SAFARI

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

About Ngorongoro Conservation Area

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Tanzania’s most iconic natural wonders — a collapsed caldera holding roughly 25,000 large animals.

The crater is the most reliable place in Tanzania to see black rhino, and the only one where lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino share a single 260 km² floor. The highlands above it are Maasai grazing land and the start of the Empakai hike.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, gallery photo 1

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, gallery photo 2

Highlights

Black rhino on the crater floor

Descent road at first light

Empakai and Olmoti crater hikes

Olduvai Gorge on the way to Serengeti

Wildlife & landscape

Black rhinoLionElephant (big tuskers)BuffaloLeopardFlamingoGolden jackalServal

Season by season

Year-round

The crater floor holds water and grazing all year, so game viewing never really drops off.

Jun – Oct

Dry, dusty and cool on the rim. Descend at 6am to beat the vehicle traffic.

Nov – May

Green, dramatic skies, excellent birding, fewer vehicles on the descent road.

Practical notes

•Crater permits are issued for a six-hour window; we always take the first slot of the day.
•The rim sits at 2,300m and gets genuinely cold at night — bring a fleece.
•Rhino sightings are most reliable on the Lerai forest and Gorigor swamp side.
•Olduvai Gorge and a Maasai village visit fit neatly on the drive to the Serengeti.