Lake Manyara National Park
Groundwater forest and a shallow soda lake at the foot of the Rift Valley wall, with the village of Mto wa Mbu at its gate.
Plan your time here
Tell us your dates and what you would like to see, and we will suggest a route through Tanzania.
Lake Manyara lies about 130 kilometres from Arusha, under the western wall of the Great Rift Valley. Groundwater feeds a strip of tall forest between the cliffs and the lake, busy with monkeys and birds. The lake itself is shallow and alkaline, and flamingos gather on it.
Where we spend time
- The forest: troops of baboons and blue monkeys in the trees beside the track.
- The hippo pool, a shallow pool inside the park.
- Views of the Rift Valley escarpment, the wall the park sits beneath.
Besides game drives, the park can be seen on a cultural tour, by mountain bike or from a canopy walk in the trees.
Mto wa Mbu
On several of our safaris you walk through the village with a local guide and stop for lunch with a family, cooked over a wood fire, with an explanation of each dish. Bicycle rides around the village can be added.
Through the year
In the wet season, large flocks of flamingos gather on the lake.
Getting there
Lake Manyara fits easily between Tarangire and the Ngorongoro highlands. Most of our journeys pass through on the way to the crater, with lunch in Mto wa Mbu.
Plan your time
Things to do here
More in Tanzania
Questions travellers ask
How far is Lake Manyara from Arusha?
About 130 kilometres, on the road to the Ngorongoro highlands.
What is there to do at Lake Manyara besides game drives?
A cultural tour, a mountain-bike tour and a canopy walk in the forest.
What happens in Mto wa Mbu?
A walk through the village with a local guide and lunch cooked by a family, who explain each dish.
Plan a journey that includes Lake Manyara National Park
Tell us when you would like to travel and what matters to you. We will suggest how long to give Lake Manyara National Park and what to pair it with.