Lake Manyara National Park
A small park with an outsized variety of habitats — groundwater forest, acacia woodland, open grassland and a soda lake, all beneath the dramatic wall of the Great Rift Valley escarpment. Best known for its tree-climbing lions.
Known For
One of the few places in Africa where lions are known to climb into acacia trees.
The Lake
A shallow soda lake that attracts flamingos and other waterbirds, in numbers that vary with water levels.
A Shorter Visit
Compact enough to explore fully in a half or full day, making it an easy addition to a longer itinerary.
What Makes Lake Manyara Different
Lake Manyara packs a striking range of habitats into a small area — dense groundwater forest as you enter, opening into acacia woodland and grassland, with the lake itself and the Rift Valley escarpment as a backdrop throughout. It is best known for its tree-climbing lions, a genuine but not guaranteed sighting — the behaviour is well documented here, though the same lions can just as often be found on the ground.
Because it is compact, Manyara works well as a shorter add-on — a half or full day — alongside a longer Ngorongoro or Tarangire-focused itinerary, rather than a multi-day stop on its own.
Which of Our Safaris Visit Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara features on several of our itineraries, including our 3-day, 5-day and 12-day safari & Zanzibar packages. See our full Tanzania Safaris range to compare all of them.
Ready to Visit Lake Manyara?
Tell us your dates and we will build an itinerary that includes Lake Manyara alongside the other parks you want to see.