Signature Tanzania

Family Safari Adventure

Shorter drives, a pool, a real park day

5 days · 4 nights Tarangire · Lake Manyara · Ngorongoro For Families Starts Arusha From $375 pp / night From $1,500 pp (4 nights)

Elephants, a compact day at Manyara and one crater morning, with a pool waiting after the dust.

Families From $375 pp / night From $1,500 pp (4 nights)

The story of this trip

Children remember the elephant that walked past the car, the swim after a dusty drive and the guide who learned their names. This safari leaves out the Serengeti on purpose, so the days stay short. Tarangire has large animals that come close, and Lake Manyara has birds and a shorter park day. We add a village or farm visit only if you ask. Ngorongoro comes last, because the crater is the memory you want the children to take home.

What this safari is for

Tarangire elephants at a child-friendly pace
A lodge with a pool after the drive
Lake Manyara as a day of its own
An optional cultural visit, never forced
A morning in the Ngorongoro Crater

Route map

Route

From Arusha to Arusha.

Start: Arusha End: Arusha

Tracing safari roads…

Tanzania

Start Arusha (Start)
Tarangire National Park (Day 2) Land Cruiser
Lake Manyara (Day 3) Land Cruiser
Ngorongoro Crater (Day 4) Land Cruiser
End Arusha (Day 5) Land Cruiser

Day by day

This is a working route. We confirm the camps and pace on your quote, within 24 hours.

Day 1

Arrive in Arusha

There is no park visit on the day you land. We check sun hats, malaria advice and who gets car-sick. The children sleep, and that is the whole point of this night.

Day 2

Tarangire

Game drives are shorter than on an adult circuit. You can have a picnic if the group is keen, or lunch at the lodge. The pool is how you get a six-year-old through the day.

Day 3

Lake Manyara, with an optional cultural visit

You see groundwater forest, birds and views of the escarpment. Tree-climbing lions are a matter of luck, not a promise, and flamingo numbers depend on the lake. A guided village or farm visit is optional this afternoon. It never replaces the park visit, and we never present it as entertainment.

Day 4

Ngorongoro Crater

Start early, and leave the crater floor before the worst of the heat if the children are young. Maasai people live on the highlands around the crater. We do not treat a boma as entertainment unless a community visit has been agreed and quoted.

Day 5

Return to Arusha

We drop you at your hotel, or at the airport (JRO or ARK) if your flight is after 15:00. If your flight is in the morning, you will need an extra night. Zanzibar is a separate flight and is not something to squeeze in after a game drive. If the children still have energy, we can add the Serengeti as a sixth and seventh day, quoted as an extension.

What’s included

Park and conservation fees, as set out on your quote
Private 4×4 with pop-up roof and driver-guide
Lodges or camps in your chosen class, named on your written quote
Meals on safari, as provided by the camp or lodge
Bottled water in the vehicle
Airport meet-and-greet, as set out on your quote
Child seats on request

What’s not included

International flights
Tanzania visa
Drinks at lodges and camps
Hot-air balloon safari
Tips for guides and camp staff
Travel insurance (you arrange it; we recommend it on every safari, and it is required for Kilimanjaro). We can add a medical policy to your quote on request
Laundry
Community fees for the optional cultural visit, quoted if you want the stop

When to travel

June to October for easier roads. July and August are busy with school holidays, so we start early on the crater floor. Please tell us the age of every child.

Why this route

Five days works best for families when it does not also try to reach the Serengeti. We can add nights on the plains later if the children still have energy.