The Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers more than 8,000 km² (3,200 sq miles) from Serengeti in the north to the Great Rift Valley in the east. It includes the Ngorongoro Crater, Ndutu, Olduvai Gorge, Empakaai, Olmoti Crater and Oldonyo Lengai. Forests, valleys, savanna, craters, lakes and swamps support a remarkable range of wildlife.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Main attraction: The Ngorongoro Crater
The famous crater formed when a volcano collapsed two to three million years ago, creating a unique ecosystem. Today it holds the highest concentration of wildlife in Africa. Zebras, buffaloes, warthogs, baboons, elephants, flamingos and hippos thrive here, alongside predators including lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and leopards.
The Big Five—buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, rhino—can all be seen in this 20 km (12.5 miles) wide, 600 m (2,000 ft) deep crater. The views from the rim are spectacular. Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa's Seven Natural Wonders.
Wildlife in Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The crater floor and surrounding highlands host black rhino, lions, elephants, zebras, buffaloes, hippos, flamingos and ostriches. Predators and prey coexist in a natural amphitheatre. Rare black rhinos are a special draw.
The Maasai people live and graze livestock in parts of the conservation area, adding cultural depth to the experience.
Activities and experiences
- Crater floor game drive
- Visit Maasai village
- Visit Hadzabe tribe
- Olduvai Gorge (Cradle of Mankind)
- Mountain bike tour Lake Manyara
- Cultural tour Mto wa Mbu
Travel times
- Arusha to Ngorongoro: 3 hours
- Ngorongoro to Serengeti: 2 hours
- Ngorongoro to Lake Manyara: 1 hour
- Ngorongoro to Tarangire: 2 hours
Ready to experience Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
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