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Featured National Park Easy

Ngorongoro Crater

Arusha, Tanzania Full day (6–8 hours) 2300m altitude

Entry Fee

See operator

Best Time

Year-round; June–October best

Duration

Full day (6–8 hours)

Nearest Airport

Kilimanjaro Internationa…

About Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Africa's most extraordinary wildlife destinations. At its centre is the Ngorongoro Crater — the world's largest intact volcanic caldera at 260 square kilometres — a permanently enclosed ecosystem supporting approximately 25,000 large animals including one of East Africa's last stable black rhinoceros populations.

How to Get Here

3–4 hrs from Arusha.

Traveller Tips

  • Visit Olduvai Gorge on the drive to/from the Serengeti — add only 1–2 hours and enormous context

    Visit Olduvai Gorge on the drive to/from the Serengeti — add only 1–2 hours and enormous context

  • Ask your guide to prioritise the south-western floor for rhino sightings

    Ask your guide to prioritise the south-western floor for rhino sightings

  • Bring a warm layer for the crater rim even in dry season — altitude makes mornings cold

    Bring a warm layer for the crater rim even in dry season — altitude makes mornings cold

  • Vehicles are limited in the crater — book your descent slot in advance through your operator

    Vehicles are limited in the crater — book your descent slot in advance through your operator

  • Descend into the crater early — the 06:00 opening produces the best light and predator activity

    Descend into the crater early — the 06:00 opening produces the best light and predator activity

  • Pre-book Crater Descent

    Limited vehicles allowed daily; book ahead.

References & Citations

  1. 1
    IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — IUCN Species Survival Commission (2024)
  2. 2
    Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority – Official Site — Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) (2024)
  3. 3
    Tanzania National Parks – Official Authority — Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) (2024)
  4. 4
    Tanzania Tourism Board – Official Tourism Statistics and Information — Tanzania Tourism Board (2024)
  5. 5
    Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute – Official Research Portal — Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) (2024)
  6. 6
    African Wildlife Foundation – Tanzania Conservation Programs — African Wildlife Foundation (2023)
  7. 7
    Ngorongoro Conservation Area – UNESCO World Heritage Site — UNESCO World Heritage Committee (1979)
  8. 8
    Olduvai Gorge: A Case for the Humanity of NAN (Australopithecus boisei) — Leakey, M.D. (1971)

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Key Information

RegionArusha
CategoryNational Park
DifficultyEasy
Coordinates-3.161100, 35.587700
Altitude2300m
Permit RequiredYes

Seasonality

Open year-round.

Located in

Arusha

Arusha Region is Tanzania's tourism nerve-centre and the undisputed safari capital of East Africa. Nestled between the …

Explore region

-3.161100, 35.587700

Directions

More to Explore

Nearby in Arusha

Arusha City — Safari Capital of Africa

The undisputed safari capital of Africa — a cosmopolitan highland city of 416,000 people that launches 90% of Tanzania's northern circuit safaris.

Serengeti National Park

The greatest wildlife show on Earth — 1.5 million wildebeest thunder across 14,763 km² of endless savannah in the world's most spectacular annual migration.

Ngorongoro Crater

The world's largest intact volcanic caldera — a UNESCO World Heritage Site sheltering the densest concentration of wildlife in Africa, including all of the Big Five.

Olduvai Gorge

Cradle of humanity with Homo habilis fossils, museum, and guided gorge walks.

Mount Meru

4,566m volcanic peak with dramatic crater rim and Kilimanjaro sunrise views.

Lake Natron

East Africa's most otherworldly lake — a caustic soda lake that turns wildlife to stone yet supports the world's largest breeding colony of lesser flamingos.