The Ngorongoro Crater
The world's largest intact volcanic caldera holds one of the greatest year-round concentrations of wildlife in Africa.
Tanzania Conservation Areas
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
A vast volcanic caldera filled with wildlife, highland forests, Maasai homesteads and the cradle of mankind come together in one of the most extraordinary places on Earth.
- Location
- Northern Tanzania
- Known For
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Wildlife
- Big Five incl. black rhino
- Status
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Discover Ngorongoro
A world within a crater.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area lies on the northern Tanzania tourism circuit and covers about 8,292 km². Established in 1959 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is home to the vast Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest intact volcanic caldera, where the Big Five of elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhino can all be found on the crater floor.
Huge herds of wildebeest and zebra cross its plains during their annual migration, and livestock belonging to the semi-nomadic Maasai graze alongside wild animals. Hominin fossils found in the Olduvai Gorge date back millions of years, making Ngorongoro as important to human history as it is to wildlife.
Why Ngorongoro
Wildlife, people and history in one remarkable place.
Few places combine such dramatic scenery, dense wildlife and deep human history as the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Big Five & Black Rhino
The crater is one of the best places in Tanzania to see the endangered black rhino, alongside lions, elephants, buffalo and leopards.
Maasai Culture
Maasai pastoralists live within the conservation area, and visitors can learn about their culture at designated cultural bomas.
Cradle of Mankind
Olduvai Gorge and the Laetoli footprints hold some of the most important records of human evolution ever found.
Location
Where is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area lies in northern Tanzania between Lake Manyara and the Serengeti, about 180 km west of Arusha. The crater rim is roughly 3 to 4 hours' drive from Arusha, passing through the farming town of Karatu.
The conservation area forms part of the wider Serengeti ecosystem, together with Serengeti National Park, Loliondo Game Controlled Area, Maswa, Grumeti and Ikorongo game reserves and the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Its western plains merge into the southern Serengeti, where the wildebeest calve each year.
When to visit
Every season tells a different Ngorongoro story.
The crater offers excellent wildlife viewing all year round, while the surrounding plains change dramatically with the seasons.
Dry Season
Clear skies and excellent game viewing on the crater floor, with wildlife easy to spot in the short grass. Mornings on the rim can be cold.
Short Rains
Green scenery returns and the migration herds begin moving onto the southern plains around Ndutu.
Calving Season
The plains around Ndutu and Lake Masek fill with wildebeest giving birth, while the crater remains rewarding year-round.
Long Rains
Lush landscapes, fewer visitors and dramatic skies. Roads can be muddy, but the crater is beautifully green.
What is the best month to visit Ngorongoro?
Every month offers something special, from crater game drives to the calving season on the southern plains.
Calving season on the plains near Ndutu, with excellent crater game viewing and green scenery.
Peak calving month on the southern plains, with strong predator activity around the herds.
Calving continues and the landscape is lush before the long rains arrive.
Long rains bring dramatic green scenery and very few visitors to the crater.
The rains ease and the crater floor is at its greenest, with flamingos on Lake Magadi.
Dry season begins, with crisp mornings on the rim and clear views into the crater.
Excellent game viewing on the crater floor; pack warm layers for the early mornings.
Dry and clear, ideal for spotting black rhino, lions and elephants in the short grass.
Superb wildlife viewing continues, with the plains quieter as the migration is in the north.
Warm days and excellent visibility before the short rains begin.
Short rains refresh the landscape and herds begin to return toward the southern plains.
The migration arrives on the short-grass plains as the calving season approaches.
Explore the area
Discover the different faces of Ngorongoro.
The conservation area holds nine volcanic craters, highland forests, plains and gorges, each with its own character.
The heart of the NCANgorongoro Crater FloorGrasslands, swamps, the Lerai Forest and Lake Magadi support lions, black rhinos, buffalo, hippos and huge herds of plains game.
HighlandsCrater Rim & Highland ForestThe montane Northern Highland Forest Reserve on the crater's slopes feeds Lake Manyara and Lake Eyasi and shelters elephants and leopards.
Western plainsOlduvai Gorge & Shifting SandsThe cradle of mankind, where fossils record human evolution, and a remarkable black dune of volcanic ash that moves about 17 metres a year.
Northern highlandsEmpakaai & Olmoti CratersQuieter craters for walking safaris: Empakaai with its deep crater lake and Olmoti, source of the Munge River and its spectacular waterfall.
Wildlife
The greatest concentration of wildlife left on Earth.
The Big Five are very easily found in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and the crater is one of the few places in Tanzania where the endangered black rhino can be seen regularly. As part of the Serengeti ecosystem, the area supports one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife left on Earth.
Beyond the crater, the Olkarien Gorge in the Gol Mountains is a breeding site for hundreds of Rüppell's griffon vultures, Nasera Rock attracts klipspringers and birdwatchers, and the saline lakes of Masek and Magadi draw flamingos and other waterbirds.
12 animals to look for
Black rhino
Chance of seeingOccasional
Where to look: Open grassland on the crater floor
One of the best places in Tanzania to see this endangered rhino. Your guide will scan the open plains of the crater floor.
1 / 12
Lion
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Throughout the crater floor
The crater holds several prides, often seen resting in the open or hunting near the swamps.
2 / 12
Elephant
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Lerai Forest and the crater swamps
Mostly large old bulls with impressive tusks live on the crater floor, while breeding herds roam the highlands.
3 / 12
Buffalo
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Crater floor grasslands and swamps
Large herds graze the crater floor all year round.
4 / 12
Leopard
Chance of seeingRare
Where to look: Highland forest on the crater rim
More likely in the forests of the rim than on the open crater floor.
5 / 12
Spotted hyena
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Crater floor, especially at dawn
Very common and active on the crater floor, often seen near kills.
6 / 12
Wildebeest
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Crater floor and the southern plains
Resident herds live in the crater, while the migration fills the plains from December to March.
7 / 12
Zebra
Chance of seeingVery common
Where to look: Crater floor and plains
Common throughout the crater, often grazing alongside wildebeest.
8 / 12
Hippo
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Ngoitokitok Springs and crater pools
Seen wallowing in the springs and pools of the crater floor.
9 / 12
Flamingo
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Lake Magadi on the crater floor
Flocks gather on the soda lake, especially after the rains.
10 / 12
Golden jackal
Chance of seeingCommon
Where to look: Open grassland on the crater floor
Often seen trotting across the plains or waiting near predators' kills.
11 / 12
Serval
Chance of seeingOccasional
Where to look: Long grass and marshes
A beautiful spotted cat that hunts rodents in the crater's long grass.
12 / 12
Olduvai Gorge
Walk where humankind began.
Olduvai Gorge is one of the most important archaeological sites on Earth, holding a remarkable record of animal and human evolution from about 2 million to 15,000 years ago, with stone tools, thousands of animal fossils and the fossil bones of early hominids.
Nearby at Laetoli, three separate tracks of small-brained, upright-walking early hominids were miraculously preserved in volcanic ash some 3.6 million years ago. A visit to the Olduvai museum and gorge adds a fascinating human story to any safari.
Safaris to 中文
Ngorongoro safaris
Itineraries that include the Ngorongoro Crater, from short safaris to full northern circuit journeys.
Tanzania · 5 days
5-Day A Luxury Tour by Air (Mto wa Mbu, Ngorongoro, Serengeti)
Ngorongoro · Serengeti
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 9 days
9-Day Ultimate Tanzania Luxury Safari (Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Mto wa Mbu)
Tarangire · Ngorongoro · Serengeti
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 13 days
13-Day Exceptional Safari: Premium Northern Parks & 1 Southern Park
Tarangire · Lake Manyara · Serengeti · Nyerere
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 10 days
10-Day Exceptional Northern Tanzania Safari: A Luxury Tour by Air
Tarangire · Lake Manyara · Serengeti
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 5 days
5-Day Ultimate Fly-In/Out Safari from Arusha/Zanzibar
Serengeti · Ngorongoro
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 2 days
2-Day Ngorongoro Crater Luxury Safari Prodigy
Ngorongoro
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 5 days
5-Day Ultimate Luxury Fly-In & Out Prodigy
Serengeti · Ngorongoro
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 7 days
7-Day Lion Safari Experience
Tarangire · Serengeti · Ngorongoro · Lake Manyara
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Tanzania · 6 days
6-Day Elephant Safari Experience
Ngorongoro · Serengeti
Private & tailor-madePrice on requestView trip
Stay in 中文
Where to stay near Ngorongoro
From lodges on the crater rim to farm stays and tented camps in the Karatu highlands.
Platinum tier
Ngorongoro, TanzaniaAcacia Farm LodgeA quiet coffee-plantation retreat in the Karatu highlands, the perfect base before and after Ngorongoro.Coffee farm stayView lodge
Platinum tier
Ngorongoro, TanzaniaNeptune Ngorongoro Luxury LodgeAn all-inclusive retreat of twenty luxury log-cabin suites set in 50 acres of virgin bush just steps from the NgorongoroAll-inclusive luxury lodgeView lodge
Silver tier
Ngorongoro, TanzaniaAng’ata Ngorongoro CampA small, intimate tented camp on the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, perfectly positioned for early crater game drLuxury tented campView lodge
Silver tier
Ndutu, Southern Serengeti, TanzaniaNdutu Safari LodgeA classic, much-loved lodge among the acacias above Lake Ndutu, in the heart of the calving grounds.Classic safari lodgeView lodge
Gold tier
Ndutu, Southern Serengeti, TanzaniaLake Masek Tented CampStylish tents on the shores of Lake Masek, with a front-row seat to the calving season of the Great Migration.Lakeside tented campView lodge
Silver tier
Karatu, TanzaniaMarera Mountain View LodgeA comfortable highlands lodge in Karatu with warm fireplaces and panoramic mountain views, ideally placed between NgoronMountain-view lodgeView lodge
Gold tier
Karatu, TanzaniaNgorongoro Farm HouseA charming colonial-style farm lodge on a 500-acre coffee plantation at the foot of the Ngorongoro Crater, facing the OlCoffee farm stayView lodge
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The story behind Ngorongoro.
The Ngorongoro Crater was formed when a giant volcano, believed by some to have been taller than Kilimanjaro, collapsed in on itself around two to three million years ago, leaving the vast caldera we see today. The conservation area holds nine volcanic craters, with Lolmalasin the highest at about 3,700 metres.
Ngorongoro was established in 1959 as a multiple land-use area where wildlife and Maasai pastoralists live side by side, a rare model of coexistence. The Hadzabe and Datooga peoples also live in and around the area, and its unique combination of nature and culture was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Is the Ngorongoro Crater worth visiting?
Yes. It offers one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa, a real chance of seeing black rhino and breathtaking volcanic scenery.
How long should I spend at Ngorongoro?
Most visitors spend one full day on the crater floor, often with a night on the rim or in Karatu. Add extra time for Olduvai Gorge or walking safaris.
When is the best time to visit Ngorongoro?
The crater is excellent all year. June to October offers dry, clear game viewing, while January to March is the calving season on the nearby plains.
Can I see the Big Five in Ngorongoro?
Yes. The crater is one of the best places in Africa to see all five, including the endangered black rhino.
Is it cold at Ngorongoro?
The crater rim sits at over 2,200 metres, so mornings and evenings can be cold, especially from June to August. Bring warm layers.
Can Ngorongoro be combined with the Serengeti?
Yes. Ngorongoro and the Serengeti are commonly combined, and the drive between them crosses the southern plains past Olduvai Gorge.
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