Ngorongoro Crater: What It Is, Wildlife and How to Visit

Ngorongoro Crater is a large volcanic caldera in northern Tanzania, with a floor of about 260 square kilometres surrounded by walls about 600 metres high. It supports dense wildlife including lions, elephants, buffalo, hippos and rhinos, and is part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Most visits are a half-day or full-day descent into the crater. It is usually combined with the Serengeti and Lake Manyara. See the Serengeti and the 4-day Tarangire, Ngorongoro and Serengeti safari.

This guide is part of our East Africa travel guides. When you are ready to plan, see our Uganda safari packages or the Ameera Africa Safaris Uganda tours homepage.

Wildlife

The crater supports large herds of wildebeest and zebra, and a high density of predators. Rhinos are among the rarest sightings.

Plan a Visit

See Tanzania travel guide.

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Wildlife on the Crater Floor

The crater is a collapsed volcano about twenty kilometres wide, with walls rising six hundred metres. The floor holds lions, hyenas, elephants, buffalo, hippos, flamingos and one of Tanzania's few remaining black rhino populations. Because the animals stay in the crater year-round, sightings are reliable.

Visiting

Descent roads lead to the floor early in the morning, and you spend about six hours there. Bring layers because the rim is cool. Read Ngorongoro beyond the crater, Olduvai Gorge and our 4-day safari.

Related Tours, Guides and Resources

• Ameera Africa Safaris homepage: Uganda safaris, tours and holidays
• Uganda safari packages
• Uganda travel guide
• How to book a Uganda safari
• Plan your safari with our team