Safari vehicle in the groundwater forest of Lake Manyara
Game Drives
Explore forest, plains and lakeshore in one compact, richly rewarding drive full of variety.
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Flamingos on Lake Manyara beneath the Great Rift Valley escarpment — 2400×1400
Northern Tanzania · Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park
Compact, lush and astonishingly varied — groundwater forest, open plains and a vast soda lake beneath the dramatic wall of the Great Rift Valley. Famous for tree-climbing lions, flamingos and some of the finest birding in Tanzania.
ISmall but Mighty
A Jewel Beneath the Rift
Ernest Hemingway called it “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”, and it is easy to see why. Though one of Tanzania’s smaller parks, Lake Manyara packs an extraordinary variety of landscapes into a narrow strip between the towering wall of the Great Rift Valley escarpment and the shores of its shallow alkaline lake — which fills much of the park’s area.
In the space of a single game drive you pass from dense, spring-fed groundwater forest alive with baboons and blue monkeys, through acacia woodland and open grassy floodplains grazed by buffalo, zebra and wildebeest, to the lake edge itself, washed pink with flamingos and thronged with pelicans, storks and countless waterbirds. Add elephants, hippos, giraffes and the park’s famous tree-climbing lions, and Manyara delivers remarkable diversity in a compact, accessible package.
Just a short drive from Arusha and on the way to the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti, it makes a perfect, rewarding introduction to the northern circuit — a gentle half or full day of astonishing variety.
Part of Manyara’s charm is how quickly it shifts around you. One moment you are in cool, shaded forest with monkeys overhead and the sound of running springs; the next, out on open floodplains beneath vast skies, the pink smudge of flamingos on the lake and the great wall of the Rift rising sheer to the west. Few parks pack so much beauty and contrast into so small a space.
Lioness resting along the branch of an acacia tree — 1000×750
The Famous Lions
Lions in the Trees
Lake Manyara is celebrated for one of Africa’s more unusual sights: tree-climbing lions. While lions everywhere occasionally climb, Manyara’s prides are known for regularly lounging in the branches of acacia and sausage trees, draped along the boughs in the heat of the day.
Why they do it is still debated — escaping biting insects, catching a cooling breeze, or simply enjoying the view — but spotting a lion stretched out overhead is a special thrill and a photographer’s dream. Sightings are never guaranteed, but a patient guide who knows the park greatly improves your chances.
Beyond the celebrated lions, Manyara’s compact size means an unusually high chance of a rewarding day: large troops of baboons and blue monkeys in the forest, hippos wallowing in the pools, giraffe and buffalo on the plains, and elephants moving between the trees. Because everything is so close together, the variety of wildlife you can encounter in a single short visit is genuinely remarkable.
Birdlife
A Birdwatcher’s Dream
With more than 400 recorded species packed into its small area, Lake Manyara is one of the best and most accessible birding destinations in East Africa. The lake itself is the star: in the wet season it draws vast flocks of lesser flamingos, turning the shallows a shimmering pink, alongside great white pelicans, yellow-billed storks and countless waders.
The forest and woodland add their own riches — silvery-cheeked hornbills, crowned eagles, colourful barbets and more. Whether or not you consider yourself a birder, the sheer abundance and colour of birdlife here is captivating, and it makes every drive rewarding.
The spectacle peaks in the wet season, when the shallow lake swells and the flamingos gather in their greatest numbers, but there is wonderful birding here at any time of year. The forest, woodland and lakeshore each offer something different, making Manyara a place where every drive brings a new and often unexpected sighting.
Thousands of flamingos washing the lake shore pink — 1000×750
IIWhen to Go
The Best Time to Visit Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara is a genuinely year-round destination, and each season shows a different face. The dry season (June to October) is best for general game viewing, when animals gather and the tracks are easy — the classic time to combine Manyara with the wider northern circuit.
The wet season (November to May) is the park at its most beautiful and birdy: the landscape turns brilliant green, waterfalls tumble down the escarpment, and the lake swells to draw huge flocks of flamingos and migratory birds. This is the prime time for birding and photography, and the forest is at its most lush. As a compact park, Manyara is usually enjoyed as a half or full day, so it slots easily into any itinerary whatever the season.
IIIThings to Do
Ways to Experience Lake Manyara
Manyara offers more than game drives — its varied terrain lends itself to some wonderful extra experiences.
Treetop canopy walkway among the forest
Treetop Canopy Walk
Stroll a suspended walkway high among the forest canopy for a bird’s-eye view of this lush world.
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Birdwatcher photographing flamingos at the lake
Birding
With flamingos, pelicans and 400+ species, Manyara is a paradise for birdwatchers of every level.
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Steam rising from natural hot springs
Hot Springs
Visit the steaming Maji Moto hot springs at the southern end of the park, a curious natural highlight.
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The Rift Valley escarpment rising above Lake Manyara at sunset — 2400×1400
The Escarpment
Beneath the Wall of the Rift
Towering over the park to the west is the sheer, forested wall of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, rising hundreds of metres above the lake and giving Manyara its dramatic, hemmed-in beauty. At sunset the whole landscape glows — the escarpment in shadow, the lake alight, and flamingos rising in pink clouds against the darkening cliffs. It is a scene of extraordinary drama and beauty, and one that lingers long in the memory — the perfect close to a day among Manyara’s forests, plains and shining lake.
Start PlanningWhere to Stay
Lodges Above the Lake
Accommodation around Lake Manyara ranges from comfortable lodges perched dramatically on the rim of the escarpment — with sweeping views over the lake and plains far below — to characterful tented camps and intimate luxury retreats tucked into the forest and farmland nearby.
Because Manyara is so close to Arusha and on the road to Ngorongoro, it is easy to include as a first or last stop with a night nearby, or to visit en route. We match you to a base that suits your journey, your style and your budget.
Manyara is an easy drive from Arusha and sits directly on the road to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, so it slots effortlessly into a northern itinerary, whether as a gentle first taste of safari or a rewarding stop en route. We arrange all transfers and match the timing to make the most of the park’s forests, plains and lakeshore.
Lodge perched on the escarpment overlooking Lake Manyara — 1000×750
IVGallery
Lake Manyara in Pictures
Flamingos in flight over the pink lake
Tree-climbing lion resting in an acacia
Blue monkey in the groundwater forest
Elephant emerging from the forest
Pelicans gathered on the lakeshore
Giraffe browsing beneath the escarpment
“So much beauty in such a small place — forest, flamingos, and a lion asleep in a tree right above us. Manyara stole our hearts on day one.”
Grace & Peter M., New ZealandVGood to Know
Lake Manyara FAQ
Yes — being so close to Arusha and on the road to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, Manyara slots perfectly into the classic northern circuit, and can be paired with Tarangire and a Zanzibar beach finale.
As a compact park, Manyara is usually enjoyed as a half or full day, often on the way to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. Staying a night nearby lets you explore at a relaxed pace.
Manyara is rewarding year-round. The dry season is best for general game viewing; the wet season is spectacular for flamingos, birding and lush green scenery, with waterfalls on the escarpment.
Manyara’s lions are famous for climbing trees, but as with all wildlife, sightings can never be guaranteed. A patient, knowledgeable guide who knows the prides significantly improves your chances.
Exceptionally so — with over 400 species and huge flocks of flamingos and pelicans, it is one of the finest and most accessible birding destinations in Tanzania, wonderful even for casual observers.
Begin the Journey
Ready to Discover Lake Manyara?
Let us know your plans and we'll fold Manyara's forests, flamingos and tree-climbing lions into your northern-circuit adventure.