1-3 day long cheap safaris from Arusha ( or Dar es Salaam) and prices

Where will you be landing at and when? If you will be landing at Kilimanjaro airport, then Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro can be a priority before heading to Zanzibar. And if you will land at Dar es salaam, then Selous or Mikumi will be a priority.

We're arriving in Dar Es S from Poland in the mid January but we're also open to the idea of taking a bus to Arusha ( Plain sounds too expensive). Both options are possible

Keep an eye on airline websites like Precision..you might find cheapish fares to Kili or Arusha airport from Dar. If you are onabudget then visiting Ngorongoro might scare you, after you add up all the fees (4wd and driver hire, plus the vehicle entry fee and per person entry fee are all quite expensive.

Three days safari on budget will not be much expensive, you use camping accommodation book one double for parents and a single tent for the daughter. Car hire with driver guide will be around 150$ per day making it 450$ then accommodation will cost you from 400$ park fees contact a local operator they will help you much

PLUS park entry fees...and as th OP mentions NCCA as a option...fees there currently $295 for vehicle entry, plus something like $80 per person...per 24 hours.

I am headed there in late January to climb Kili and Mt Meru and have 3 days at the beginning where I am hoping to do a safari, finding that the prices for a solo 3 day safari are running about 1300 to 2000 USD, cheaper if you camp. I have a couple of cheaper quotes from operators that I have not been able to find much about. When you add up the national park fees you start to see why it is costing that much.

Thanx guys. If we 're flying to Dar in the mid of January and wanna do max 3 day long safari, should we do Selous or head to Arusha and do something up there. Tough decision, any (All) comments very appreciated. Pricewise, would Selous be (much) cheaper than Ngorongo with Lake Manyara? Then naturewise?