A Tanzania family safari works best when the drives are short and the days have variety. This 5 day trip skips the long Serengeti road and focuses on Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and Arusha National Park.
- FromUSD 1,520per adult sharing, 6 people, budget lodges, children cost less
- Duration5 days, 4 nights
- StartsArusha (Nairobi pickup available)
- Best forFamilies with children aged 5 and above
- StylePrivate 4×4, your own driver guide
Rated 5.0 on Google from 46 reviews. Price confirmed in writing before you pay.
You travel in a private pop up roof 4×4 with a driver guide who has done this with children before. Lodges have pools and large rooms. Meals are simple and kids can pick familiar food.
This page covers the plan, the prices for adults and children, the minimum ages and the safety tips. Send us the ages of your children on WhatsApp and we send a written quote.
Highlights
- Short drives of 2 to 3 hours between parks
- Elephants, giraffes and baboons close to the road
- A morning on the Ngorongoro Crater floor
- Lodges with pools, big rooms and family tents
- A village walk and coffee farm stop on Day 4
- Reduced rates for children, with under 5s often free of park fees
Day by day plan
- Day 1
Arusha to Tarangire
You leave Arusha at about 9 am after a relaxed breakfast. The drive to Tarangire takes about 2 hours. After a picnic lunch you start a game drive among baobabs and elephant herds. Children love the elephants at the river. You sleep in a lodge or tented camp close to the park gate.
- Day 2
Tarangire to Lake Manyara and Karatu
You have a short morning game drive, then drive about 2 hours to Lake Manyara. The park has a forest, baboons, monkeys and hippos. Lunch is at a lodge with a pool. After a game drive you head up to Karatu and sleep near the crater rim. The evening is quiet and cool.
- Day 3
Ngorongoro Crater
You descend at about 7 am. The crater floor is a large bowl with lion, hyena, zebra and black rhino. Flamingos stand in the soda lake. After a picnic lunch at the hippo pool you climb out around early afternoon. Back in Karatu you swim or rest. Children are tired and happy by now.
- Day 4
Village walk and drive to Arusha
You visit a coffee farm near Karatu and walk through Mto wa Mbu, a busy market town. Children can try fresh mango and roasted maize. The drive to Arusha takes about 3 hours. You sleep in a hotel with a pool and a garden.
- Day 5
Arusha National Park and departure
You spend the morning in Arusha National Park, which has giraffes, buffalo, colobus monkeys and flamingos at the Momella lakes. A canoe trip is an optional extra. After lunch you drive to the airport or the Nairobi shuttle. The drive takes under an hour.
Tanzania family safari, guide price per adult sharing, USD, low season
| Tier | 2 people | 4 people | 6 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget lodge | USD 1,790 | USD 1,620 | USD 1,520 |
| Mid range lodge | USD 2,650 | USD 2,390 | USD 2,260 |
| Luxury lodge | USD 3,950 | USD 3,590 | USD 3,390 |
- Guide price per adult sharing, confirmed in writing on WhatsApp before any payment
- Children aged 5 to 11 pay about 65 percent of the adult price
- Children under 5 pay about 30 percent, since park fees are free for them
- Low season (Mar to Jun and Nov) shown
- Jul to Oct and Christmas add about USD 200 to 450 per adult
Get my exact price on WhatsApp
Reserve this trip
Pick your dates and group. See the total. Hold it with a deposit.
Pay by Mpesa, bank transfer or card once we confirm in writing. Free changes until you confirm.
Included
- Private 4×4 Land Cruiser with a driver guide
- 4 nights accommodation on full board
- Tarangire, Manyara, Ngorongoro and Arusha park fees
- Crater service fee and all game drives
- Child seats on request, subject to availability
- Airport or hotel pickup and drop off in Arusha
Not included
- International flights and your Tanzania visa
- Nairobi to Arusha shuttle, quoted separately
- Tips for your driver guide and lodge staff
- Travel insurance for the whole family
- Alcohol and drinks outside meals
- Optional canoe trip in Arusha National Park
Why a Tanzania Family Safari from Arusha Works
Tarangire, Manyara and the crater are close together. You never face an eight hour drive. Children can nap in the vehicle and wake to elephants.
A Tanzania family safari also needs the right lodges. We choose places with pools, big beds and relaxed dining times. We avoid camps with fast rivers or steep drops near the tents.
For a wider view of family options, see our Kenya family safaris page. The comparison is useful if you are weighing both countries.
How Much Is a Tanzania Family Safari?
Adults pay from USD 1,520 each for six people in the budget tier. Four people pay about USD 1,620 each and two pay about USD 1,790 each. Mid range lodges add about USD 740 per person at six people.
Children pay less. Those aged 5 to 11 pay about 65 percent of the adult price and under 5s pay about 30 percent. A family of four with two children aged 7 and 9 would pay about USD 6,000 in the budget tier. See our Tanzania safari packages and prices page for the wider range.
Minimum Ages for a Tanzania Family Safari
Most lodges accept children from age 5. Some allow younger children if a parent stays with them at all times. Tented camps in the Serengeti often set a minimum of 8 to 12.
This route uses lodges that welcome families. Game drives in the park are open to any age with a seat belt or child seat. We also plan nap breaks. Tell us the age of each child and we confirm the rules.
Safety on a Tanzania Family Safari
Safety on a Tanzania family safari is simple. Children stay inside the vehicle in the parks. They never feed or touch animals. At lodges they hold an adult hand on paths after dark.
Malaria is a real risk in Tanzania and children need the right tablets. Speak to your doctor at least six weeks before you travel. Our vaccinations and malaria guide has the basics and the travel insurance guide explains medical cover.
The Best Time for a Tanzania Family Safari
Plan a Tanzania family safari around school holidays. Dec and Jul to Aug are the busiest times. Jun to Oct is dry and has the best game viewing. Jan and Feb are warm, green and less crowded.
Mar to May is rainy and some lodges close. Nov brings short showers. For a young family, Jun to Oct is the easiest for tarmac and mud free roads. Our best time to visit Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda page has details.
Which Parks Are Best for Children?
For a Tanzania family safari, Tarangire offers elephants and baobabs and the animals are easy to see. Lake Manyara has a small park feel with monkeys and baboons. The crater is the highlight, because the animals are so close.
Arusha National Park is a gentle finish with giraffes and a view of Mount Meru. The Serengeti is amazing, but the drive is long. If your children are older, see our Serengeti and Ngorongoro adventure safari.
Keeping Children Busy in the Vehicle
A good Tanzania family safari plan includes games. Give each child a spotting card with ten animals to find. Bring binoculars, a notebook and a pencil.
Pack snacks, water and a hat. A small beanbag helps cameras and phones. Tablets are fine for long road sections, but turn them off in the parks so children see the wildlife.
Lodges and Rooms for Families
Space matters when you travel with children. We book family rooms or two adjoining rooms, so parents are never far away. Family tents have a shared bathroom and enough beds for four.
Most lodges on this route have a pool, a garden and a play area. Meals are three courses and chefs can make plain pasta or chicken for fussy eaters. A Tanzania family safari should feel easy at the lodge as well as in the park.
Check our lodge vs tented camp guide if you are unsure which style suits your family.
What Children Learn on Safari
A Tanzania family safari is a classroom without walls. Children see food chains in action, learn the names of animals and meet people from Maasai and Iraqw communities. Many teachers ask us for notes on the trip.
Your guide can give a short talk on tracks, dung and bird calls. Older children enjoy keeping a bird list. Younger ones like spotting the baby animals.
Meals, Water and Health on the Road
Meals are served at the lodge or as picnic lunches in the park. Picnic boxes hold sandwiches, fruit, juice and a snack. Tell us about allergies in advance and we pass them to each lodge.
Tap water is not safe to drink. We provide bottled water in the vehicle at no extra charge. Sun protection matters, so pack sunscreen, hats and light long sleeves for everyone.
Arusha National Park as a Gentle Finish
Arusha National Park is small and green and it sits at the foot of Mount Meru. It has giraffes, buffalo, warthogs and black and white colobus monkeys. Flamingos often feed on the Momella lakes.
The park fee is lower than the big parks. A walk with an armed ranger is possible for older children. It is a calm end to a Tanzania family safari and it avoids a long transfer on the last day.
A Sample Family Budget
Take a family of four with two children aged 7 and 10 in mid range lodges. The adults pay about USD 2,390 each and the children about USD 1,555 each. The total is about USD 7,890.
Add USD 200 for tips, USD 150 for drinks and souvenirs and flights to Arusha. Nairobi to Arusha by shuttle costs less than flying. Get a written quote before you pay anything.
How to Book Your Tanzania Family Safari
Message us on WhatsApp at +254 720 731957 with the ages of your children and your dates. We send a written quote and hold your lodges with a deposit. The balance is paid in instalments before travel.
Pay by card, Mpesa or bank on our book and pay page. If you want a Nairobi start, see the Tanzania safaris from Nairobi page.
How to book your Tanzania family safari
Booking your Tanzania family safari with us takes about five minutes of your time. The rest is our job. Here is exactly what happens, step by step, so there are no surprises along the way.
- Send your dates. Message us on WhatsApp with your travel dates, how many people are coming and the ages of any children. Tell us if you have a budget in mind. We plan with it, not around it.
- Get a written quote. We reply with a clear price per person, what it includes and what it does not. No hidden park fees and no vague extras. If a cheaper camp or a shorter route makes more sense, we say so.
- Tweak it until it fits. Change a camp, add a night or swap a park. Ask as many questions as you like. Changes cost nothing until you confirm.
- Confirm with a deposit. A deposit holds your vehicle, guide and rooms. You get a written confirmation with every detail and the date the balance is due.
- Travel day. Your driver guide meets you at your hotel or the airport with a name board. You have their number and ours for the whole trip.
What every trip with us includes
Every Tanzania family safari plan we put together comes with the basics done properly. You ride in a safari vehicle with a pop up roof, with a professional driver guide who knows the parks. Water is in the cooler box and park fees are sorted in advance so you do not stand in a queue at the gate.
We also stay reachable. If something changes on the road, a flat tyre, a closed route or a sudden storm, we sort it and keep you posted on WhatsApp.
Paying safely
We share payment details in writing only and every payment gets a receipt. The payment options and the balance date sit on your written quote, so nothing is left to memory or a phone call.
Why book with a Nairobi team
We live here. We drive these roads all year, we know which camps are honest about their photos and we know when a park is too busy to enjoy. That local knowledge is what turns a good Tanzania family safari into a great one. Our Google rating sits at 5.0 from 46 reviews and we plan to keep it that way.
Ready when you are. Send us a message and we will put a plan together for you shortly.
Questions people ask
Is a Tanzania safari suitable for children?
Yes. A Tanzania family safari works well for children aged 5 and above. Our route has short drives, pools at the lodges and park days that are easy to follow. Younger children are welcome at selected lodges. Tell us each child’s age when you ask for a quote.
How many days do you need for a Tanzania safari?
Five days is a comfortable length for a Tanzania family safari. It gives you three park days, a cultural day and an Arusha finish. Families with older children can add a Serengeti extension on a longer plan.
Which is better: Serengeti or Ngorongoro Crater?
For families with young children, the crater is better. It is closer, the animals are dense and you can see a lot in half a day. The Serengeti is better for older children who can handle long drives and camp life.
What is the best time for a Tanzania safari?
Jun to Oct is the best time for wildlife and easy roads. It is also the busiest. Jan and Feb are warm and green with fewer people. Avoid Apr and May if you want every lodge open.
How much should I tip on a Tanzania safari?
A fair tip for your driver guide is about USD 15 to 25 per day for the whole family. Lodge staff get a smaller shared tip at the end. Bring USD cash in small notes. See our tipping guide for details.
Do children get discounts on park fees?
Yes. Children under 5 enter most Tanzania parks free. Children from 5 to 15 pay a much lower fee than adults, often around a quarter. We include the correct fee in your quote and confirm it at booking.
Can teenagers do a longer trip?
Yes. Teenagers often enjoy the Serengeti and camping. We can extend this route with two nights in the Serengeti and keep the crater. Ask for a custom plan and a written quote that matches your ages and budget.
Can we bring a child seat?
We can supply child seats on request, subject to availability. Tell us at least two weeks before travel. Many families also bring their own booster seat for peace of mind.
Official information: Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA).
Ready when you are. Send your dates and group size. We reply with a clear price and a plan you can change.
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