Arusha National Park Day Trip
The closest park to town: a walk with an armed ranger, a canoe on the Momella Lakes when the water allows, and Mount Meru over all of it.
Private day trip1 / 6
Overview
Arusha National Park is under an hour from town, so the day starts in the park rather than on the road. It is small, green and hilly, and much quieter than the big northern parks.
Walking with an armed park ranger is the reason most people come: giraffe and buffalo look very different when you are on foot. When the water allows, you can also canoe on the Momella Lakes; we tell you before the day whether the canoeing is running. It is not a big-cat park. For lions, Tarangire or the Crater is the better day.
Highlights
- Walk with an armed rangerOn foot, the park's giraffe and buffalo look very different.
- Canoe on the Momella LakesWhen the water level allows, which we check before your date.
- Under Mount MeruTanzania's second-highest mountain, best seen on a clear morning.
Itinerary
Pickup: Morning, from your Arusha hotel. From Arusha: under an hour each way.
Numbers show the order of stops; the gold line is the route, not the exact road. Parks shaded. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, Natural Earth.
About Arusha National Park
A small park on the slopes of Mount Meru, under an hour from Arusha, with forest, crater lakes and open glades. It is one of the few northern parks where you can walk with an armed ranger.
Today
Pickup from your Arusha hotel in the morning, and into the park in under an hour. A walk with an armed park ranger, a drive through the forest and open glades, and a canoe on the Momella Lakes when the water allows, then the short drive back to your hotel.
Price
One guide price per person, confirmed for your dates.
Price on request
- Low · Apr–May
- Mid · Nov–mid Dec, Jan–Mar
- Peak · Jun–Oct, 20 Dec–10 Jan
Included & not included
What your price covers, and what to budget for separately.
Included
The park's entry and conservation fees for the day, paid by us in advance.
Lunch during the day, in the park or on the way.
Return transport from your hotel, with an English-speaking guide who stays with you all day.
Collected from your hotel in the morning and taken back at the end of the day.
Water in the vehicle through the day.
Not included
- International flights. Flights to and from Tanzania are booked by you. We will suggest arrival and departure times that fit the trip.
- Visa. Paid by you, usually online before you travel. Visa information
- Travel insurance. A condition of travelling with us. It must cover medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation.
- Tips. Always your choice, for your guide at the end of the day. How tipping works
- Personal spending. Drinks other than water, souvenirs and anything personal.
Packing
Closed shoes you can walk in and long trousers for the walk, a warm layer (it is cooler up here than in town), a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses, binoculars, and your passport for park entry.
Visa
Most nationalities need a visa: $50 for a single entry. US citizens pay $100 for a multiple-entry visa. Apply online before you travel to avoid the queue on arrival. Fees and rules change, so check with the Tanzanian embassy in your country.
Questions travellers actually ask
Usually, yes, when the water level allows canoeing. We check before your date and tell you, so you don't arrive expecting a lake you can't paddle.
The drive is short, which helps. The walk and the canoe have minimum ages set by the park; tell us the children's ages and we'll check what they can join.
Almost certainly not. Arusha National Park is about walking, forest and giraffe, not big cats. If lions matter, choose the Tarangire or Ngorongoro day instead.
Yes, as a first day. It breaks up the journey after a long flight, and walking is something most safari days don't include.
Ask about this journey
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More ways to spend a day from Arusha, and what to book when one day isn't enough.
