Budget Camping Safari
Overview
An affordable 4-day camping safari through Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire — big wildlife on a smart budget.
Safari Highlights
- Three iconic parks in four action-packed days
- Ngorongoro Crater — Big Five game drive
- Lake Manyara's tree-climbing lions and flamingos
- Tarangire's elephant mega-herds and baobab forests
- Authentic camping under African stars
- All meals cooked fresh at camp by your guide
- Small group sizes for a personal experience
- Best-value northern circuit safari available
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park
Your guide picks you up from your Arusha hotel after breakfast and drives west to Lake Manyara National Park. The compact park packs an astonishing variety into a narrow strip between the Rift Valley escarpment and the alkaline lake. Enjoy a full afternoon game drive, spotting tree-climbing lions, blue monkeys in the groundwater forest, and thousands of flamingos along the lakeshore. Return to camp for a freshly cooked dinner under the stars.
Accommodation: Manyara Public Campsite (Panorama Camp)
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Lake Manyara to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
An early start for the drive up to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Settle into your campsite on the crater rim — the views alone are worth the trip. After setting up camp, enjoy an afternoon nature walk along the rim trail, spotting birds and enjoying the dramatic 600-meter drop to the caldera floor below. Your guide prepares a hearty dinner as temperatures cool at 2,300 meters altitude.
Accommodation: Simba Campsite, Ngorongoro Crater Rim
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ngorongoro Crater Floor & Transfer to Tarangire
Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater at dawn for a half-day game drive on the caldera floor. This natural arena is one of the best places in Africa to spot all of the Big Five in a single outing. After a packed lunch in the crater, ascend and drive to Tarangire National Park, arriving at your campsite in the late afternoon. An evening game drive reveals elephants returning to the river to drink.
Accommodation: Tarangire Public Campsite
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tarangire & Return to Arusha
Rise before the sun for an early morning game drive in Tarangire, when the light is magical and predators are most active. Watch herds of elephants move through forests of ancient baobab trees, and enjoy your guide's encyclopedic knowledge of the park's 550+ bird species. After a late brunch at camp, pack up and drive back to Arusha, arriving in the early afternoon for your onward travel.
Accommodation: N/A — return to Arusha
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
What's Included
- All national park and crater fees
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- All camping equipment (tent, mattress, sleeping bag, pillow)
- All meals prepared fresh by camp cook
- Drinking water during game drives
- Camping fees at public campsites
- Pick-up and drop-off in Arusha
What's Excluded
- International and domestic flights
- Tanzania tourist visa
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Alcoholic and soft beverages
- Sleeping bag liner (recommended — available to rent $10)
- Personal expenses
- Optional activities not in itinerary
$950
per person sharing
Secured by Inspiration Africa
African DMC
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