Camel Ride Safaris
Camel Ride Safaris in Arusha
Camel ride safaris offer a slower way to explore the dry plains and Maasai areas near Arusha. These trips can include short camel rides, cultural visits, walking routes, village experiences, and longer bush safaris depending on your time and interest.
Camel riding activities can be arranged around Meserani Snake Park and Mkuru Maasai village. Some experiences are simple half-day or one-day visits, while others include overnight
camping and longer routes toward Longido.
Camel rides are arranged with local handlers, with suitable routes, rest, and loads managed responsibly.
One-Day Maasai Cultural Activities
This one-day option can combine camel riding with selected cultural activities in the Mkuru area. The day can be shaped around your preferred pace, available time, and which activities are confirmed for that date.
Traditional Medicine Visit
You may ride or walk with your guide to visit a traditional healer in the Mkuru area. The visit can include learning about local plants, how they are understood in traditional practice, and the role of traditional knowledge in community life.
If available, the visit may include a local traditional healer and a guided walk of about 1 hour.
Art, Craft and Maasai Boma
You can also visit a cultural boma and meet Maasai women involved in beadwork and handcrafts. With your guide, you may learn how Maasai jewellery is made and, if you choose to buy gifts, support the local women's cooperative directly.
Local Maasai School
A school visit may also be included, giving you time to meet teachers, learn about the local education system, and understand more about community life in the area.
Later in the day, you may relax at camp, walk nearby, or enjoy bird watching. If arranged in advance, the evening may include a traditional youth dance connected with local celebrations.
One-Day Treks and Camel Safaris
Several one-day treks and camel safaris can be arranged from base camp, depending on weather, guest fitness, local guide availability, and the chosen route.
Baboon Cave Safari
The Baboon Cave route visits an area known for its cave, old colonial-era dam remains, and connection with local Maasai traditions. Baboons may return to the cave in the evening, although wildlife timing is never guaranteed.
The standard programme departs mid-morning, with lunch near the cave. In the afternoon, you explore the area with your guide and learn about local traditions before returning to base camp.
Guests who want to wait for the baboons may stay later, returning by moonlight and arriving back at base camp around 8:30 pm for dinner.
Oldonyo Landare / Mountain of Goats
This is a steep 3-hour trek from base camp to a viewpoint with wide views over Mount Meru, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Maasai Plains, and Momella Lake when the weather is clear.
Oldonyo Landare means "Mountain of Goats" in Maasai language.
The programme usually departs mid-morning, with lunch on the mountain. On the way down, you may stop at a Maasai village and visit a boma before returning to base camp in the afternoon.
Mguru Archaeological Trek
The Mguru archaeological trek focuses on local history, geology, and the landscape around the route.
During the walk, your guide may explain colonial-era remains, natural water pools in the canyons, and geological features connected with Mount Meru's volcanic history. The area may also include geological and fossil features, depending on the route and guide.
The programme usually departs mid-morning, with lunch near the geological site, an afternoon visit around the area, and a mid-afternoon return.
Multi-Day Camel Safaris
2 Days / 1 Night Bush Camel Safari
This short camel safari starts and ends at Mkuru Camel Camp.
The route passes near Baboon Cave and across plains toward Mount Longido. Depending on the day, you may see zebras, antelope, and other wildlife, but sightings are never guaranteed.
At night, guests eat by the fire and sleep in a bush camp. The safari returns to base camp in the afternoon of the second day, followed by the drive back to Arusha.
3 Days / 2 Nights Mkuru Camel Camp to Longido Village
This longer camel safari travels from Mkuru Camel Camp toward Longido village over 3 days.
The route crosses plains around Mount Meru and continues toward Mount Longido. Wildlife may include antelope, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, and many birds depending on the season and route.
After coffee at Mkuru Camel Camp, luggage is loaded onto the camels and the safari begins. Lunch and dinner are served in the bush along the way, and guests sleep in a mobile camp. The safari finishes around midday at Longido village on the third day, where a vehicle meets the group for transfer back to Arusha.
Book a Camel Ride Safari
Tell us how much time you have, your preferred activity level, and whether you want a short camel ride, a cultural day visit, a one-day trek, or a multi-day camel safari. We will confirm the available routes, what is included, and the best option for your travel dates.
