This 2-day Manyara Ngorongoro safari is a private one-night trip from Moshi. Day one is a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park and a night in Karatu. Day two is a game drive on the Ngorongoro Crater floor, then the drive back to Moshi. Prices start at $2,000 for six travellers on the budget tier (about $333 each), or $1,167 for two (about $584 each), with all park fees and the crater fee included. Expect two long road days.
What does the crater day actually look like?
Your second day is the reason to book this trip. You leave Karatu early, drive up to the crater rim, descend to the floor, spend your game drive there, then climb out and head to Moshi.
Leave the Karatu lodgeBreakfast at the lodge, then an early start. Your departure time is set in your itemised quote.
Ngorongoro gate and the rim roadPermits are checked at the conservation area gate before you drive up to the rim.
Descent to the crater floorOne descent per vehicle is covered by the crater service fee, which is collected at the gate and included in your price.
Game drive on the floorPicnic lunch on the crater floor. Your guide plans the visit within the current Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) rules.
Ascent and exitClimb out by the ascent road and leave the conservation area.
Drive back to MoshiThe longest leg of the trip. Do not book a flight for the evening of day two unless your quote confirms the timing.
Zebra grazing, Ngorongoro Crater. Photo: Kilimania Adventure.Male lion at a kill, Ngorongoro Crater. Photo: Kilimania Adventure. Sightings vary on every drive.
What the crater fee per vehicle means for your group
The crater service fee is charged per vehicle, not per person. So the fewer people in your 4×4, the more each of you carries. It is separate from the per-person Ngorongoro conservation fee.
Crater service fee of $295 per vehicle per descent ($250 plus 18% tax), shared per person
People in the vehicle
Crater fee per person
1
$295.00
2
$147.50
3
$98.33
4
$73.75
5
$59.00
6
$49.17
The crater fee is already inside the package prices below. Figures are rounded to the nearest cent.
The honest version. Two days is mostly driving. You get one Manyara game drive and one crater descent, not two. The day starts early so you reach the crater floor with time to spare.
How much does a 2-day Manyara Ngorongoro safari from Moshi cost?
Your group pays one total price, from $2,000 for six on the budget tier to $1,585 for one person travelling alone in luxury. Each cell shows the approximate share per person, with the group total you pay underneath.
On a phone, each row shows as a card.
Private safari price in USD, November 2026: group total, with the approximate share per person
Tier
1 person
2 people
4 people
6 people
Budget
$941$941 total
≈ $584$1,167 total
≈ $393$1,570 total
≈ $333 · from$2,000 total
Mid-range
$1,190$1,190 total
$725$1,450 total
≈ $473$1,890 total
≈ $401$2,405 total
Luxury
$1,585$1,585 total
≈ $943$1,885 total
≈ $705$2,820 total
≈ $598$3,590 total
You pay the group total. The per-person figure is that total divided by the number of travellers and rounded to the nearest dollar, so it is approximate (for example, $2,000 ÷ 6 = $333.33). For 3, 5 or 7+ travellers, ask for a quote.
What moves your price
Group size. The vehicle and the $295 crater fee are split between fewer people in a small group.
Lodge tier. Your Karatu night is the main difference between budget and luxury.
Season. Lodge rates change by season, so your quote states the season it applies to.
Pickup point. Prices include pickup and drop-off at your Moshi hotel. Transfers from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK) are quoted separately.
Is this Manyara Ngorongoro safari right for you?
Choose this if
You have exactly two days and want to stand on the Ngorongoro Crater floor.
You are in Moshi after a Kilimanjaro climb and want a short trip before you fly.
You are a group of six: on the budget tier, that is the lowest price in this grid.
No trip can promise a particular animal. Wildlife moves on its own schedule.
How much of the trip is driving?
Most of it. On a Manyara Ngorongoro safari both days are long road days, and the game drives sit inside them rather than filling them.
Day 1. Moshi to Lake Manyara National Park, your game drive, then the climb up to Karatu for the night.
Day 2. An early start for the crater rim, the descent and game drive, then the longest leg of the trip: back to Moshi.
Your quote sets out the planned timings for your dates. Gate queues, traffic and rain can stretch them, so leave the evening of day two free.
What happens on each day?
Day 1 · Moshi → Lake Manyara National Park → Karatu
We collect you early from your Moshi hotel and drive west to Lake Manyara National Park, below the Great Rift Valley escarpment. Your game drive covers the groundwater forest and the open lake shore, then you continue up to Karatu for the night.
Impala in acacia woodland, Lake Manyara. Photo: Kilimania Adventure.
Pickup
Your Moshi hotel (JRO or ARK on request, quoted separately). Pickup time is set in your quote.
Fees today
Lake Manyara conservation fee per person, included
Sleep
Karatu. Budget: Amora Homestay, Cajanus Inn or Ngorongoro Haven. Mid-range: Ngorongoro Corridor. Luxury: Kitela Lodge. Accommodation is subject to availability; we confirm the specific lodge in your quote before you book.
Meals
Lunch, dinner, drinking water
Why this order
Manyara sits on the road to Karatu, so day one ends close to the crater gate.
Day 2 · Karatu → Ngorongoro Crater → Moshi
You leave Karatu early for the crater rim and descend to the floor for your game drive and a picnic lunch. After the ascent, you drive back to Moshi, the longest leg of the trip.
Fees today
Ngorongoro conservation fee per person and the $295 crater service fee per vehicle, both included
Sleep
No night is included after day two. A Moshi hotel night before or after the safari is extra; we can add one to your quote.
Meals
Breakfast, picnic lunch, drinking water
Drop-off
Your Moshi hotel (JRO or ARK on request, quoted separately). Tell us your flight time before you book.
Which park fees does this trip trigger?
These are the park fees a Manyara Ngorongoro safari triggers, and all of them are inside your package price. The conservation fees are charged per person; the crater fee is charged per vehicle.
Fees on this itinerary, all included in your price
Your itemised quote lists every park charge at the rate in force on your travel dates, including vehicle and guide entry where it applies. Ngorongoro is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Who drives you, and in what?
You travel in a private 4×4 Land Cruiser for your group only, with an English-speaking driver-guide. Your guide’s name and experience are listed in your quote, so you know who is driving before you pay.
Private 4×4 Land Cruiser used on Kilimania safaris. Photo: Kilimania Adventure.
What is included, and what will you pay extra?
Included
Private 4×4 and driver-guide, with fuel
Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro park fees, including the $295 crater service fee ($250 plus 18% tax)
1 night in Karatu at your chosen tier
Meals from day-1 lunch to day-2 lunch
Drinking water in the vehicle
Pickup and drop-off at your Moshi hotel
Not included
Your own travel insurance (medical, evacuation, cancellation) is required. Our local insurance does not cover clients.
International flights and your Tanzania visa
Tips for your guide and lodge staff (voluntary; ask us for guidance)
Drinks other than water, and personal expenses
Hotel nights in Moshi before or after the safari
Airport transfers from JRO or ARK (quoted separately on request)
When should you go?
This trip runs in every month. Lodge rates change with the season, so your quote states the season it applies to. Rain can slow the forest track in Manyara and the crater roads, and early mornings on the crater rim are cold in any month. No month promises a particular animal.
How does booking directly work?
Karibu. You message the Moshi office, and you get an itemised quote listing the vehicle, lodge, park fees and crater fee line by line.
Your quote states the deposit, the balance due date and the cancellation terms in writing, before you pay anything.
Can you trust this company with your money?
Kilimania Adventure Limited, incorporated with BRELA; business name “Kilimania Adventures”, registration no. 437131.
Can I really see Ngorongoro Crater from Moshi in two days?
Yes. You drive to Lake Manyara on day one and sleep in Karatu, close to the crater gate. On day two you descend to the crater floor for your game drive, then make the long drive back to Moshi. It works, but expect long hours in the vehicle on both days.
Is the crater fee included in the price?
Yes. The $295 crater service fee per vehicle sits inside every price in the grid, alongside the Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro conservation fees. Your itemised quote shows each fee as its own line, so you can see exactly what goes to the parks.
Why do two people pay more each than six?
The vehicle, the driver-guide and the $295 crater fee cost the same whether you are two or six. Split two ways, the crater fee alone is $147.50 each. Split six ways it is $49.17 each. That is part of why the budget share drops from about $584 to about $333 per person.
How long can we stay on the crater floor?
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority sets how long each vehicle may stay on the crater floor. Your guide plans the descent, picnic lunch and ascent within the current rules, and still gets you back to Moshi the same day. Ask us for the current limit when you book.
Where do we sleep?
You spend one night in Karatu, between Lake Manyara and the crater gate. On budget you stay at Amora Homestay, Cajanus Inn or Ngorongoro Haven. Mid-range uses Ngorongoro Corridor, and luxury uses Kitela Lodge. Your lodge is held once your deposit is received.
Can I do this straight after climbing Kilimanjaro?
Yes. A rest night in Moshi between the climb and the safari is the gentler plan, because day one starts early and both days are long. Tell us your climb dates and route when you enquire, and we will build the safari dates around them.
Will we see the Big Five?
Nobody can promise that. Sightings depend on the day, the season and the animals’ own movements. You will see whatever the crater and Manyara offer during your game drives, and your guide will explain what is around you and why.
Can we be picked up from the airport?
Yes, on request. The price includes pickup and drop-off at your Moshi hotel. Transfers from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK) are arranged on request and quoted separately. If you fly out on day two, tell us your flight time first, because the crater day ends with a long drive.
Is this trip suitable for children?
Children can join, but two long driving days are hard on young travellers. Children’s prices depend on age, so send ages with your enquiry. If your children are small, the 3-day Tarangire, Manyara and Ngorongoro safari spreads the same driving over more time.
How do I pay, and can I cancel?
Your itemised quote sets out the deposit, when the balance is due and the cancellation terms, in writing, before you pay anything. Nothing is charged for a quote. Ask us any question about the terms on WhatsApp or by email before you book.
What should I pack for the crater rim?
Bring a warm layer. Early mornings on the crater rim feel cold, even when the floor warms up later in the day. Add a hat, sunscreen, a camera with a spare battery, and any personal medicines you need for two days.
Get your Manyara Ngorongoro safari quote
Tell us your dates, group size, pickup point and lodge tier. You get a quote with the vehicle, lodge, park fees and crater fee on separate lines. We reply within 12 hours, 7 days a week (EAT, UTC+3).
The email button opens a short message with the questions already listed. Prefer to type it yourself? Write to info@kilimania.co.tz.
Who stands behind this page
Sabinus Msimba
Senior Mountain Guide & Co-founder
Sabinus has guided on Kilimanjaro for 22+ years. That is a Kilimanjaro credential, not a safari guiding licence. He co-founded Kilimania in Moshi, where the safaris start.
