Excursions around Arusha
If you only spend a few days in Arusha and would like to get out of town, then the following daytrips are ideal. If you like to be active, then the Arusha National Park offers a hike or a canoe tour. The Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro craters are suitable for safari excursions. For a cultural tour, visit the Olpopongi Maasai Village.
| Country | Tanzania |
| Accommodation | no |
| Food | Lunchbox or hot lunch |
| Minimum number of participants | 2 person |
Day trip 1: Arusha National Park
The Arusha National Park is only about 30 minutes away from Arusha and is therefore an ideal day trip destination. You start at 9 a.m. from Arusha and have the following options for the day: a hike together with a ranger at the foot of Mount Meru and after the picnic lunch you explore the park with the safari car or you drive through the park first take a canoe tour on one of the Momella lakes in the afternoon. A guide will lead you safely between the hippos. Or completely relaxed: You just do a full day game drive in the park and then return to Arusha.
Day trip 2: Tarangire National Park
You will be picked up in Arusha around 7:30 a.m. and start to Tarangire National Park. See giraffes, elephants and impalas in their natural habitat along the Tarangire River. At noon there is a lunch box at the public picnic area in the park. After another game drive in the afternoon, it's back to Arusha.
Travel times:
Arusha - Gate Tarangire National Park: 1.5-2 hours
Day trip 3: Lake Manyara National Park
Today you will visit Lake Manyara National Park. Departure from Arusha is at 7:30 AM. This park impresses with its interplay between lake and forest. Giraffes, buffalo, dik diks and impalas will cross your path and with a lot of luck also lions climbing the trees.
Travel times:
Arusha - Lake Manyara Gate: 1.5 hours
Day trip 4: Ngorongoro crater tour
Today you start at around 6 a.m. from Arusha to the Ngorongoro Crater Tour. At the beginning you drive 600 m into the crater. Once at the bottom of the crater, the game drives begin. Be impressed by the wildebeest, zebras and elephants. At the end of the drives, climb the steep crater wall by safari car and then return to Arusha.
Travel times:
Arusha - crater floor: approx. 2.5 - 3 hours
Day trip 5: Olpopongi Maasai Village
The Olpopongi Maasai Village is located on West Kilimanjaro between Arusha and Moshi. You start at 8:30 a.m. from Arusha. On arrival you will be greeted by the Maasai and accompanied to the village with singing. Afterwards you visit the museum there and get an insight into the past and present life of the Maasai. After lunch, you will go on an exploration tour around the village, during which the plants and their use are explained. Then it's back to Arusha
The income flows into development and training projects.
Travel times:
Arusha - Olpopongi: approx. 2.5 - 3 hours
The Tarangire National Park is one of 11 national parks in Tanzania. It is situated southwest of Arusha near Lake Manyara and is divided by Tarangire river, which is the only water source during dry season. Therefore the park is home to many animals. Its landscape is mostly made of savannah and stretches over 2600 km² at a height of about 900 m. The many baobab trees, elephants and various bird species have made the park famous.
The Arusha National Park is situated north of Arusha between Mount Meru and the Kilimanjaro. The park comprises Mount Meru (4562 m), an extinct volcano including Little Meru (3801 m) and Ash Cone, as well as the Momela Lakes, Ngurdoto Crater and Little Serengeti. The park was founded as Ngurdoto Crater National Park in 1960; Mount Meru became part of the park in 1967. The park covers an area of 137 km², featuring a landscape of forests, swamplands, grasslands, lake areas, alpine highlands and rocks. Famous for its colobus, you can also find many giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, elephants and hippos in the park.
The Lake Manyara National Park features a groundwater forest very rare to East Africa, transitioning into grass plains with acacia trees and open grasslands. At the banks of Lake Manyara, you can discover swamplands. The park is home to about 20 to 30 lions which enjoy resting on the trees, as well as some leopards and many monkeys of different species. Common animals of the park are giraffes, impalas, gnus, zebras, hippos and large buffalo herds.
The Ngorongoro preservation area is situated between the Serengeti and Lake Manyara National Park. Within the preservation area, the Ngorongoro Crater is located, which is the largest caldera in the world. The crater is 600 m deep and 260 km² large, and represents the variety of east African landscape and wildlife in a secluded area.
English speaking safari guide
4x4 safari car with lifting roof
Entrances and fees
Lunch box or lunch
1.5 liters of water per person
Tips
Recommendation 15-20 US per group for the guide
plus any tips for additional guides on the excursions
Things of personal use
