Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Visit the Ngorongoro Crater: how big it is, which animals live there, park fees, the best time to go and day trips or safaris from Arusha.
The Ngorongoro Crater & Beyond
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Africa’s most remarkable natural wonders. At its heart lies the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, often referred to as “Africa’s Garden of Eden.” This natural amphitheater, spanning 260 square kilometers, is home to an estimated 25,000 large animals, creating one of the highest wildlife densities in Africa. Beyond the crater, the conservation area encompasses vast highland plains, forests, and lakes. It is also a unique multi-use area where Maasai pastoralists live alongside wildlife. The nearby Olduvai Gorge, often called the “Cradle of Mankind,” is one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world, where some of the earliest human remains have been discovered.
Highlights
- The Ngorongoro Crater — The world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, teeming with wildlife. Incredible Wildlife Density — Home to approximately 25,000 large animals within the crater. Big Five Sightings — Excellent chance to see all Big Five, including the endangered black rhino.
Wildlife
- Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, endangered black rhino, Cape buffalo — Ngorongoro is Tanzania’s most consistent Big Five day. Herds: wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelle, hippo, eland, waterbuck, warthog. Predators and smaller carnivores: spotted hyena, cheetah, jackal, serval, bat-eared fox. Birds: about 400 species, including flamingos on Lake Magadi, ostrich and crowned crane.
Things to do
- Crater-floor game drive — A half- or full-day descent. Picnic sites only for leaving the vehicle. We aim for the early gate to stay ahead of traffic. Olduvai Gorge — The “Cradle of Mankind” on the Serengeti road — a short museum and landscape stop when the itinerary allows. Maasai highlands — Village visits and walking in the conservation area, not on the crater floor. Empakaai & Olmoti — Quieter volcanic craters and rim hikes for guests who want more than a single Ngorongoro day.
Best time to visit
- Any month — Game stays on the floor year-round. Low season can mean fewer vehicles and a more pleasant crater day. After rains · Lake Magadi — Higher water often concentrates flamingos in the centre of the crater. Dry months (June–October) — Clear skies, easier roads from Arusha, and the classic northern-circuit weather window.