Ngorongoro · Lake Manyara · 3 days

crater & lakeWeekend

Two nights on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater with the floor laid out below, a full day down in the caldera, and a morning in Lake Manyara’s groundwater forest on the way home. The quickest real safari from Arusha.

3days
2nights
2parks
Private4×4 & guide

01 · Overview

A short trip that does not feel rushed

Many short safaris squeeze the crater into a day trip from Arusha, with six hours of driving around it. This one sleeps on the rim both nights, so the crater gets a whole unhurried day and the drives either side stay short.

On the first day you drive west from Arusha through Mto wa Mbu and the farms of Karatu, and climb through the highland forest to the rim by mid-afternoon. The second day is spent on the crater floor, entering when the gate opens. On the way home you stop at Lake Manyara for a morning game drive through the forest, the floodplain and the lake shore, and are back in Arusha by the middle of the afternoon.

Starts

Your Arusha hotel, day 1

Your guide collects you in the morning. Most guests land the day before.

Ends

Arusha, mid-afternoon day 3

Back at your hotel, or at JRO for an evening flight home.

Style

Private, rim lodge

Your own 4×4 with a pop-up roof, your own guide, two nights on the crater rim.

Pace

Short drives, one full day

About three to four hours on the road each way; the crater has the whole middle day.

Pick-up · road day · L D

Up through the highlands to the rim

Your guide collects you from your Arusha hotel in the morning and takes the tarmac road west into the Rift Valley. Lunch is in Mto wa Mbu, the market town below the escarpment, before the climb through Karatu’s farms to the Lodoare gate.

The road winds up through highland forest to the rim at about 2,300 metres, and you reach the lodge by mid-afternoon. The rest of the day is yours: the view 600 metres down to the floor, a fire in the evening, and nights cold enough for a fleece.

Meals: Lunch, dinner
Highlight: First view into the crater
Sleep: Lodge on the crater rim named when you book

Crater descent · B L D

Six hours on the crater floor

You are at the descent road when the gate opens at 6 am, and on the floor before it gets busy. Inside the caldera lies a closed world of grassland, swamp, the Lerai forest and Lake Magadi, home to lion, hyena, buffalo, elephant, hippo and flamingos.

With patience you may find one of the crater’s black rhino, though sightings are never guaranteed. Park rules allow six hours on the floor, so after a picnic at a designated site you drive back up to the rim for a slow afternoon at the lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Highlight: Black rhino, with luck
Sleep: Lodge on the crater rim named when you book

Game drive · departure · B L

Manyara's forest, then back to Arusha

An early breakfast on the rim, then down through Karatu to Lake Manyara, a narrow park between the Rift Valley wall and a shallow soda lake. The groundwater forest near the gate is full of baboons and blue monkeys, and elephants rest in the shade of the figs.

Beyond the forest you reach the floodplain and the hippo pool, with flamingos on the shore when the water is right. After a picnic you drive the two hours back to Arusha, arriving by mid-afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch
Highlight: Blue monkeys in the forest
Ends: Arusha hotel or JRO

When to go

Where are the herds?

Two million wildebeest and zebra walk a year-long loop through the Serengeti, following the rain. Choose a season to see where they will be, and what that means for your week.

CalvingDec – Mar

Good

calving season

December to March

The herds gather on the short-grass plains around Ndutu in the south, and around half a million calves are born in a few weeks. The predators are never far away.

On this tripThe crater floor is green and full of young animals, and the calving plains at Ndutu are within reach if you add a night or two.

Green seasonApr – May

Green season

the long rains

April and May

Afternoon rain, emerald plains and very few vehicles. The herds start drifting north-west through the centre of the park.

On this tripMist on the rim some mornings, a lush and quiet crater floor and lower rates; some Manyara tracks can close after heavy rain.

The great trekJun – Jul

Best for this trip

the great trek

June and July

Columns of wildebeest move through the central Serengeti and the Western corridor on their way north. The dry season begins.

On this tripCool, clear and dry, with the best views of the year from the rim; the floor gets busier, so we go down at 6 am.

River crossingsAug – Oct

Good

the far north

August to October

The herds are on the Mara River in the far north, crossing back and forth. The rest of the country is dry, golden and full of game.

On this tripDry and dusty, with rim lodges that are worth booking early; Manyara’s shore is easy to drive, though flamingos may be absent.

Short rainsNov

Green season

the return

November

The short rains bring the plains back to life, and the herds stream south again through the east of the park.

On this tripGood value and few vehicles; the first rains start to refill Manyara’s lake and bring the migrant birds.

Best for this trip
Good
Green season, fewer vehicles

Herd positions follow the rains and shift a little from year to year. We tell you where they are likely to be before you book.

What it costs

Fill the vehicle, pay less each

Your private vehicle and guide, park and crater fees, two nights on the crater rim and all meals from lunch on day 1, priced per person. The more of you share the vehicle, the less each of you pays. No booking fees.

Mid-range fromUS$890per person sharing

Important information

All prices are per person and exclude international flights. Final rates depend on your travel dates, seasonal park fees and availability; we confirm them in writing with your quote.

Mid-range

Luxury

Mid-range

Rim lodge, en-suite rooms

Mid-range prices, Crater & Lake Weekend

Single supplement to confirm

Group size	1 person	2 persons	3 persons	4 persons	5 persons	6 personsbest value
Per person, 2026	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm
Rooms	1 single	1 double	1 double, 1 single	2 doubles	2 doubles, 1 single	3 doubles

Luxury

Premium rim lodges

Luxury prices, Crater & Lake Weekend

Single supplement to confirm

Group size	1 person	2 persons	3 persons	4 persons	5 persons	6 personsbest value
Per person, 2026	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm	to confirm
Rooms	1 single	1 double	1 double, 1 single	2 doubles	2 doubles, 1 single	3 doubles

Your selection · click a group size2 guests · Mid-range1 double

Travelling with children

Children are welcome on this trip, and a private vehicle makes it easy to travel at their pace. Ask us for child rates and family rooms for your dates; they depend on each lodge’s own policy.

in the price

Private 4×4 with pop-up roof, your group only
Professional English-speaking guide, all 3 days
Two nights on the crater rim, full board
Park, conservation and crater service fees
Bottled water in the vehicle
Pick-up and drop-off at your Arusha hotel

not in the price

International flights and visa
Hotel nights in Arusha before and after
Travel and medical insurance
Tips for your guide and lodge staff
Drinks at the lodge
Optional activities

Make it yours

Add to the week

Tick anything you like the sound of. It goes straight into your enquiry, and we will price it with the trip.

Before day 1 · Arusha NPCanoeing the Momella lakesTwo hours on the water, forty minutes from Arusha.Add

Day 1 · Mto wa MbuMto wa Mbu by bikeRice paddies, banana farms and lunch with a local family.Add

Day 2 · HighlandsAn evening in a Maasai bomaHosted by a family our guides know.Add

After day 3Zanzibar beach daysA short flight from Arusha to the coast.Add

Send my enquiry →

Before you go

The practical part

Flights

Other costs

Why Simba Pride

Flights

Other costs

Why Simba Pride

Questions

Is three days enough?

For the crater and Manyara, yes. The crater floor is small enough to cover well in one descent, and Manyara suits a half-day visit. For the Serengeti or Tarangire as well, look at a longer trip.

Why not do the crater as a day trip?

You can, but it means about six hours of driving in one day. Sleeping on the rim puts you at the gate when it opens, before the floor gets busy between 9 and 11.

How cold is the rim?

The rim is at about 2,300 metres and nights drop to around 8 C. Bring a fleece and a warm hat for the early descent.

Will we see rhino?

There are around 30 black rhino on the crater floor. Sightings are common but never guaranteed.

Is this a private safari?

Yes. The vehicle and guide are yours alone for all three days, on any dates you choose.

ready when you are

Three days, one crater, your dates

Tell us when you would like to travel and who is coming. We reply with a day-by-day plan and an exact price for the rim lodge that fits your budget.

Admit

guests

SPS · 03

Other journeys like this one

4 days · from US$1,150Big Five Express

5 days · from US$1,450Elephants & Crater

3 days · from US$640Maasai & Hadzabe Trail

Loading itinerary…

Saved Trips