Why this day trip
Arusha National Park is the most varied park within an hour of Arusha town. In one day you can do three different activities — walking safari (rare in Tanzania because most parks don't allow it), canoeing on the alkaline Momella lakes, and a standard game drive — none of which are possible in the bigger parks.
The wildlife is not in the Serengeti league: giraffe, zebra, buffalo, warthog, black-and-white colobus monkey, sometimes elephant. No lion. No leopard. But the variety of activities, the easy logistics, and the price (around USD 230 vs USD 600+ for a Tarangire day trip) make it the right choice for travellers with a single free day in Arusha — typically arrival or departure day, or a rest day between Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar.
The day
Pickup from your hotel at 7:30 a.m. Drive forty minutes to the park gate. Two-hour walking safari with an armed ranger — primarily on the lower slopes near the Momella entrance, with giraffe and buffalo as the most likely company. Mid-morning canoe paddle on the small Momella lake (90 minutes, flamingo and hippo). Lunch by the lake. Afternoon game drive through the Ngurdoto crater and back to the gate. Return to Arusha by 5:30 p.m.
On Mt Meru
The walking and game-drive routes pass under the south face of Mt Meru — Tanzania's second-highest mountain at 4,562m. Climbers use the park as the starting point for the 3-4 day Meru trek (which we also run). If your Kilimanjaro climb is still ahead of you, the Meru view is itself a small acclimatisation preview.
- Walking safari with armed ranger
- Canoeing on the Momella lakes
- Giraffe, zebra, buffalo, colobus monkey
- Mt Meru in the background
