Ngorongoro Crater: The Best Game Drive in Africa, with Caveats

The Ngorongoro Crater is a collapsed caldera 19km across and 600 metres deep. About 25,000 large animals live on its floor year-round because the walls make natural containment. There is no migration here; what you see is what’s there permanently. The lion density is among the highest on the African continent. Black rhino, which are extinct or nearly so in most of East Africa, survive here in small numbers. The floor holds elephant, buffalo, hippo, wildebeest, zebra, hyena, and a serious variety of raptors.

The caveats: Ngorongoro is on every Tanzania safari circuit, which means it’s the most visited part of the northern circuit. During high season (July-September), the crater floor can have dozens of vehicles clustered around kills simultaneously. This doesn’t ruin it, but it reduces the wilderness quality. Early starts (gates open at 06:00) and mid-week visits reduce the density somewhat.

The Game Drive

Vehicle access to the crater floor requires a 4WD and runs about $75 per vehicle per day in crater fees on top of the conservation area fee ($80 per person per day). Descend via Lemala or Seneto gates; ascend via Lerai Forest gate. Plan for 6-8 hours on the floor. The hippo pool near the Ngoitokitok picnic site (where you can eat outside your vehicle under supervision) is usually reliable for hippos. The Lerai Forest holds the elephants and can also give leopard sightings in the acacia canopy.

The black rhino population is around 26-30 animals. Sightings are not guaranteed; ask your guide or camp staff whether any have been seen recently on the floor.

The Conservation Area Beyond the Crater

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area also encompasses Olduvai Gorge (now officially Oldupai Gorge), where Louis and Mary Leakey found Homo habilis remains in 1960. The gorge is 45km northwest of the crater; the small museum there covers the paleoanthropological significance clearly. Entry is included in the conservation area fees. For anyone with an interest in human evolution, it’s genuinely significant ground to stand on.

The Empakai Crater, 30km northeast of Ngorongoro, has a lake surrounded by walls covered in dense montane forest. Flamingos feed in the lake. It’s much less visited than Ngorongoro and requires a guide.

Staying

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge on the rim is the famous option: thatched “Maasai-meets-Viennese-baroque” suites perched at 2,400 metres with crater views. Rates from around $1,500 per person per night all-inclusive. It’s an extraordinary place to stay. Lemala Ngorongoro offers high-quality tented accommodation at a somewhat lower price.

For budget travellers, the government-run Simba campsite on the crater rim is basic (bring your own food and gear) at around $50/night. It is cold at night at 2,400 metres; pack accordingly.

Getting There

Ngorongoro is typically combined with Serengeti; the drive between them runs through the conservation area and takes 2-3 hours. The nearest airport is Kilimanjaro International (KIA) near Arusha, 4-5 hours by road. Several operators fly small aircraft directly to airstrips near the crater.