Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara National Park is a stunning safari destination, known for its breathtaking scenery and vast soda lake, which covers almost 75 percent of its surface. The park teems with wildlife, from large troops of baboons in the forests to herds of elephants and the famous tree-climbing lions. Around the lake, you’ll find buffaloes, warthogs, giraffes, wildebeest and zebras, along with abundant birdlife. The extremely diverse landscapes— from lush acacia woodlands and dense jungle forest to towering mountain cliffs and open grasslands — make this a haven for nature lovers.

Rift Valley Escarpment

Lake Manyara is also the perfect place to witness the spectacular 400-meter-high Rift Valley Escarpment. The Great Rift Valley is a long rift in the earth which runs down the eastern side of Africa. It was formed about 20 to 25 million years ago when the earth’s crust teared apart, and this enormous feature is so vast it can even be seen from space (like two lines running down Africa). Its varied terrain provides unique ecosystems that support an impressive variety of flora and fauna.

Check our Tanzania safaris to see how Lake Manyara can be incorporated into your itinerary.

Excursions and activities in Lake Manyara National Park

• Night game drive
• Canopy walk/ Treetop Walk
• Mountainbike tour Lake Manyara
• Cultural tour Mto wa Mbu
• Visit Maasai tribe
• Visit Hadzabe tribe

Travel time Lake Manyara

• Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park: 2,5 hours’ drive
• Lake Manyara National Park to Tarangire National Park: 1 hour
• Lake Manyara National Park to Ngorongoro Conservation Area: 1 hour
• Lake Manyara National Park to Serengeti: 3,5 hours

Travel tips from our experts about Lake Manyara

My name is Mark and I am a safari guide for 15 years at Lake in Lake Manyara National Park.
Since this is one of the smaller parks in northern Tanzania it’s easy to combine excursions or activities with a game drive. Our guests like the cultural tour on the mountain bike, but also activities like the canoeing safari and Treetop Walk.

How long to stay? 1 day

Which hotel? Our guests love Lake Manyara Hotel, due to the spectacular views, friendly staff and delicious food.

Best time to visit Lake Manyara

The best time to see large animals in Lake Manyara is during the dry season, from July till October. If you are a bird lover you can better visit the park from November till June. During this season you can spot abundant birdlife – think pelicans, African fish eagle, hornbill, hamerkop, black heron, little bee-eater and many more.