienced driver-guide, and sleep a short drive from the crater the night before your descent.
Trip Highlights
day-by-day itinerary
Where you go, what you do, and where you sleep each night.
You'll stay at Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha on Night 1 and Tloma Lodge in Karatu on Night 2. Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour can be arranged for an extra cost.
Arrival in Arusha
You'll be met on arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport and transferred to Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha. The rest of the day is free to rest after your flight, with your driver-guide briefing you on the next two days.
Arusha to Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, you'll drive south-west into Tarangire National Park, home to more elephants than anywhere else in Tanzania, with herds of 50 to 100 gathering along the Tarangire River among the park's scattered baobabs.
You'll spend the day on a game drive through the park before continuing to Tloma Lodge in Karatu for the night, a short distance from the Ngorongoro Crater and ready for an early start the next morning.
Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha — Tour Ends
After breakfast, you'll drive to the Ngorongoro Crater and descend onto the crater floor — a collapsed volcano 600 metres deep and 260km² wide, home to more than 30,000 animals. Expect the highest density of lions in Africa, resident black rhino, large bull elephants and flamingos gathered at the soda lake.
After a picnic lunch on the crater floor, you'll climb back up to the rim and drive back to Arusha, arriving in the afternoon and marking the end of your tour.
what's included
Exactly what's covered — and what isn't.
- Experienced English-speaking driver-guide
- Airport pick-up & drop-off
- 2 nights in lodges (twin/double occupancy): Mount Meru Hotel & Tloma Lodge
- Meals as listed on the day-by-day itinerary above
- Ground transportation throughout in a 4×4 safari vehicle
- Drinking water on game drives
- All national park & crater fees for Tarangire & Ngorongoro
- International flights
- Travel & medical insurance (required)
- Meals not listed above — lunch & dinner on Day 1, and dinner on Day 3
- Alcoholic & bottled soft drinks
- Souvenirs & personal expenses
- Tips for your driver-guide — guideline $20–25/day
- Additional accommodation before or after the tour
Important to know before booking
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour can be arranged for an extra cost — ask us when booking if you need a night either side.
- Day 3 starts early so you reach the crater floor while the animals are most active — your driver-guide will confirm the exact time the evening before.
- A Tanzania e-Visa is required for most nationalities — apply at immigration.go.tz at least 3 weeks before travel.
- A yellow fever certificate may be required depending on your transit country. See our Tanzania vaccinations guide for details.
- Wildlife sightings depend on season and location and cannot be guaranteed.
pricing
What you'll pay — no hidden extras.
| Option | Price per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 3-day luxury safari 2 nights in lodges, meals as listed | $1,320 | Per person, twin/double sharing |
Payment & extras
A deposit confirms your booking, with the balance due before departure. Full terms are on our booking policy page.
Additional accommodation before or after the tour can be arranged for an extra cost.
Ready to book this safari?
Reach out and we'll confirm availability for your dates and send you a full quote.
frequently asked questions
Questions we get asked most often.
The tour starts with airport pick-up in Arusha on Day 1, and ends with a return to Arusha on Day 3 after the Ngorongoro Crater.
Night 1 is at Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha and Night 2 is at Tloma Lodge in Karatu, close to the Ngorongoro Crater.
Yes. Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour can be arranged for an extra cost — just let us know when booking.
Most nationalities need a Tanzania e-Visa, available at immigration.go.tz. A yellow fever certificate may also be required depending on your transit country — check with your doctor or travel clinic before departure.
We recommend taking out travel insurance as soon as you confirm your booking. Full cancellation and payment terms are on our booking policy page.
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