Tarangire National Park · Ngorongoro Crater
Baobabs, Hadzabe and the Crater
Elephants, a hunt with one of the world's last hunter-gatherer peoples, and a day on the crater floor.
- Duration
- 4 days
- Destinations
- Tarangire National Park · Ngorongoro Crater
- Best months
- Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
- Group size
- 2 to 6 guests
- From
- $1,350 per person
Overview
Elephants, a hunt with one of the world's last hunter-gatherer peoples, and a day on the crater floor.
Most short safaris stay on the wildlife. This one adds a human thread: an afternoon beside Lake Eyasi with the Hadzabe, one of the last communities still living mainly by hunting and gathering.
The trip starts with an afternoon game drive in Tarangire, among baobabs and elephant herds. Next comes Lake Eyasi, where you follow a Hadzabe hunting party through the bush and call on Datoga blacksmiths who make jewellery and tools by hand. A full day in the Ngorongoro Crater follows, then the road back to Arusha.
Two nights at the same Karatu lodge mean fewer bags to repack and more daylight to look at what is in front of you.
- Elephants and baobabs on a Tarangire afternoon drive
- A bush walk with a Hadzabe hunting party at Lake Eyasi
- A visit to Datoga blacksmiths at work
- A full-day descent into the Ngorongoro Crater
- Two nights at one lodge in Karatu
Best forCouplesWildlife enthusiastsFirst-time safari travellersCulturally curious travellers
Wildlife radar
What you can expect to see
The dry months from June to October bring the biggest gatherings of elephants to Tarangire's river. The Lake Eyasi visit and the crater work in other months too, but wildlife viewing is at its best in this window.
- African ElephantHigh
- LionGuaranteed
- Black RhinoHigh
- African BuffaloHigh
- LeopardRare
The difference
Wildlife and a living culture on one short route
The Hadzabe speak a click-consonant language and are among only a few populations on earth who still live primarily on hunting and gathering. Spending time with them adds context to the animals you see elsewhere on the trip.
Pairing Lake Eyasi with the crater makes the pace varied: big herds and open views on one day, quiet bush and craft work on another, then a full day of Big Five viewing.
Along the way
Highlights along the route
Tarangire
Baobabs, some over a thousand years old, and elephants around the river in the dry months.
Lake Eyasi
A cultural afternoon with the Hadzabe on a hunt, and a visit to Datoga blacksmiths who forge by traditional methods.
Ngorongoro Crater
An unbroken volcanic caldera of unmatched size, inscribed by UNESCO, where the Big Five share a 260 km² floor.
On the map
Your route
Follow the trip from the first night to the last, by road and by air.
- Start · Day 1Tarangire National Park
- Day 2KaratuDrive from Tarangire National Park
- Day 3Ngorongoro CraterDrive from Karatu
- End · Day 4ArushaDrive from Ngorongoro Crater
Day by day
Your itinerary
Day 1
Arusha to Tarangire
Tarangire National Park
Drive from Arusha to Tarangire for a long afternoon game drive. In the dry season the river is the only reliable water for hundreds of kilometres, which brings the largest elephant concentrations in East Africa. Baobabs, some more than a thousand years old, dot the landscape. At the end of the day you drive back to Arusha for the night.
In the dry months Tarangire's elephants can gather around the river in groups of 300 to 500.
- Trail
- Kahawa House
- Meals
- Dinner & Breakfast
Day 2
Lake Eyasi and the Hadzabe
Lake Eyasi and Karatu
Head to Lake Eyasi for an afternoon with the Hadzabe, who live much as their ancestors have for tens of thousands of years. Go along with a hunting party, then visit Datoga blacksmiths, whose jewellery and tools are made with techniques unchanged for centuries. The day ends at your lodge in Karatu.
Hadzabe is a click-consonant language, and the Hadzabe are one of just a handful of peoples worldwide who still survive mostly by hunting and gathering.
- Meals
- Full Board
Day 3
A Day on the Crater Floor
Ngorongoro Crater
Descend with your guide into the Ngorongoro Crater for the entire day. The 260 km² floor works as a closed ecosystem sheltering the whole Big Five, and its black rhino are among the last breeding groups still viable in Tanzania.
The crater holds roughly 25 black rhino, and the open floor makes them far easier to spot than in dense bush.
- Meals
- Full Board
Day 4
Back to Arusha
Arusha
Drive back through the highland farmland to Arusha, then transfer to Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International for your onward flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast & Lunch
Gallery
Along the route
Where you stay
Choose your style of stay
Trail
Comfortable and great value
From$1,350per person
- Kahawa House
- Ngorongoro Farm House
Price per person
Choose a level of stay and see what each person pays for your group size.
| Travelling together | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 2 travellers | $1,920 |
| 3 travellers | $1,555 |
| 4 travellers | $1,495 |
| 5 travellers | $1,410 |
| 6 travellers | $1,350 |
- Prices are in US dollars, per person sharing a double or twin room. Vehicle and guide costs are shared, so the price per person changes with group size and does not always fall in a straight line.
- Park fees are set by the authorities and can change, so the quote you accept is the price that applies.
What's included
- All park and conservation area entry fees
- Lake Eyasi cultural experience with a Hadzabe and Datoga guide
- Game drives in a private 4x4
- A professional guide throughout
- Meals as specified in the itinerary
- Accommodation as listed
- Airport and inter-lodge transfers
Not included
- International flights
- Tanzanian entry visa
- Travel insurance
- Tips for your guide and lodge staff
- Optional activities such as rhino tracking or a walking safari
- Personal items, laundry and phone charges
Good to know
- Rates are quoted per person sharing a double or twin room; single supplements are available on request.
- The government sets park and conservation area fees, and it may revise them without warning.
- Your deposit confirms the booking and the balance is due before you travel. The amounts and dates are set out in your personal quote and invoice.
Questions
Good to know
You spend an afternoon with the Hadzabe, joining a hunting party in the bush, and visit Datoga blacksmiths who forge jewellery and tools by hand.
It keeps the first day light and lets you overnight in Arusha before the longer drive towards Eyasi and Karatu on day two.
Black rhino are resident on the crater floor, and the open ground makes sightings more likely than in thick bush, though no sighting is ever guaranteed.
Yes. It is compact and well-paced, with a mix of wildlife and culture, and the two-night stay in Karatu cuts down on packing.
Kahawa House in Arusha on the first night, then Ngorongoro Farm House in Karatu for two nights.
Baobabs, Hadzabe and the Crater
Tell us your dates and group size and we will confirm availability and a personal quote.