Tarangire Safari, Tanzania

Day Trip · 1 days · Private or group

Tarangire National Park Day Safari from Arusha

The closest full park day to Arusha, and the best one for elephant. Baobabs, the Tarangire river, and back the same evening.

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Duration
1 days, 0 nights
Group
Private or group
Activity
Game drive
Starts
Arusha
Ends
Arusha
Best months
June to October, when the herds concentrate on the river. Good in every month.

Tarangire National Park is about two and a half hours from Arusha, which is what makes a proper day here possible. It is elephant country: in the dry season the herds come down to the Tarangire river because it is the only water for a long way, and you can watch a hundred of them in a morning.

It is also the most distinctive-looking park in Northern Tanzania, because of the baobabs. They give the place a scale that photographs badly and reads beautifully in person.

Tarangire pairs naturally with Lake Manyara or the Ngorongoro Crater over two or three days. See our Tanzania safaris.

Trip highlights

  • Large elephant herds on and around the Tarangire river, particularly from June to October
  • Baobab country, which looks like nowhere else on the northern circuit
  • A realistic full day in the park rather than a rushed few hours
  • Good for a first safari and good with children: the drive is short and the animals are close
  • Lunch at a picnic site inside the park

Day by day

Day 1 Morning: Arusha to Tarangire

Pickup between 06:00 and 06:30 and about two and a half hours to the main gate, with a stop if you need one. We are usually through the gate and driving by mid morning.

Meals: Picnic lunch

Day 2 The day: game drive along the river

The river is the spine of the park and most of the day follows it. Elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala and buffalo are the regulars; lion and leopard are there and are less predictable. Lunch is a picnic at one of the sites inside the park.

Meals: Picnic lunch

Day 3 Late afternoon: the drive home

We leave the park in the middle to late afternoon and have you back in Arusha in the early evening.

Meals: Picnic lunch

What is included

Included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off in Arusha
  • Private 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof, fuel and a licensed driver-guide
  • Tarangire National Park entry and vehicle fees
  • Picnic lunch and drinking water
  • Government taxes on the above

Not included

  • Flights, visa and travel insurance
  • Drinks other than the water provided
  • Tips for your driver-guide
  • 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 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. This is an early start, so ask your hotel for breakfast from 05:30 or a packed one.

What to bring

Neutral, comfortable clothes and a fleece for the early morning. Binoculars. Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. A camera and spare batteries. Something to keep dust off your lenses.

Safety

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. You stay in the vehicle inside the park except at the marked picnic sites.

Questions about this trip

Is Tarangire better than Ngorongoro for one day?

It is closer, cheaper and less rushed, and it is the better park for elephant. Ngorongoro gives you a higher chance of seeing a lot of different species in a small area. Both work in a day; Tarangire is the easier day.

When are the elephants at their best?

The dry months, roughly June to October, when the river is the only water and the herds concentrate on it.

Is this suitable for children?

Yes. The drive is shorter than the crater and the animals are usually close to the road. Tell us their ages and we will plan the day around them.

Where this trip goes

Lake Manyara with the wooded Rift Valley escarpment rising above the shoreline, Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania Lake Manyara National Park Lake Manyara covers 325 square kilometres, two thirds of it lake. Known for groundwater forest, flamingos, baboons and… Tarangire Safari, Tanzania Tarangire National Park Tarangire covers 2,850 square kilometres and is known for large elephant herds, baobab trees and over 550 bird… Ngorongoro Crater Tour, Tanzania Ngorongoro Crater Ngorongoro Crater is an intact volcanic caldera holding around 25,000 large animals, including black rhino. Best time to…

Before you book

The practical reading, from the questions we are asked most.

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