Ngorongoro Crater

About Ngorongoro Crater

Roughly **two to three million years ago, a vast volcano in what is now northern Tanzania erupted catastrophically and collapsed inward**, creating one of the largest intact volcanic calderas on Earth. The Ngorongoro Crater is **19 kilometres in diameter, 600 metres deep, and covers an area of 260 square kilometres** — a self-contained world with its own microclimate, its own water sources, and its own extraordinary concentration of wildlife. **An estimated 25,000 large animals live within the crater floor permanently**, including one of Africa's densest populations of lions, a significant population of **black rhinoceros (one of the most endangered animals on the continent)**, elephants, hippos, Cape buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, hyenas, cheetahs, and virtually every other large mammal species of the East African savannah. The crater walls act as a natural enclosure: **most animals born inside never leave**. The **Ngorongoro Conservation Area — a UNESCO World Heritage Site** — is managed differently from a conventional national park. **The Maasai people, who have herded cattle in this landscape for centuries, are permitted to graze their livestock within the conservation area** (though not in the crater itself). This coexistence between wildlife and pastoral culture gives the area a complexity and texture that pure wildlife reserves sometimes lack. The conservation area also contains **Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world, where Louis and Mary Leakey discovered fossils of early hominids in the 1950s and 1960s** that fundamentally reshaped our understanding of human evolution. The Ngorongoro Crater can be visited year-round, but **the dry season from June to October offers the best game viewing** as animals congregate around permanent water sources. The wet season from November to May brings lush green vegetation and excellent birdwatching, with migratory species arriving in large numbers. **Game drives descend into the crater each morning; visitor numbers are regulated** and the experience remains remarkably uncrowded compared to the Serengeti. The conservation area headquarters at the crater rim offers accommodation ranging from luxury lodges with extraordinary views to more modest options. The nearby Serengeti National Park and the Maasai communities of the surrounding region make excellent additions to any visit.

Highlights

• ✦ World's largest intact volcanic caldera, 19 km in diameter
• ✦ Home to about 25,000 large animals including the Big Five
• ✦ Often called 'Africa's Garden of Eden'

Practical info

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to visit Ngorongoro Crater?

Fees are charged per vehicle and per day, combining a Ngorongoro Conservation Area entry fee with a separate crater floor descent fee, together typically totalling roughly €276 or more per vehicle daily on top of your safari operator's guiding and vehicle costs. These government-set fees are usually built into the total price quoted by tour companies rather than paid separately by visitors. Costs are generally higher than for many other Tanzanian parks because of the crater's unique ecosystem and popularity.

How do you get to Ngorongoro Crater from Arusha?

There is no rail or scheduled public transport option; virtually all visitors travel by a private or shared 4x4 safari vehicle, taking roughly 3 hours to cover the 180 km from Arusha, often with a stop at Lake Manyara National Park along the way. Some higher-budget itineraries include a short domestic flight to an airstrip near the Ngorongoro Highlands followed by a shorter road transfer. Self-driving is technically possible with the right permits but almost all visitors book through a licensed safari operator.

How long do you need to visit Ngorongoro Crater?

A single full day inside the crater, entering early morning and exiting by late afternoon, is enough to see a good cross-section of wildlife across the crater floor's varied habitats, since the descent and ascent roads and daily entry structure limit overnight stays inside the crater itself. Most itineraries combine an overnight stay at a lodge or campsite on the crater rim with the game drive. Wildlife density is high enough that even a single day typically delivers strong sightings compared to larger, more spread-out parks.

What makes Ngorongoro Crater different from other safari parks?

The crater is a collapsed volcanic caldera roughly 20 km across, creating a natural, semi-enclosed bowl that concentrates an unusually dense and varied wildlife population, including one of Africa's better chances of spotting black rhino, within a relatively compact and easily viewable area. Because animals move less freely in and out of the crater compared to the open plains of the nearby Serengeti, sightings tend to be more reliable, though the compact area also means vehicles cluster more around sightings. Its combination of grassland, forest, swamp and lake habitats supports year-round resident populations rather than migratory herds.

Do the Maasai still live in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

Yes, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is unusual among Tanzania's protected areas in permitting Maasai pastoralist communities to live within its boundaries and graze livestock, under a multiple land-use model established when the area was separated from Serengeti National Park in 1959. Some community visits or cultural bomas can be arranged through operators, though these arrangements have sometimes drawn criticism over commercialisation and community consent. Grazing is restricted from the crater floor itself, which is reserved primarily for wildlife.

Explore more

• Tanzania
• Mount Kilimanjaro

Join the community

Track your visits to Ngorongoro Crater and other world miracles, rate your experience, and share photos with fellow travelers.