The Great Crater of Ngorongoro
Descend into the vast Ngorongoro Crater, where ancient volcanic walls surround a wildlife-rich floor of grassland, forest and soda lakes, creating one of Tanzania's most extraordinary safari landscapes.
At A Glance
Collection | Signature Safari Collection |
Journey Type | One Destination Safari |
Destination | Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania |
Recommended Stay | 4–6 Nights |
Choose From | 2 Luxury Lodges |
Nearest Airport/Airstrip | Arusha Airport, Lake Manyara Airstrip |
Wildlife Highlights | Black rhino, lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, cheetah, hyena, wildebeest, zebra, hippo, flamingo and abundant birdlife |
Ideal For |
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Fully Customisable | Yes |
Why You'll Love This Safari
Descending Into the Crater
There are few safari experiences quite like driving down through the forested crater wall and watching the Ngorongoro Crater unfold below you. The descent itself becomes part of the experience before you even reach the wildlife-rich floor.
Wildlife in the Walls
The Crater supports an extraordinary concentration of wildlife, with lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, cheetah, hyena, wildebeest, zebra, hippo and black rhino all found within the wider area. The open floor and surrounding walls create a dramatic setting for game viewing.
The Black Rhino
Ngorongoro is one of Tanzania's important places for encountering the endangered black rhino. Seeing one moving across the open crater floor, often with the ancient walls rising behind it, is one of the defining wildlife experiences of the area.
The Highlands Beyond the Crater
Ngorongoro is much more than the famous caldera. The surrounding highlands are a landscape of mountain forests, volcanic peaks and smaller craters, giving the safari a completely different character once you leave the Crater floor.
Walking Through Ancient Volcanoes
The Conservation Area offers the opportunity to experience its volcanic landscape on foot, including walks around Olmoti and Empakaai Craters. Moving through the highlands with a guide gives you a slower, more intimate perspective of a landscape that is usually experienced from a vehicle.
Flamingos, Forests and Open Plains
The variety of habitats around Ngorongoro means the experience changes constantly. You can move from dense highland forest to open grasslands and crater lakes where flamingos gather, with each landscape bringing its own wildlife and atmosphere.
Lodges In Our Portfolio
The Great Crater of Ngorongoro is built around two carefully selected lodges, each offering a very different way to experience the Conservation Area. Ngorongoro Lion's Paw places you close to the Crater for convenient access to the floor, while The Highlands takes you deeper into the surrounding highlands, combining its proximity to the Crater with a more immersive mountain and forest experience.
Ngorongoro Lion's Paw
Perched on the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, Ngorongoro Lion's Paw puts one of Tanzania's most remarkable wildlife destinations almost immediately at your doorstep. Just minutes from the crater descent, its elevated position offers sweeping views across the caldera, while the camp itself provides a comfortable, intimate base for days spent exploring the crater floor. Early starts are particularly rewarding here, allowing guests to reach the crater before the day becomes busier and spend more time among its lions, elephants, buffalo, zebra and, with luck, endangered black rhino.
Best Suited For
Travellers wanting to maximise their time in the Ngorongoro Crater
Wildlife enthusiasts and photographers
Couples seeking a comfortable and scenic crater-rim stay
Families looking for spacious accommodation and easy crater access
First-time visitors to Ngorongoro
Guests who value location and wildlife over an elaborate lodge experience
Lodge Atmosphere
Scenic • Intimate • Comfortable • Welcoming
The Highlands
High in the Ngorongoro Highlands on the forested slopes of Olmoti Crater, The Highlands offers a very different way to experience this extraordinary part of Tanzania. Its distinctive geodesic domes are tucked into the landscape, opening onto sweeping views of volcanic forests, grasslands and distant mountains. The crater itself remains an essential part of the stay, but here the experience extends beyond a game drive: guests can hike into Olmoti, explore Empakaai Crater, meet local Maasai communities and return to a warm, beautifully designed camp where the high-altitude landscape remains ever-present.
Best Suited For
Travellers who want more than a traditional crater safari
Design-conscious guests drawn to distinctive architecture
Couples and honeymooners seeking a romantic mountain retreat
Active travellers interested in hiking and exploring the highlands
Families looking for a unique safari experience
Guests wanting a quieter, more immersive experience of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Lodge Atmosphere
Architectural • Serene • Immersive • Contemporary
Sample Itinerary
Recommended Stay: 4 Nights | 5 Days
Four nights allows you to experience the Ngorongoro Crater without reducing the destination to a single game drive. Your stay can combine time on the Crater floor with the surrounding highlands, depending on your chosen lodge, interests and the rest of your Tanzania itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival
Fly into Lake Manyara Airstrip and meet your safari guide.
Travel into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with the highlands unfolding as you climb towards the Crater.
Arrive at your lodge and settle into your accommodation.
Enjoy your first afternoon at leisure or take part in a lodge-based activity where available.
Inclusions: Air transfer, lunch, afternoon game drive, sundowners, dinner.
Days 2-4
Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a full day of game viewing.
Search the crater floor for lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, black rhino, cheetah, hyena and large herds of plains game.
Explore the surrounding highlands and forests on foot where appropriate.
Visit Olmoti or Empakaai Crater depending on your chosen lodge and interests.
Take time to experience the landscapes, wildlife and cultural character of the wider Conservation Area.
Inclusions: Morning drive with coffee and snacks, breakfast, lunch, afternoon game drive, selected activities where applicable, sundowners, dinner.
Day 5: Departure
Enjoy breakfast at the lodge before departing the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Transfer towards your next destination or onward to the airport.
Inclusions: Morning drive with coffee and snacks, breakfast and/or lunch, air transfer.
The All Out Safaris Perspective
Ngorongoro is one of those places where the landscape becomes part of the safari.
You climb through the forest, reach the rim and suddenly the entire Crater opens beneath you, with wildlife scattered across the floor and ancient volcanic walls rising all around.
For us, the experience is about more than the famous view. It is descending into the Crater, watching rhino and lion move across the grasslands, then returning to the highlands where forests, mountains and old volcanic landscapes create an entirely different side of Ngorongoro. It is a destination that feels both immense and intimate at the same time and one that rewards taking the time to experience it beyond a single game drive.
Questions about this safari
What wildlife can I expect to see?
The Ngorongoro Crater is home to the Big Five, alongside cheetah, hyena, wildebeest, zebra, hippo and numerous antelope species. Black rhino is one of the area's particularly important wildlife sightings, while flamingos and other waterbirds can be found around the crater lakes.
Will I see the Big Five?
The Serengeti is a year-round safari destination. The best time depends on whether you are interested in a particular stage of the Migration, predator viewing, quieter travel periods or a specific region of the ecosystem.
Which lodge should I choose?
Ngorongoro Lion's Paw is best suited to travellers who want a convenient and intimate base close to the Crater, particularly those prioritising an early and efficient Crater experience. The Highlands is better suited to travellers who want to experience the wider Ngorongoro Highlands, with hiking, forest and crater experiences forming part of the stay. It is also particularly appealing to couples and families looking for a more distinctive lodge experience.
Is Ngorongoro suitable for families?
Yes. Both lodges can work for families, although the experience differs between them. The Highlands specifically welcomes children aged five and older and has a family suite.
Can I hike in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
Yes. Guided walking experiences are available in parts of the Conservation Area, including around Olmoti and Empakaai Craters. The Highlands is particularly well positioned for incorporating these experiences into your stay.
Can I visit Maasai communities?
Yes. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a multiple-use landscape where wildlife conservation exists alongside Maasai communities. Cultural experiences can be incorporated into a safari where appropriate.
Can I combine Ngorongoro with the Serengeti?
Yes. Ngorongoro and the Serengeti are one of the most natural combinations in northern Tanzania, allowing you to experience the concentrated wildlife of the Crater alongside the vast open landscapes of the Serengeti.
Can I combine Ngorongoro with Lake Manyara?
Yes. Lake Manyara works particularly well as part of a northern Tanzania circuit, giving you a very different landscape of groundwater forest, wetlands and soda lake before or after Ngorongoro.
How do I book this safari?
Simply complete the enquiry form below. We'll then hop on a consultation call to discuss and prepare a personalised safari proposal with recommended accommodation, itinerary options and pricing for you to review.
Similar Safaris
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