Your Arusha National Park day safari begins in the morning when a Martial Eagle Adventures safari driver guide collects you from your hotel, lodge or agreed location in Arusha.

After a short safari briefing, you will drive northeast towards the park. An early departure provides excellent opportunities to enjoy cooler morning conditions and maximise your wildlife viewing time.

Scenic Drive to Arusha National Park

The park entrance is approximately 35 kilometres from central Arusha, with the journey normally taking around 45 minutes to 1 hour.

As you leave the city, the scenery changes into farms, villages and increasingly green landscapes around the lower slopes of Mount Meru. On clear mornings, the mountain provides an impressive backdrop as you approach the park.

Morning Game Drive

After completing park entry formalities, your Arusha National Park game drive begins through the varied habitats surrounding Mount Meru.

The forested sections are particularly rewarding for spotting black and white colobus monkeys and blue monkeys, while open areas may reveal giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, warthogs, bushbucks and waterbucks.

Your driver guide will interpret animal behaviour, vegetation and the ecological relationships that make this compact national park surprisingly diverse.

Ngurdoto Crater

Your safari continues towards Ngurdoto Crater, one of Arusha National Park’s distinctive geological features. The crater is surrounded by forested slopes and contains grassland and wetland habitats on its floor.

Visitors generally observe the crater from designated viewpoints along its rim. Buffaloes and other wildlife may sometimes be visible below, while the surrounding forest provides additional opportunities for bird and primate sightings.

Momella Lakes

You will continue towards the beautiful Momella Lakes, a collection of shallow alkaline lakes surrounded by open landscapes and views towards Mount Meru.

Different mineral concentrations give the lakes varying shades of green and blue. They support numerous water birds, and flamingos may sometimes gather along the shallower sections.

The area is also excellent for photographing giraffes, zebras, waterbucks and other wildlife moving through the surrounding grasslands.

Picnic Lunch

Around midday, you will stop at a designated picnic area for lunch while enjoying the natural surroundings of Arusha National Park.

Your packed lunch will be accompanied by bottled drinking water. Vegetarian meals and other dietary requirements can normally be arranged when communicated before the safari.

Afternoon Game Drive

After lunch, you will continue exploring different sections of the park. The afternoon game drive provides further opportunities for wildlife observation and photography.

Depending on animal movement and road conditions, your guide will select productive routes through forest, woodland, grassland and lakeside habitats.

Possible wildlife sightings include:

• Giraffes
• African buffaloes
• Zebras
• Warthogs
• Waterbucks
• Bushbucks
• Blue monkeys
• Black and white colobus monkeys
• Baboons
• Various antelope species

Wildlife sightings depend on natural animal movements and cannot be guaranteed.

Return to Arusha

During the late afternoon, you will begin leaving Arusha National Park for the short drive back to the city.

Your Martial Eagle Adventures safari guide will drop you off at your hotel, lodge or agreed location, completing your 1 Day Arusha National Park Safari from Arusha.

Optional Walking Safari

A guided walking safari in Arusha National Park can be arranged in advance for travellers wanting to experience the landscape outside a safari vehicle.

Accompanied by an authorised armed park ranger, you may walk through selected areas while learning about animal tracks, vegetation, insects, birds and smaller ecological details easily missed during a game drive.

Possible encounters may include giraffes, buffaloes and other wildlife at a safe distance.

Optional Canoeing Experience

Canoeing may also be arranged on designated sections of the Momella Lakes, subject to park conditions and availability.

The guided canoeing experience provides a peaceful perspective of the park, with opportunities to observe water birds and wildlife along the shoreline while enjoying views towards Mount Meru.

Additional Activities

Depending on time, availability and prior arrangements, the following experiences may be included:

• Ranger-guided walking safari
• Momella Lakes canoeing
• Extended game drive
• Birdwatching
• Wildlife photography
• Mount Meru photography
• Ngurdoto Crater viewpoint visit
• Forest nature observation
• Primate watching
• Picnic lunch experience
• Visit to selected Mount Meru viewpoints
• Cultural experience outside the park

What to Bring

• Comfortable lightweight clothing
• Closed walking shoes
• Sun hat
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Light jacket
• Rain jacket during wetter months
• Camera or smartphone
• Binoculars
• Small backpack
• Insect repellent
• Personal medication
• Passport or identification when required
• Cash for tips and personal purchases