Ngorongoro Crater Safaris

Safaris to the Ngorongoro crater are available throughout the year, and the location is renowned for being among the best in Tanzania for wildlife sightings. Numerous additional sights can be observed when on a safari in and around the Ngorongoro conservation region. The dry season, which lasts from June to October, is the ideal time to visit the Ngorongoro crater because the temperature is pleasant. Visitors can travel to the Ndutu area, which is a part of the Ngorongoro conservation area, in December, January, February, and March to view the wildebeest migration. As the calving season progresses, wildebeests may be observed grazing around the Ndutu area, attracting numerous predators like lions, leopards, and cheetahs, among others. During the calving season, almost 8,000 calves are born in the Ndutu region.

Tanzania’s Ngorongoro crater is a great place to go for wildlife photography and boasts a stunning landscape as well. During their safaris, visitors can marvel at the breathtaking vistas of Ngorongoro from the crater viewpoint. The Ngorongoro crater is noteworthy because it is the largest dormant caldera in the world, measuring over 260 square kilometers. During game drives and other activities at the location, visitors can see a vast variety of wildlife species in and around the 600-meter-wide Ngorongoro crater.

Over 2 million years ago, an active volcano collapsed, creating the crater. During wildlife safaris in the Ngorongoro crater, it is easy to spot the many animal species because of the crater’s sheer walls, which serve as a sort of natural boundary that keeps them contained within it. The Ngorongoro conservation area has grassland, woodland, and forested areas, all of which provide a home for the destination’s wildlife species. Kudu, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, hyenas, warthogs, buffaloes, impalas, rhinos, lions, wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, hippos, hartebeest, waterbucks, and reedbucks are just a few of the numerous wildlife species that can be seen in and around Ngorongoro. The Ngorongoro conservation area is home to numerous predators, many of which can be seen around calving season. The endangered black rhinos can also be seen when on a wildlife drive across the area surrounding the Ngorongoro crater.

What to see in the Ngorongoro crater?

A popular tourist destination near the Ngorongoro conservation area is the archaeological site known as the Ol Duvai gorge, popularly known as the cradle of humanity. Dr. Louis and Mary Leakey made the discovery of human fossils in the Ol Duvai gorge. To understand more about the discoveries uncovered at Ol Duvai, you can also visit the museum while taking a tour of Ngorongoro.

Birds in Ngorongoro crater: Over 400 different bird species call the Ngorongoro crater home, and they can be observed while on a trip. Ostriches, spoonbills, rufous-tailed weavers, starlings, and other birds can also be observed in Ngorongoro, in addition to the flamingos that can be seen nearby. From November to April, when migrating bird species are present in the area, is the best time to watch these birds while on a safari.

On a visit to the Ngorongoro conservation region, you can also communicate with the Maasai people. Living close to Ngorongoro, the Maasai are well known for their own culture and way of life. When visiting Tanzania, cultural trips to the Maasai people’s bomas are among the most thrilling activities to partake in. Visitors learn more about the Maasai way of life, culture, and traditional dances while on cultural tours with them. As they wander around Ngorongoro grazing their animals, such as cows, goats, and sheep, the Maasai can also be seen.

Another location to see while traveling through the Ngorongoro conservation area is Lake Magadi, a shallow alkaline lake in the Ngorongoro crater. During visits, flamingos can be seen along the lake’s shoreline. Arusha National Park, Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and others are wildlife viewing locations in northern Tanzania that can be visited after or before visiting the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. These locations include the attractions described above.

Safaris around the Ngorongoro conservation area provide a variety of activities, including game drives, hot air balloon safaris, nature walks, bird watching, and cultural tours. Safaris in and around the Ngorongoro conservation area are subject to fees. Non-residents must pay an entrance fee of 71 USD for those over 16 years old and a child entrance fee of 23.6 USD for those under the age of 16.

Visitors to the Ngorongoro crater must pay a fee of 35.4 USD if they are foreigners or Tanzanian citizens above the age of 16, and 11.8 USD if they are youngsters between the ages of 5 and 16. Visitors to the Ngorongoro conservation area from East Africa and Tanzania over the age of 16 must pay an entrance fee of 11,800 Tanzania shillings, while those under the age of 5 must pay 2,360 Tanzania shillings. For non-East African citizens, the crater service fee for Ngorongoro is 295 USD per vehicle or excursion, whereas it is 11,800 Tanzanian shillings for East African and Tanzanian citizens. Visit Ngorongoro and take advantage of safaris at various times of the year to see wildlife.