Ngorongoro Crater

After registering at the park gate, your vehicle begins the spectacular descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most biologically rich safari destinations on Earth. The drive down offers panoramic views of the crater floor and its surrounding escarpment.

The crater spans over 260 square kilometers and acts as a natural enclosure for an extraordinary density of wildlife. During your game drive, you’ll have the opportunity to see lions, elephants, zebras, wildebeests, buffaloes, and rhinos, among others. Ngorongoro is one of the few places in Tanzania where you can spot all of the Big Five in a single day.

The landscape changes as you drive, ranging from open grasslands and acacia woodlands to Lerai Forest, home to elephants and leopards, and the seasonal Lake Magadi, where flocks of flamingos and hippos are commonly seen.

Around midday, your guide will set up a picnic lunch at a designated site near a hippo pool or under a shaded acacia tree, where you can relax and enjoy your meal surrounded by wildlife and nature’s sounds.

Throughout the day, your guide will share fascinating facts about the geological history of the crater, Maasai culture, and the unique conservation efforts that allow wildlife and pastoralists to coexist in the area.

By 4:30 – 5:00 PM, you’ll ascend the steep crater wall and begin your return journey to Arusha, arriving at your hotel in the early evening. This unforgettable experience offers a rare opportunity to see a concentration of wildlife in one of the most spectacular natural settings in Africa.