In Short
This is a genuine budget camping safari through three of northern Tanzania's finest parks: Tarangire, Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater. You sleep in tents at the parks' public campsites, including a night on the crater rim, with a safari cook preparing all your meals, and you spend your days on game drives in a private 4x4. It is honest, close-to-nature travel for people who care more about the wildlife than the thread count, from US$1,100 per person including every park fee, camping fee and the Ngorongoro Crater service fee. Below is exactly what budget camping means, the full itinerary, honest wildlife expectations, and everything included.
The safari at a glance
A budget camping safari is the most affordable way to experience Tanzania's classic Northern Circuit parks, and for many travellers it is also the most memorable. Trading a lodge room for a tent puts you closer to the wilderness, with the sounds of the bush around you at night and the stars overhead, and it does so at a lower price than a lodge safari. This route covers three parks in three days as a loop from Arusha, building up to the Ngorongoro Crater as a grand finale.
| Day | Route | Camp |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arusha to Tarangire, full-day game drive | Campsite near Tarangire / Mto wa Mbu |
| 2 | Lake Manyara game drive, then up to the crater rim | Simba Campsite, Ngorongoro rim |
| 3 | Dawn descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, then Arusha | - |
Why camp?
Beyond the lower price, camping gives you something a lodge cannot: immersion. You wake with the dawn chorus, eat around a camp table as the light changes, and fall asleep to the distant sounds of the plains. A night at the Simba Campsite on the very rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, with the caldera falling away below you, is an experience lodge guests pay a great deal more for and rarely match. If you are comfortable with basic, shared facilities in exchange for that closeness to nature and a lower cost, camping is the honest, adventurous way to safari.
Explore More Safari PackagesWhat budget camping really means
Too many camping safaris are sold with glossy photos and vague promises, so here is the honest, complete picture of what you are booking, because knowing exactly what to expect is what makes the trip enjoyable.
Where you sleep
You stay at the official public campsites serving the parks, not in lodges. These are designated, permitted sites, including a campsite near Tarangire or the lively village of Mto wa Mbu, and the well-known Simba Campsite on the Ngorongoro crater rim. We pitch comfortable dome tents for you, with proper sleeping mattresses inside, and provide camp chairs and a dining area. You do not sleep on bare ground, but you do sleep in a tent.
The facilities
Public campsites have basic, shared facilities: simple blocks with flush or long-drop toilets and cold or solar-warmed showers. They are clean but plain, and you share them with other campers. There is limited electricity, usually only for charging at a central point, so bring a power bank. This is the trade you make for the lower price, and for most travellers it is a small one.
The food
A dedicated safari cook travels with your group and prepares all your meals fresh at camp: a cooked breakfast to start the day, a packed picnic lunch to eat in the parks, and a proper three-course dinner of soup, a main course and fruit in the evening. The food on a good camping safari is hearty and plentiful, and eating together at camp is one of its real pleasures. We cater for vegetarians and most dietary needs with advance notice.
The crew and vehicle
1Even on a budget trip, you travel in a private 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof and your own professional driver-guide, plus the cook. Budget refers to the accommodation, not the safari itself: your game drives, guiding and vehicle are the same quality as on a lodge trip. This is the key point that separates a real budget camping safari from a cut-corners one.
The wide view of Ngorongoro Crater
Witness the kings of the jungle in closer view for memory keeping
Day-by-day itinerary
- Early pick-up from your Arusha hotel or the airport, meeting your guide and cook and loading the camping gear.
- Drive to Tarangire, about 2 to 2.5 hours, for a full-day game drive among the largest elephant herds in northern Tanzania and its ancient baobab trees, with a picnic lunch in the park.
- In the late afternoon, head to your campsite near Tarangire or Mto wa Mbu, where your tents are pitched and your cook prepares dinner under the stars.
Camp: near Tarangire / Mto wa Mbu. Meals: lunch, dinner.
- After breakfast, a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, a compact park of groundwater forest, floodplain and soda lake, home to elephants, hippos, baboons, giraffe and, in season, flamingos.
- A picnic lunch, then drive up into the Ngorongoro highlands, climbing to the crater rim with its sweeping views over the caldera.
- Set up camp at the Simba Campsite on the rim, at around 2,400 metres. It is cold at night here, but the setting, perched above the crater, is unforgettable. Dinner at camp.
Camp: Simba Campsite, Ngorongoro rim. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner.
- An early breakfast and a dawn descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest intact volcanic caldera and the densest concentration of wildlife in Africa.
- A full morning game drive on the crater floor with a picnic lunch, seeking lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo and the resident black rhino, one of the best rhino chances in Tanzania.
- Ascend in the afternoon and drive back to Arusha, arriving in the early evening for your drop-off at your hotel or the airport.
Meals: breakfast, lunch.
What you will see, honestly
This route is excellent for variety and for elephants, and it offers a genuine chance at four of the Big Five, with the crater providing the rhino. Here is an honest guide to what to expect, because managing expectations is what makes a safari a success.
| Animal | Where and likelihood |
|---|---|
| Elephant | Very high, Tarangire above all |
| Cape buffalo | Very high, all three parks |
| Lion | Good, most reliable in the crater |
| Black rhino | Realistically the Ngorongoro Crater only, around 30 resident |
| Leopard | Present but elusive, never guaranteed |
| Giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hippo | Very high (no giraffe on the crater floor) |
| Flamingo and pelican | Lake Manyara, seasonal |
| Tree-climbing lion | Lake Manyara's reputation, but elusive and never guaranteed |
Two honest notes worth knowing. The full Big Five is not something any operator can promise on a 3-day trip, because leopard are genuinely elusive and this route does not include the Serengeti where they are most often seen. And Lake Manyara's famous tree-climbing lions are unpredictable and frequently not seen at all, so treat them as a lucky bonus.
Price and what is included
The private budget camping safari is US$1,100 per person, based on two people sharing. Every park fee, camping fee and the Ngorongoro Crater service fee are already included, so there is nothing to pay at the gate.
The package includes
- • Airport or hotel pick-up and drop-off in Arusha
- • Private 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof
- • Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- • A dedicated safari cook and all camping gear
- • Dome tents and sleeping mattresses
- • All national park and camping fees
- • Ngorongoro Crater service fee
- • All meals as per the itinerary and drinking water
- • Government taxes and VAT
The package excludes
- • International flights and Tanzania visa
- • Travel and medical insurance
- • Sleeping bag (available to hire)
- • Tips for your guide and cook
- • Drinks other than water
- • Optional activities and upgrades
Camping vs lodge: which is right for you
| Budget camping | Mid-range lodge | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you sleep | Dome tent at public campsites | En-suite room or tented camp |
| Bathrooms | Shared, basic, cold or solar showers | Private, hot showers |
| Nights on the crater rim | Camping at Simba, unforgettable but cold | Warm lodge in Karatu |
| Game drives and guiding | Identical, private 4x4 and guide | Identical, private 4x4 and guide |
| Atmosphere | Close to nature, adventurous, sociable | Comfortable, restful |
| Best for | Backpackers, younger travellers, adventurers | Comfort seekers, families wanting ease |
If you would prefer the lodge version of this exact route, see our 3-day Tarangire, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro lodge safari. Same parks, more comfort.
What to bring for camping
A camping safari asks a little more of your packing than a lodge trip. Bring these in addition to the usual safari kit, and you will be comfortable throughout.
- A warm layer and a hat for the night. The Simba Campsite on the crater rim is genuinely cold after dark, often near freezing. A fleece or down jacket is essential, not optional.
- A headtorch or torch. Campsites have limited lighting, and you will want your hands free.
- A power bank. Charging is limited to a central point at camp, so bring a way to keep your phone and camera going.
- A sleeping bag, either your own or one hired from us for a small fee. A three-season bag is ideal for the cold rim night.
- A small quick-dry towel and toiletries, as campsites do not provide them.
- Sandals or slip-on shoes for around camp and the shower block.
- Insect repellent and a refillable water bottle, plus your usual sunscreen, hat and binoculars.
Pack light in a soft bag rather than a hard suitcase, which is easier to store in the vehicle and the tent.
Best time to travel
Camping is most comfortable and the wildlife easiest to see in the drier months, but every season has its merits.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Dry, best for camping | June to October | Dry ground, easy game viewing, Tarangire's elephant gatherings. The most comfortable time to camp. Busiest and cool nights on the rim. |
| Green, best value | November to May | Green, quiet and cheapest, best for birds and flamingos. Expect some rain and muddier campsites. The crater stays excellent. |
For the most comfortable camping and the best big game, choose the dry season. For the lowest prices, the fewest vehicles and the best birding, the green season rewards those who do not mind a little rain. The crater rim is cold at night in every season, so pack warm whenever you travel.
How to book
- Send us your details. Travel dates, group size, and any dietary needs for the cook.
- We confirm and quote. We check availability and send an exact, all-inclusive price, usually within a few hours.
- Secure your dates. A 30 percent deposit confirms the booking, by bank transfer or card.
- We arrange everything. Permits, campsites, gear, vehicle, guide and cook, under one confirmed itinerary.
- Pack and go. The balance is due before your safari begins. Then bring a warm layer for the crater rim and a sense of adventure.
Frequently asked questions
Tarangire Wildlife Gallery
