Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater Safaris

Few safari destinations deliver the same experience as the Ngorongoro Crater. There are bigger and wilder parks but if you want some of the easiest and most rewarding game viewing in East Africa, an Ngorongoro Crater safari won’t disappoint.

A can’t-miss destination on Tanzania’s star-studded Northern Safari Circuit, the Ngorongoro Crater offers a classic Big 5 safari experience in the unique setting of an ancient volcanic caldera. Home to some 30 000 animals, the crater’s surprisingly diverse habitats are revealed on an Ngorongoro safari on all-day guided game drives; the scenery is spectacular, predators are abundant and it’s not unusual to see the Big 5 in a single day.

There’s amazing accommodation perched right on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, offering some of the best views in Africa, if not the world. Staying at these prime-location lodges will put you first in the queue to drive down to the crater floor in the morning but for more affordable Ngorongoro safari accommodation in an equally tranquil and not much less scenic setting, head for the town of Karatu, set some 20km south from the crater in the green rolling hills of the Karatu Highlands.

Here you’ll find several excellent lodges, some set on working coffee plantations and offering a range of additional activities that aren’t so accessible to visitors staying on the rim of the crater. Activities range from game drives to nearby Lake Manyara and local bird watching to cultural visits and mountain biking.

A hassle-free, ideal destination for first-time safari visitors and families, the wide range of resident wildlife and the ease with which the animals can be observed makes an Ngorongoro Crater safari an obvious choice for wildlife photographers too. The romantic cliff-top lodges provide the perfect base for a Ngorongoro honeymoon, while visitors who want to maximise their Tanzania safari experience will find that the Ngorongoro Crater combines seamlessly with the Serengeti, Tarangire and Lake Manyara.

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When Is The Best Time To Visit Ngorongoro crater?

Although the roads around the caldera can get rather muddy, the best time to visit the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania is during the April to May rainy season. There are far fewer visitors this time of the year, and the crater is wonderfully lush and green compared to the dusty dry-season landscape. High visitor numbers can be expected during the July to September peak season, and again during the December to February calving season that follows the November rains.

With Ngorongoro’s wildlife remaining in the steep-walled crater all year round, the question of when to go on Ngorongoro Crater safaris is less about optimising your game viewing experience and more about how many other people and vehicles you want to share the crater with.

Month By Month Guide For Visiting The Ngorongoro Crater:

Visiting Ngorongoro crater From January To May.

January is a great time for visiting the Ngorongoro Crater because it’s breeding season for the wildebeest in the area. The herds have what’s known as a “mass calving” on the green plains just outside the crater, making for excellent photo opportunities of newborns struggling to get on their feet. The months of January and February fall between the two rainy seasons that the area experiences annually, and these months can offer a dry spell between the ‘short rains’ and ‘long rains’.

February is one of the drier months before the rains begin near the end of March in the crater. This is an excellent time for game viewing, especially for predator sightings of lion and hyena preparing to hunt the abundant herds.

March is considered one of the best times to visit the Ngorongoro Crater to avoid the crowds and take advantage of reasonable rates. The ‘long rains’ begin to fall near the end of March and continues into April and May, transforming the crater into an emerald paradise.

Travelling To The Ngorongoro crater From June To October

June is one of the best times to visit the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The ‘long rains’ have come to an end and game drives are relatively less crowded. Peak season for a safari in the Ngorongoro Crater only kicks off towards the end of June or in early July. The cooler weather is also ideal for climbing Kilimanjaro during this month, which is a popular add-on to a Ngorongoro safari.

When visiting the Ngorongoro Crater, July and August fall within peak season and accommodation around the crater is generally quite full during these months. The reason why people flock from all over the world during the dry season is the visibility of wildlife along the barren plains, and their high frequency visits to watering holes. This is when it is commonplace to see the likes of leopard, lion, rhino, buffalo, and elephant all in one day.

September marks the start of spring but still falls under the very popular dry season in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The crater can be chilly at this time of year. The dry weather over the past few months leaves parts of the crater floor looking like a dusty bowl and the turns the grasslands yellow.

October is a transitional time weatherwise in the Ngorongoro Crater, as the beginning of the month is the height of the long dry season and the ‘short rains’ begin just before November.

Visiting The Serengeti From November To December

The Ngorongoro Crater is warm and occasionally wet during November and December. This is the period of the ‘short rains’ but the rain occurs in short bursts, usually as afternoon showers that rarely affect safaris. The first migrant birds arrive with the rainfall in November, making this one of the best times to visit the Ngorongoro Crater for birdwatching.

Ready to Start Planning Your Visit to the Ngorongoro Crater?

Chat with someone who’s been there. Get in touch with one of our Africa Travel Experts to help tailor-make a trip to the Ngorongoro Crater that’s right for you:

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Ngorongoro Crater Travel Advice

For general information on travelling to Tanzania, visit our Tanzania travel advice page.

Flights & Getting Around

Arusha Airport: located just outside the town of Arusha, Arusha Airport is the gateway to the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Tarangire but you’ll need to get there via Kilimanjaro International Airport, located about 50km away.

Kilimanjaro International Airport: fly into Kilimanjaro from Dar es Salaam, Nairobi or directly from Europe and transfer to Arusha Airport but note that international flights often arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport late at night, so an overnight in Arusha is usually necessary.

However, as the Ngorongoro Crater is only a 3.5hr road trip from Arusha, many travellers prefer to make the final transfer to their accommodation at the crater or in the nearby town of Karatu by road. Game drives and road transfers in the Ngorongoro Crater region are conducted in open-sided 4X4s.

Top Travel Tips for the Ngorongoro Crater

Choose your accommodation carefully: lodges on the crater’s rim have out-of-this-world views and the quickest access onto the crater floor but the nearby town of Karatu has a wider range of accommodation and activities.

Prepare to share: at only 260 km² the Ngorongoro Crater gets pretty crowded during the dry seasons, especially around good animal sightings and popular lunch spots. For the lowest visitor numbers in the Ngorongoro Crater, travel during the April to May rainy season.

Bring the kids: the abundance of animals and its many child-friendly lodges means the Ngorongoro Crater is an ideal destination for a family safari.

Wrap up in winter: the Ngorongoro Crater’s geography means that you can expect cold weather between June and August.

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Chat with someone who’s been there – get in touch with one of our Africa Safari Experts to help tailor-make your Ngorongoro crater safari:

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Ngorongoro Crater Tours and Safaris

The Ngorongoro Crater is rarely visited in isolation and tends to be part of a larger East African itinerary, combining the wildlife wonders of the Crater itself with the migration spectacle of the Serengeti and the laid-back ambience of Zanzibar’s golden beaches.

Ngorongoro Crater safaris are however truly unforgettable. The Crater is justly famous as being home to perhaps the most concentrated density of wildlife in Africa and offers some of the easiest Big 5 game viewing available.

Ideal for wildlife enthusiasts, families and romantics, our selection of safaris that include the Crater includes adventure trips, Kenya and Tanzania combination holidays and Ngorongoro Crater honeymoon itineraries.

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Best Ngorongoro crater Lodges & Camps

As one of the highlights on many East African itineraries, the Ngorongoro Crater is exceptionally popular. When deciding which Ngorongoro Crater accommodation to book, it pays to be aware not only of the availability of accommodation but also accessibility to the crater itself as well as your budget.

The lodges set on the rim of the crater are exclusive and luxurious. Their views are perhaps among the most spectacular in the world, the service world-class and they make for a perfect Ngorongoro honeymoon. You’ll also be first in the queue to descend into the crater in the morning for your game drive.

However, although visitors who stay close to the crater in the nearby town of Karatu will travel for around an hour before reaching the caldera, the accommodation here is more affordable, smaller and more intimate. Moreover, many of the lodges and guest houses offer additional activities such as local walking tours and horse riding.

Browse our comprehensive list of Ngorongoro accommodation – there are lodges and manor houses, camps and hotels – to find something that best suits you or simply contact one of our Africa Safari Experts for advice on the ideal place to stay.