Tanzania · National Park
Ngorongoro Crater
Big Five inside the world's largest intact caldera
Overview
About the park
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Africa's true wonders — an unbroken 260 km² caldera teeming with all of the Big Five, including one of the last viable populations of black rhino on the northern circuit.
Size
8,292 km² conservation area · 260 km² crater floor
Best Time
Year-round; June–October is driest with the densest game viewing.
What to see
Wildlife you'll encounter
- Black rhino
- Lion
- Leopard
- African elephant
- Cape buffalo
- Spotted hyena
- Flamingo (Lake Magadi)
- Golden jackal
Highlights
Signature experiences
Crater floor game drive
A dawn descent for an almost-guaranteed Big Five day inside the caldera.
Lake Magadi flamingos
Soda lake stained pink by tens of thousands of lesser flamingo.
Olduvai Gorge
The 'Cradle of Mankind' — Leakey discoveries and a small museum on the way to Serengeti.
Empakaai & Olmoti
Less-visited sister craters for walking safaris with armed Maasai rangers.
Activities
Things to do
- Crater floor game drive
- Maasai village visit
- Olduvai Gorge archaeology
- Empakaai crater walking safari
Getting there
How to reach it
3-hour drive from Arusha via Karatu. Crater rim lodges are 30 minutes from the descent road. Usually paired with Serengeti.
