Arusha National Park
Tanzania's most accessible park and one of its most beautiful. Mount Meru's dramatic slopes, the Momella Lakes turning pink with flamingos, black-and-white colobus monkeys in the forest and the option of canoeing on the crater lakes.
Arusha National Park Day Trip
Arusha National Park is the closest national park to Arusha town. Less than 30 minutes from the city centre. Yet it contains landscapes and wildlife that rival any park in Tanzania. Mount Meru, Africa's fifth-highest peak, dominates the park from its centre and the views of Kilimanjaro from the park (when clear) are among the best available anywhere. The Momella Lakes are a series of shallow alkaline lakes, each a different colour, all attracting large flocks of flamingos, pelicans and wading birds. The montane forest above the lakes is home to black-and-white colobus monkeys, one of Africa's most dramatic primates. And for something truly unique: a guided canoe safari on the lakes. One of the only places in Tanzania where you can experience wildlife from the water.
Your Day-Trip Experience
Guests are collected from their Arusha accommodation and travel the short distance to Arusha National Park with a private driver-guide, entering through the Ngongongare area before exploring the park's varied habitats at a pace shaped by wildlife activity and road conditions. The drive follows forest tracks and open clearings toward the Momella Lakes, where the guide interprets the landscape and looks for black-and-white colobus monkeys, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, waterbirds and other species that may be present, while Mount Meru and, on clear days, Kilimanjaro provide striking photographic backgrounds. A picnic lunch is included at a designated site, giving guests time to pause and enjoy the surroundings without interrupting the natural flow of the safari. Those who have pre-booked the optional canoe excursion can experience Big Momella Lake with an authorised paddling guide, subject to park conditions, while the standard tour continues by vehicle toward viewpoints around Ngurdoto Crater and the fig forest. After a final wildlife drive and photography stops selected by the guide, the group leaves the park and returns comfortably to its Arusha accommodation.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- Return transport from Arusha in private 4x4
- Expert English-speaking naturalist guide
- All Arusha National Park entry fees
- Bush picnic lunch
- Bottled water and soft drinks
- Binoculars
- Canoe safari (bookable add-on $35 per person)
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities
- Alcoholic beverages
- Personal items
Why Haven Trails Adventures
Every Haven Trails guide holds a Professional Tourist Guide Certification with 1,000+ guided field hours. Your day trip guide knows the location intimately. Where to go, when to be there and what to look for.
All day trips depart in a private 4x4 vehicle with full-day ground logistics, water, first aid, and a professional driver-guide. Never share your day trip vehicle with strangers.
Based in Moshi, Tanzania. Not a booking platform abroad. Our team knows current conditions, seasonal highlights and optimal timings for every destination we operate, updated daily.
Every day trip can be adjusted. Departure time, pace, additions, dietary requirements. Tell us who you are and we will design the best possible day for your group.
All guides carry first aid kits and satellite communication for remote destinations. Emergency protocols in place for every day trip location. Your safety is our first responsibility.
Haven Trails uses community guides where available, supports local conservation at every destination, and operates in strict compliance with TANAPA, NCAA, and MNRT regulations.