Serengeti Safari PackagesLake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park is a small park on the Lake Manyara shore, 90 minutes to two hours from Arusha. This guide covers its size, its groundwater forest, the tree-climbing lions, its birds, the entry fees and the Serengeti safari packages that stop here. You can compare every listing on the Serengeti safari tours before you decide where Manyara fits in your route.
The Lake Manyara shore with giraffes, a warthog and flamingos on the water. Photo: John Mackenzie Burke, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer Lake Manyara at a glance
Lake Manyara National Park covers about 330 km² according to SafariBookings, and roughly two-thirds of it is the lake itself. Wikipedia gives different areas, shown in the table below. Non-East African adults pay $50 in peak season and $45 in low season to enter, VAT excluded. The drive from Arusha takes 90 minutes to two hours, and Mto wa Mbu is the nearest town at the northern gate.
Key takeaways
- See the exact entry fees, VAT note and night-drive prices in the fees and packages section.
- The 8-day migration safari lists Lake Manyara National Park among its stops and includes park fees and taxes.
- The 7-day luxury safari also includes Lake Manyara entry, with a Serengeti balloon flight on day 4.
- For the wider park, read the guide to Serengeti National Park and how Manyara compares on a northern circuit built around Serengeti safari packages.
What Lake Manyara Is
Lake Manyara National Park sits on the northwest edge of Lake Manyara. Sources disagree on its exact area, so both figures are given below.
The Basic Figures
The numbers below come from Wikipedia, SafariBookings and Africa Geographic. Where they disagree, both sides are shown so you can see the spread. The park has been protected since colonial times. Wikipedia records it as a game reserve in 1957, its upgrade to park status in 1960 and an addition of about 550 ha in 1974. UNESCO made the wider area a biosphere reserve in 1981. Ernest Hemingway set a hunting expedition near Lake Manyara in Green Hills of Africa, published in full on 25 October 1935.
If you are weighing Manyara against Tarangire National Park, Wikipedia puts the two parks about 70 km apart.
| Fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Park area | 325 km² including 230 km² lake, but the same article's infobox says 648 km² | Wikipedia |
| Park area, second reading | 330 km², about two-thirds of it lake | SafariBookings |
| Lake Manyara itself | About 470 km², up to 40 km long and 15 km wide, at 1,045 m altitude, pH near 9.5 | Wikipedia |
| Lake depth | Average 0.81 m in a 2010 survey, sometimes dries up completely | Wikipedia |
| Park elevation | 934 to 1,325 m | SafariBookings |
| Drive from Arusha | 90 minutes to two hours | Africa Geographic |
| Bird species | More than 390 documented in the park, more than 400 recorded per Africa Geographic | Wikipedia, Africa Geographic |
| Big Five | Four of the five, rhino absent | SafariBookings |
Forest, Lake and Escarpment
The park stacks three landscapes into a small area. At the gate, the groundwater forest is dominated by fig and mahogany trees. Africa Geographic records blue monkeys, baboon troops and thousands of pink-backed pelicans in that forest, and Impatiens Tours says Manyara holds the largest baboon troops in Africa. The forest north of the lake is a major breeding site for pink-backed pelicans and yellow-billed storks.
Beyond the trees, the shallow alkaline lake stretches south. A 2010 survey measured its average depth at 0.81 m, and it can dry up completely. High lake levels have removed the shoreline game-drive track that older itineraries describe, according to SafariBookings. The park covers only the northwest quadrant of the lake, roughly 200 km² of it.
At the southern tip of the lake, the Maji Moto hot springs exceed 60 °C per Africa Geographic, and klipspringer live near them per SafariBookings. Mto wa Mbu, at the lake's northern tip, offers cultural tourism canoe, fishing and bicycle trips. Night game drives are possible here under the tariff at $50 per adult.
Sources: Wikipedia, SafariBookings, Africa Geographic
Tree-Climbing Lions, Flamingos and Birds
Lake Manyara's reputation rests on three things: lions in trees, flamingos on the lake and a long bird list. None of these is guaranteed on any given drive.
The Tree-Climbing Lions
Africa Geographic attributes the tree-climbing habit to this park: the lions rest in acacia and sausage trees, and researchers still debate why, with biting insects the probable reason. The same source says the tree-climbing pride is most often found in the quieter southern section of the park. That is an attribution, not a promise.
A lion may be on the ground, out of sight or nowhere near the road on the day you visit, and no listing here sells a sighting. Treat the trees as a reason to allow time in the southern section, not as a certainty.
- Most likely place: the quieter southern section, per Africa Geographic
- Most likely trees: acacia and sausage trees
- Best months for game overall: June to October, per Impatiens Tours
Flamingos and the Bird List
A 1991 estimate counted 1.9 million non-breeding lesser flamingos and 40,000 greater flamingos at Lake Manyara, per Wikipedia. Those are historical figures, and the lake's water level changes what the shore holds, so treat them as what the lake can support rather than what you will see. Impatiens Tours puts the best months for birds and flamingos at November to June.
The park has documented more than 390 bird species per Wikipedia, and more than 350 have been seen on the lake itself. More than 40 birds of prey are documented. Pink-backed pelicans and yellow-billed storks breed in the forest north of the lake. For the full birding picture of the wider region, the guide to Serengeti animals lists what shares the ecosystem.
Sources: Africa Geographic, Wikipedia, Impatiens Tours
Lake Manyara National Park: Altezza Travel
Lake Manyara's lake shore, forest and wildlife on a game drive. Third-party video by Altezza Travel. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Fees and the Packages That Stop Here
The TANAPA tariff sets one fee for Lake Manyara, Tarangire and Arusha national parks. Most visitors meet these fees inside a package price, so the second half of this section shows which listings include Lake Manyara and what each costs.
Entry and Park Fees
Non-East African adults pay $50 per day at Lake Manyara in peak season and $45 in low season under the TANAPA tariff. Children aged 5 to 15 pay $15 per day. The tariff states all charges are VAT (18%) exclusive, so the gate price you finally see may sit above these figures. Hotel concession fees at Lake Manyara are $40 per adult per night and $10 per child. Fees once paid are non-refundable, proof of identification is mandatory at the entry gate, and conservation and vehicle fees cover multiple entry.
Two readings of the same tariff exist. Duma Explorer lists Lake Manyara and Tarangire entry at $59 for adults in high season and $53.10 in low season, which matches the tariff figure with 18% VAT added. The tariff's own line is the VAT-exclusive figure. Both are given so you can match whichever appears on your operator's quote. Night game drives at Lake Manyara cost $50 per adult and $25 per child aged 5 to 15 under the tariff.
| Fee | Amount | Source and note |
|---|---|---|
| Adult conservation fee, peak season | $50 | TANAPA tariff, VAT exclusive |
| Adult conservation fee, low season | $45 | TANAPA tariff, VAT exclusive |
| Child fee, ages 5 to 15 | $15 | TANAPA tariff |
| Adult entry, alternative source | $59 high, $53.10 low | Duma Explorer |
| Hotel concession, adult per night | $40 | TANAPA tariff |
| Hotel concession, child per night | $10 | TANAPA tariff |
| Night game drive, adult | $50 | TANAPA tariff |
| Night game drive, child 5 to 15 | $25 | TANAPA tariff |
Packages That Stop Here
Several listings in the catalog name Lake Manyara or its doorstep village. The 5-day camping safari at $1,320 per person runs through Tarangire, the Serengeti and the crater and adds Mto wa Mbu village on the way. It lists all fees and taxes as included and throws in a free Arusha hotel night before and after. The 8-day migration safari at $4,257 per person lists Lake Manyara National Park among its parks, with park fees and all taxes and VAT included, two nights in the northern Serengeti for the Mara River.
The 7-day luxury safari at $4,130 per person includes entry to Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, all fees and taxes, and a balloon flight with bush breakfast on day 4. None of these three promises a lion in a tree or a flamingo flock.
Sources: TANAPA tariff, Duma Explorer
A tree-climbing lion in Lake Manyara National Park. Photo: Wolves201, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Tips for Lake Manyara
Five things worth doing and four to avoid, each with the reason behind it.
Do
- Do carry identification to the gate, because the tariff states proof of identification is mandatory at entry.
- Do ask whether park fees are inside your package price, because several listings state their inclusions only as accommodation, meals and transport.
- Do allow time for the southern section if you want the tree-climbing lions, because Africa Geographic says the pride is most often found there.
- Do allow for the 90-minute to two-hour drive from Arusha when you place Manyara in your route, because Africa Geographic gives that range.
- Do visit between June and October for game or November and June for birds and flamingos, because Impatiens Tours gives those as the best windows.
Don't
- Don't count on the shoreline game-drive track, because SafariBookings says high lake levels have removed it.
- Don't expect a refund if plans change, because the tariff states fees once paid are non-refundable.
- Don't book a night game drive expecting it everywhere, because the tariff lists it for Tarangire and Lake Manyara and does not list it for the Serengeti.
- Don't assume the flamingo counts are current, because the 1.9 million lesser flamingo figure is a 1991 estimate and lake levels shift.
Lake Manyara Questions
Is it worth going to Lake Manyara National Park?
It is worth it if you want a compact park with a groundwater forest, a long bird list of more than 390 species and a shot at the tree-climbing lions, all within 90 minutes to two hours of Arusha. Africa Geographic records the forest, the hot springs above 60 °C and the pelican colonies as the draws. See which Serengeti safari packages route it into a northern circuit.
How big is Lake Manyara National Park and how much is lake?
SafariBookings gives 330 km² with about two-thirds of it lake, while Wikipedia's text says 325 km² including 230 km² of lake and its own infobox says 648 km², so the sources disagree. The lake itself is about 470 km² and the park covers only its northwest quadrant. Details are in the section on what the park is.
What do the tree-climbing lions of Lake Manyara climb?
They rest in acacia and sausage trees, and Africa Geographic reports that researchers still debate why, with biting insects the probable reason. The pride is most often found in the quieter southern section. No package, including the 7-day luxury safari, sells the sighting itself.
How much are the park fees at Lake Manyara?
Non-East African adults pay $50 per day in peak season and $45 in low season, and children aged 5 to 15 pay $15. The tariff states all charges are VAT (18%) exclusive. The full fee table, including the hotel concession fee of $40 per adult per night, is in the fees section.
How far is Lake Manyara National Park from Arusha?
Africa Geographic puts the drive from Arusha at 90 minutes to two hours, with Mto wa Mbu at the northern gate as the nearest town.
When is the best time to visit Lake Manyara?
Impatiens Tours gives June to October as the best months for game and November to June for birds and flamingos. SafariBookings says March and April are very wet, the high season runs July to March, and the northern section gets crowded. For the wider calendar across the ecosystem, see the guide to the best time to visit Serengeti.