The Ngorongoro Crater is a simply stunning safari destination, offering abundant wildlife, cultural immersion, and one of Africa’s most famous landscapes.
The Crater was once a volcano that erupted and exploded millions of years ago and is a famous wildlife destination supporting one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in Africa year-round.
As part of the Serengeti Ecosystem, Ngorongoro sits between the Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks. The Crater is the world's largest intact, unflooded caldera (or collapsed volcano). The volcanic soil is incredibly rich in nutrients, making for fabulous grazing grasslands, forests, and stream-fed swamps sitting 500 meters below the crater rim. These rich grasslands and permanent water sources feed enormous numbers of grazers, which provides the predators in the area with their food.
The enormous wildlife numbers mean game-viewing is excellent year-round; it's also among the best places to see black rhino in East Africa. This means that Ngorongoro Crater is often busy, sometimes very busy, and we'd recommend a short stay and then heading off to the quieter parts of the Serengeti. There are several luxury camps and lodges close to the crater rim, yet none as romantic as Ngorongoro Crater Lodge. Alternatively, stay elsewhere visit the Crater from some beautiful camps and lodges, which are a little further afield in the Greater Serengeti Area.
The crater floor is a UNESCO World Heritage Site conservation area. Attractions outside of the Crater include Olmoti and Empakaai Craters, Ol Doinyo Lengai, Oldupai Gorge, and the Shifting Sands.
If you’re dreaming of Africa, your journey has already begun!
