Day Trip · 1 days · Private or group
Lake Manyara National Park Day Safari from Arusha
The closest full park to Arusha and the greenest. Groundwater forest, the Rift Valley wall, elephants under fig trees and a soda lake that turns pink when the flamingos are in.
- Duration
- 1 days, 0 nights
- Group
- Private or group
- Activity
- Game drive, birdwatching
- Starts
- Arusha
- Ends
- Arusha
- Best months
- All year. November to May for birds and the flamingos; June to October for easier game viewing under the escarpment.
Lake Manyara National Park is a narrow strip of park pressed between the Rift Valley escarpment and a shallow soda lake, and that squeeze is exactly what makes it worth a day. In about two hours of driving you pass through four completely different habitats: a groundwater forest fed by springs at the base of the cliff, open acacia woodland, floodplain grass, and the lake shore itself.
Who this day suits. Anyone with a single free day in Arusha who wants a real national park rather than a taste of one. It is the shortest drive of any of the northern parks, about two hours each way, so you spend more of the day in the park and less of it on the road than you would on the Ngorongoro Crater day safari. Birdwatchers get the most out of it: the species list runs past four hundred.
What you actually see. Elephant among the fig and mahogany in the forest section, often at very close range. Large baboon troops, the biggest most visitors will ever see. Blue monkey and vervet. Buffalo, giraffe, impala, zebra and warthog on the open ground. Hippo in the pools near the lake. Manyara is known for lions that rest in trees, though we will not promise you one: they are here, they are not on a timetable, and any operator who guarantees a sighting is selling you something they cannot deliver.
When to come. The park is open all year. From November to May the grass is high, the migrant birds are in and the lake often holds flamingo in numbers. From June to October the ground is dry and the animals concentrate near water, which makes them easier to find. Neither season is wrong.
If you have more than one day, Manyara pairs naturally with Tarangire National Park or the crater. See the rest of our day trips, browse the multi-day Tanzania safaris, or tell us your dates and we will put the days together for you.
Trip highlights
- A groundwater forest at the foot of the Rift Valley wall, unlike anything else on the northern circuit
- Elephant at close range among the fig and mahogany
- Four habitats in one park: forest, woodland, floodplain and soda lake shore
- Over four hundred bird species recorded, with flamingo on the lake in the wet months
- The shortest drive of any northern park from Arusha, so more time in the park itself
- A private 4x4 with a roof hatch and a window seat for everyone
Day by day
Day 1 Early morning: Arusha to the park gate
Pickup between 06:30 and 07:00. The road runs west through Makuyuni and drops off the escarpment at Mto wa Mbu, where you get your first proper view of the Rift Valley floor and the lake below. Roughly two hours with a short stop.
Meals: Lunch
Day 2 Morning and midday: the game drive
Into the park through the forest section, where the elephants and baboons usually are, then out onto the open ground and down to the lake shore. Your guide works the loops according to what has been seen that morning rather than a fixed route. Lunch is at a picnic site with a view over the floodplain.
Meals: Lunch
Day 3 Afternoon: a second loop and the drive home
A second drive through the cooler part of the afternoon, which is often the better one, then out through the gate and back up the escarpment. You are usually back in Arusha between 17:00 and 18:00.
Meals: Lunch
What is included
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Arusha
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with a roof hatch, fuel and a licensed English-speaking driver-guide
- Lake Manyara National Park entrance fees
- Government taxes and levies
- Packed lunch
- Drinking water through the day
Not included
- International and domestic flights
- Visa and travel insurance
- Drinks other than the water provided
- Tips for your guide and hosts
- Anything personal
Before you travel
Pickup and meeting point
We collect you from your hotel, guesthouse or Airbnb anywhere in Arusha town, and from Usa River, Tengeru and the Kilimanjaro Airport road on request. Give us the property name when you book and we confirm the pickup time the evening before. Drop-off is at the same address unless you tell us otherwise.
What to bring
Binoculars if you have them: the forest birding is the best part of the park and you will want them. A camera with a zoom. A hat and sunscreen. A light layer for the early start. Long sleeves and trousers help in the forest section where the tsetse are. Cash in small notes if you want to buy anything at Mto wa Mbu on the way through.
Safety
Inside the park you stay in the vehicle except at the marked picnic sites and toilets. That is a park rule and it is also the reason the animals ignore a vehicle completely. Your guide will tell you when it is safe to stand up through the roof hatch. Do not feed or approach any animal, baboons included, and keep food out of sight at the picnic site. You travel in a maintained 4x4 with a licensed Tanzanian driver-guide. Seat belts are fitted in every seat. We carry a first aid kit and drinking water, and the guide stays contactable through the day. Travel insurance is not included and we recommend you arrange it before you come.
Questions about this trip
How far is Lake Manyara from Arusha?
About 125 km, roughly two hours each way on tarmac. It is the closest of the northern parks with a full big-game population, which is why it works as a day trip when the Serengeti does not.
Will we see the tree-climbing lions?
Sometimes. Manyara has lions that rest in trees and they are one of the reasons people come, but they are wild animals in a large park and no one can promise a sighting. Your guide will know where they were last reported.
Are there flamingos on the lake?
Often, and sometimes in very large numbers, but it depends on the water level and the season. They are most reliable in the wetter months from November to May. In a dry year the lake shrinks and they move on.
Is this better than Tarangire for one day?
They are different. Tarangire has more elephant and the baobab landscape; Manyara has the forest, the escarpment and far better birding, and it is a shorter drive. If wildlife numbers are what you want, take Tarangire. If variety in one small park is what you want, take Manyara.
Can children come?
Yes. It is a long day but the drives are shorter than most northern-circuit trips and there is plenty to look at. Tell us the ages and we will pack accordingly.
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Where this trip goes
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara covers 325 square kilometres, two thirds of it lake. Known for groundwater forest, flamingos, baboons and…
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire covers 2,850 square kilometres and is known for large elephant herds, baobab trees and over 550 bird…
Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater is an intact volcanic caldera holding around 25,000 large animals, including black rhino. Best time to…
Book this trip
Three short steps. We reply with a costed day-by-day itinerary for your dates. Nothing is confirmed and no payment is taken until you are happy with it.