Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha Region · Tanzania
The world's largest intact volcanic caldera, a natural amphitheatre holding black rhinos, lions and 25,000 large animals.
Photo: ArunprakashN92 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ngorongoro Crater is what remains of a giant volcano that collapsed some two to three million years ago, leaving a caldera about 20 kilometres across with walls rising 600 metres. The floor holds grassland, a soda lake, swamp and forest, and a permanent year-round water supply that keeps a remarkably dense collection of animals in place.
About 25,000 large animals live in the crater, including lions, hyenas, elephants, hippos, buffalo, wildebeest and zebra, and it is one of the best places in Africa to see the endangered black rhino. Lake Magadi hosts flamingos at times. Because the crater walls act as a natural enclosure, game viewing is excellent in any season.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a multi-use area, where Maasai pastoralists still graze their herds on the highlands. The crater rim sits at about 2,300 metres, so nights are cold and misty. Most visitors descend for a half-day game drive from a lodge on the rim, and the area also includes Olduvai Gorge, a key site in the study of early humans, and the Empakaai Crater.
Why visit
Ngorongoro offers one of the most concentrated wildlife experiences in Africa.
Animals everywhere in one compact area.
One of the best places to see them.
Dramatic landscapes from the lodges.
Pastoralists share the highlands.
Olduvai Gorge nearby.
Main attractions
The crater floor is the main draw, with several sights nearby.
A half-day drive among lions, hippos, elephants and wildebeest.
Tip Go early to beat the crowds.
A soda lake that attracts flamingos at times.
Tip Binoculars help.
A fever-tree forest where elephants and leopards sometimes hide.
Tip Look for large tuskers.
A palaeontological site where early human fossils were found.
Tip Visit the small museum.
A smaller caldera with a flamingo lake, reached on foot.
Tip Hire a ranger for the hike.
Sweeping views at sunrise and sunset.
Tip Dress warmly.
Things to do
Visits here are about game drives and short excursions.
Start the game drive at gate opening.
Tip Take a flask of hot coffee.
Ask your guide to search the grassland.
Tip Rhinos are often distant, so bring binoculars.
Hike the rim with a ranger.
Tip A change from vehicle safaris.
See a traditional homestead.
Tip Choose community-managed visits.
From your lodge terrace.
Tip Bring layers.
Near the crater hyena sites.
Tip Best in the morning.
Local food
Meals here are largely lodge meals, with simple local options in nearby villages.
Maize porridge with meat.
Where to try it Local restaurants.
Grilled meat.
Where to try it Roadside stops.
Flatbread.
Where to try it Lodges.
Spiced rice.
Where to try it Local restaurants in Karatu.
Grown on the slopes.
Where to try it Cafes in Karatu.
Accommodation
Most stays are on the rim or in nearby Karatu.
Transport
Most visitors arrive by road from Arusha.
Inside the conservation area you will need a 4x4 and a guide.
When to go
Dry months give the easiest roads and the best visibility, though the crater is good year-round.
Dry, cool and good viewing, but busier.
Short rains with greener scenery.
Warm, with fewer visitors and many calves.
Long rains, mist and lowest prices.
Worth planning around: April and May, when mist and mud can limit visibility.
Itinerary
A rim lodge and one game drive.
Arrival
The caldera floor
Travel tips
These tips help you plan.
FAQ
A half-day in the crater, plus an overnight.
No, vehicles only.
Often, but at a distance.
Most say yes for the density of wildlife.
Cool and misty at altitude.
Yes, it is on the usual route.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with Ngorongoro Crater, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Mara and Simiyu regions, northern Tanzania, Tanzania
A UNESCO-listed park of 14,750 square kilometres, home to the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra, big cats, balloon safaris and classic acacia-dotted savannah.
Don't miss Watching a river crossing or a lion pride at sunrise from an open safari vehicle.
Explore Destination — Serengeti National ParkManyara Region, northern Tanzania, Tanzania
Two compact parks on the northern circuit, famous for dry-season elephants, baobab landscapes, birdlife and the Rift Valley escarpment.
Don't miss Watching elephant herds feed beneath ancient baobab trees in the dry season.
Explore Destination — Tarangire and Lake ManyaraArusha Region, northern Tanzania, Tanzania
A bustling gateway city with markets, cafes and museums, plus Arusha National Park, Mount Meru treks and Lake Duluti.
Don't miss Walking among giraffes with a ranger in Arusha National Park, with Kilimanjaro on the horizon.
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