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3-Day Tanzania Safari Tours
A Tanzanian safari is an experience of a lifetime, but a 3-day safari is short. You’ll only be away for 2 nights. But even within these time constraints, you’ll be making precious memories, especially if you plan your limited time carefully. Whether you’re a seasoned African traveler or you’re looking into booking a safari for the first time, Tanzania has something for everybody. Even more so than on a longer safari, you’ll have to make choices. Decide what you really want from the safari and make decisions based on that. To save time, a fly-in safari might be a good choice, but driving to your destination, though slower, is not necessarily a waste of time. It is a great way to see the Tanzanian way of life in the villages and towns.
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3-Day Tarangire, Ngorongoro, & Manyara Safari
$946 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetLodge
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Kima Adventures
4.7/5 – 29 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Jewels of Tanzania - Mid-Range
$1,280 to $1,620 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Unlimited Expeditions: The Soul of Tanzania
4.9/5 – 490 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Fly in-out Zanzibar to Serengeti Exclusive Safari
$2,090 to $2,200 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Serengeti NP, Zanzibar (End)
Serengeti Wakanda Tours and Safaris
5.0/5 – 574 Reviews
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Best Seller
3-Day Best Tarangire, Ngorongoro & Manyara Trip
$1,052 to $1,071 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Serengeti Smile
5.0/5 – 483 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day All Inclusive Luxury Fly into Serengeti
$2,585 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Highlands, Zanzibar (End)
Meru Slopes Tours & Safaris
5.0/5 – 416 Reviews
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3-Day Mid Range Safari - Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
$1,250 to $1,275 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Serengeti Green Tanzania
5.0/5 – 88 Reviews
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3-Day Nature & Cultural Mikumi Group Safari
$495 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Udzungwa Mountains, Mikumi NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Swahili Paradise Tours & Safaris
4.1/5 – 89 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Tanzanian Flamingo Safari Tarangire to Lake Natron
$876 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Natron, Arusha (End)
Paradise & Wilderness
4.8/5 – 215 Reviews
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3-Day Best Safari Tour to Mikumi National Park
$653 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Mikumi NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Widman Tours & Safari
4.7/5 – 49 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Fly in Safari from Arusha
$1,760 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Safari Soles
5.0/5 – 320 Reviews
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3-Day Serengeti Fly-in with Ngorongoro Crater
$1,513 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Central Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Serengeti Mystery Adventures
4.8/5 – 33 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Tanzania Luxury Safari (Tarangire & Ngorongoro)
$1,272 to $1,310 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Kilimanjaro Adventure Safari Club
5.0/5 – 185 Reviews
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3-Day Safari Zanzibar Nyerere National Park (Selous)
$1,103 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Nyerere NP, Zanzibar (End)
Greg Adventures
5.0/5 – 35 Reviews
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3-Day Your Holiday from Zanzibar to Northern Circuit
$1,730 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Zanzibar (End)
Mountain Warriors Tours and Safaris
5.0/5 – 153 Reviews
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3-Day 2 Nights Four Season Safari Lodge - Private Tour
$2,376 to $2,930 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxury+Lodge
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Kojuu Safaris Africa
5.0/5 – 58 Reviews
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3-Day Mikumi National Park by Train
$440 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Dar Es Salaam (Start), Mikumi NP, Dar Es Salaam (End)
Asante Bibi Safaris and Tours
4.9/5 – 28 Reviews
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3-Day Serengeti Fly-in Safari from Arusha
$1,540 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Central Serengeti NP, Arusha Airport (End)
Professional Safaris
4.8/5 – 72 Reviews
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3-Day Luxury Safari from Zanzibar (with Walking Safari)
$1,579 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Hotel
You Visit: Zanzibar (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha NP, Zanzibar (End)
Goldfinch Adventures
5.0/5 – 38 Reviews
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3-Day Tanzania Amazing Wildlife Safari
$935 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range HotelYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Furaha Tours And Safaris
5.0/5 – 37 Reviews
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3-Day A Wonderful Safari in Tanzania
$1,371 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
kiliclimb Africa Safaris
5.0/5 – 73 Reviews
5 Questions About 3-Day Tanzania Safaris
Answered by
Ariadne van Zandbergen
Ariadne is a renowned Africa expert. She and her husband write and update many Bradt guides together, including the 'Tanzania' guide. She first visited Tanzania 25 years ago, and returns to visit the parks and reserves at least every three to four years. She has led several group safaris in Tanzania.› More about Ariadne
5 Questions About 3-Day Tanzania Safaris
Is a 3-day Tanzania trip too short?
“A 3-day safari is very short, but whether it is too short depends on your expectations. If you have the option, I would definitely recommend adding a few extra days. More time gives you a chance to settle in and really immerse yourself in the bush experience. However, if time or budget constraints push towards a short trip, I would say a shorter safari is better than no safari at all. Three days will give you an opportunity to get out there and get a feel for what it is all about. And hopefully you’ll be able to return someday with more time on your hands. It is never a good idea to try and fit too much into a safari, and this is especially true on a 3-day safari. Remember to take into account that quite a bit of your time will be taken up by getting to and from your start and end points. So long as you are realistic on what you can achieve on a safari of that duration, it is surely worth going.”
1What can I fit in during a 3-day safari in Tanzania?
“There are many 3-day safaris on offer in Tanzania, so you do have choices on what you can fit into your safari. As you will be away for only 2 nights, I would recommend sleeping both nights in the same location. The most-popular option for a holiday involving a 3-day Tanzanian safari is the Northern circuit. This comprises four parks: Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park and Tarangire National Park. To visit all four parks in 3 days is technically possible, but certainly not recommended. A more realistic option would be to visit the world-famous Serengeti and drop into the Ngorongoro Crater en route. Alternatively, Lake Manyara and Tarangire are both close to Arusha National Park, and either could be combined with a visit to the Ngorongoro Crater on a 3-day safari. There are some 3-day safari options in the south of the country as well. Either Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve) or Ruaha National Park can be visited on its own as a stand-alone fly-in safari from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar. Mikumi National Park can be visited on a short road safari. The drive from Dar es Salaam takes about 5 hours each way.”
2What kind of accommodation can I expect?
“Tanzania has an established tourism industry, and it offers a large range of accommodation options. There are lots of budget camping tours available. This is not only the most budget-friendly way to travel, but it is the best way to really immerse yourself in the environment. A step up from this in terms of comfort would be a budget lodge tour. These budget accommodation options often lie outside the parks, but safari operators routinely use them as a base for game drives. All the popular parks have some mid-range options as well. These are usually larger, no-frills hotels in and outside the parks and reserves. Going up the scale even more are luxury accommodation options. On a short safari, these high-end lodgings are commonly used on fly-in safari packages. Great food and service are the norm, but the style differs greatly. Many are small designer ecolodges, often made to blend into the environment. If you want to do a Tanzanian safari in style, this might be the right choice for you.”
3Which animals can I expect to see?
“Tanzania has an incredible wealth of wildlife, and which animals you may see will largely be determined by which parks you visit. All popular parks have a good variety of safari animals. However, the parks and reserves all have distinct differences in terrain, and this is reflected in the wildlife that is commonly encountered in each of them. If you don’t mind a lot of driving, it is possible to visit the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater on a 3-day road safari. This combination gives you a reasonable chance of seeing all the Big Five in a short time. Ngorongoro is the only reliable park in Tanzania to see black rhino in the wild. The Serengeti and the Crater are both good for predators, and lions are particularly easy to find in both. Spotting a leopard on a 3-day safari is a bit trickier, but you never know your luck. To reduce driving time, you could fly in and out of the Serengeti and skip on the Ngorongoro Crater and its rhinos, or drive one way via the Crater and fly the other. A 3-day trip to Ruaha or Nyerere in the south can be very productive. Predator sightings are more hit-and-miss, but you’ve a very good chance of seeing lion. The southern parks are known for wild dog, and Ruaha has a large variety of unusual antelope species, including the impressive greater kudu.”
4How much will this safari cost?
“It is difficult to put an actual price on a 3-day safari, as so many variables must be factored in. Expect a starting price of US$600 per person for a budget camping tour, going up to about US$1,000 per person for a mid-range lodge tour. Luxury tours are more expensive. You’re more likely to get a good deal when traveling in the low season. Once you have decided on your priorities, get a few quotes. Tanzania’s parks and reserves are some of Africa’s best, and being able to visit them is an incredible experience. Unsurprisingly, however, you will pay a premium for the privilege. Accommodation options range from budget to mid-range to luxury. Camping is a great way to reduce costs, assuming you don’t mind the basic facilities, and it will bring you closer to nature. The price of a safari also depends on whether you book a private or a group tour. There are many 3-day road safaris on offer, but with such limited time, you might want to consider a fly-in safari. This is usually more expensive than a road safari.”
5Tanzania Reviews
Stephen is a travel writer and avid conservationist whose work appears in prestigious magazines such as Africa Geographic and Travel Africa.
Much More than a Migration Destination
For me, Tanzania is a country of two halves. Both hemispheres have been richly endowed with natural beauty and plentiful wildlife, but there are some big differences when it comes to the type of safari experience you’re looking for. The...
Mary is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including South Africa, Tanzania, East Africa and Africa.
Tanzania – Classic African Safari Destination
Few areas of the continent offer the amount, variety and accessibility of wildlife that Tanzania does, against such a scenic backdrop. Wildlife is abundant, species diversity excellent, and evocative acacia- and baobab-studded landscapes...
Fun trip
The driver arrived as expected on time, we paid half of amount in cash right at the spot. The car was land cruiser as promised, it had some issues like old battery (that die on our trip), it did not have a fridge, or wifi. The roof above...
BREATHTAKING
I really enjoyed this trip, It has to be my top trip this far. I cant explain the feeling of this experience between the Safari and the Island life. The Safari was definitely a dream come true. We had the best driver and best hotel crew...
Fantastic wildlife and friendly people in Serengeti area national park
Our visit to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro crater and Serengeti was very impressive, Very good to see all the animals in their natural environment, and thousands and thousand of them. Staff in hotel and other places communicate well in English...
Sensational
We visited Tarangire, Sengerenti and Ngorogoro. We saw all desired animals, even rhinos. This the Champions League of Safaris. Our Agency: Meru Slopes - permanent contact with Office - excellent guide - nice accomodation.