3 Day Budget Camping Safari
Our best-value safari: three parks in three days, with camping in Mto wa Mbu and on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, and a cook along.
- Duration
- 3 days
- Route
- Arusha – Tarangire – Mto wa Mbu – Ngorongoro Crater – Crater Rim – Lake Manyara – Arusha
- Start / end
- Starts and ends in Arusha (pick-up from your hotel or Kilimanjaro Airport)
- Best time
- June to October is the most comfortable time for camping, with dry weather and good game viewing.
- Trip style
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with driver-guide and cook, camping at public campsites with tents and equipment provided.
Tour overview
This is our most budget-friendly way to see northern Tanzania's highlights. It is made for backpackers, students, volunteers and adventurous travelers who are happy with simple camping in return for great game viewing.
You start with elephants in Tarangire National Park, spend a full morning on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater, and then sleep at Simba Campsite right on the crater rim, a memorable night high in the cool highland forest. The final day takes you to Lake Manyara National Park for forest, primates and birdlife before returning to Arusha.
Your guide and safari cook look after everything, from setting up camp to preparing hearty meals, so all you need to do is enjoy the wildlife.
Highlights
- Three parks in three days at our best-value level
- Elephant herds and baobabs in Tarangire
- Game drive inside the Ngorongoro Crater
- Camping on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater
- Primates, hippos and birdlife at Lake Manyara
- Freshly cooked meals by your safari cook
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1Arusha to Tarangire, Camp in Mto wa Mbu
Your guide and cook pick you up in Arusha in the morning, and you drive about 2 to 2.5 hours to Tarangire National Park. Spend the day on game drives through the baobab woodland and along the Tarangire River, where elephants gather in large numbers and zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, buffalo and lion are often seen. Enjoy a packed picnic lunch inside the park. In the late afternoon, drive about 1 hour to Mto wa Mbu, a busy village at the foot of the Rift Valley escarpment, where your crew sets up camp and cooks dinner.
Day 2Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive, Camp on the Rim
Pack up early and drive about 1.5 hours up through Karatu to the Ngorongoro Crater. Descend to the crater floor for a game drive among lion, hyena, buffalo, elephant, wildebeest, zebra and hippo, and look across the grasslands for the rare black rhino. Enjoy a picnic lunch at a designated site near the hippo pool, then continue game viewing until it is time to ascend, within the crater's time limit. In the afternoon, drive to Simba Campsite on the crater rim, where your crew prepares dinner. Buffalo and even elephants sometimes wander near camp at night.
Day 3Lake Manyara National Park and Return to Arusha
After breakfast with views through the highland forest, break camp and drive about 1.5 hours down the escarpment to Lake Manyara National Park. Your final game drive explores the groundwater forest, home to baboons and blue monkeys, then the floodplains and lakeshore where buffalo, elephant, giraffe and hippos are common and pelicans and flamingos may be feeding. Look out for the park's occasional tree-climbing lions. After a picnic lunch, drive about 2 hours back to Arusha for drop-off at your hotel in the late afternoon.
What is included
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Safari cook preparing fresh meals at camp
- All park entry and conservation fees as per the itinerary
- Ngorongoro Crater descent (crater service) fee
- Public campsite fees, including Simba Campsite
- Camping equipment: dome tents, foam mattresses and camp chairs
- Meals as listed in the itinerary
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle throughout
- Pick-up and drop-off at your Arusha hotel
Not included
- International flights and Tanzania visa
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- Tips for your guide and crew
- Sleeping bag (can be hired locally)
- Drinks other than drinking water
- Personal items, laundry and souvenirs
Good to know
- Simba Campsite sits at around 2,300 meters and nights can be close to freezing; bring a warm sleeping bag and layers.
- Public campsites have shared, basic toilets and showers.
- Never leave the campsite area after dark, as wild animals pass through the crater rim campsite.
- Bring a headlamp, a warm hat and a fleece for evenings.
Frequently asked questions
How cold is it on the Ngorongoro Crater rim?
At around 2,300 meters, nights on the rim are cold, especially from June to August. A warm sleeping bag, a fleece and a hat are essential, and your cook will have hot drinks ready.
What is the difference between this and a lodge safari?
You visit similar parks and see the same wildlife, but you sleep in tents at public campsites and eat meals cooked by your crew. It is simpler and more rustic, which keeps the cost down.
Can I hire a sleeping bag?
Yes. Sleeping bags can be hired locally in Arusha before the safari. Let us know when booking and we will arrange one for you.
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