This safari guide to Ngorongoro Conservation Area singles out all the Ngorongoro tours that one can incorporate on their safari itinerary while on a visit to Ngorongoro in Tanzania.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area, located in the north Tanzania safari circuit, and close to the Serengeti national park, is home to a good population of wildlife including the “BIG 5” animals (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo), historical sites, a sizeable number of Maasai tribes men, gorges and a number of craters, the most famous of these being the Ngorongoro crater, one of the most famous safari attractions in Tanzania and a UNESCO world heritage site. For many visitors on a safari in Tanzania, the highlight of their trip will be going on a Ngorongoro crater safari.
- Best Time to Visit Ngorongoro
- 20 Top Things to Do in Ngorongoro
When is the Best Time to Visit Ngorongoro?
Most visitors to the Ngorongoro conservation area come for the wildlife safaris to Ngorongoro Crater and there’s no question that the Ngorongoro crater offers amazing game viewing through out the year.
Visiting Ngorongoro for wildlife viewing is possible throughout the year because of the large number of wildlife that is permanent resident to Ngorongoro crater due to abundance of food and water.
Ngorongoro Safari Tours – Does time of day matter?
- Arriving in the early morning, you may catch predators still on the evenings kill or diurnal hunters just about to take breakfast.
- Elephants are more active before the heat of the day sends them to shade and sleep.
- The best time to see Rhinos in the Ngorongoro crater is around lunchtime/afternoon when the sun is hotter as they will be more active so maximise your time in the crater.
Ngorongoro Crater on The Map
20 Top Things to Do in Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Go on a Ngorongoro Crater Safari
The floor of the Ngorongoro crater is a habitat to a wide array of wildlife including the “big five” animals, and safaris to Ngorongoro crater floor are never disappointing. You can visit Ngorongoro crater on a day tour or include it in a multi-day safari visiting other neighbouring national parks such as Serengeti, Tarangire or Lake Manyara.
Wildebeest Calving Season in Ndutu
The Ndutu area is located north of Ngorongoro conservation area and close to the boarder to Serengeti. In the calving season (late January through mid March) the herds concentrate at the Ndutu and Salei plains (Ngorongoro Conservation Area) attracting the attention of predators like lion, cheetah and hyena. Ndutu is the perfect base for seeing the drama of the migration and all that is involved with it during this period.
Picnic at the Crater Floor
If you love picnicking and enjoy being in the presence of unperturbed nature, there are various picnic sites set up at the crater. The picnic sites are very secure and save for flicking a few ants off your sandwich, there will be no interruptions by wild animals. The volcanic ash at the crater is very fertile and therefore trees grow well here. The tall trees provide the picnic sites with a cooling shelter that is not too cold.
Ngorongoro Photography Safaris
Wildlife photography in the Ngorongoro has always attracted a lot of enthusiasts. Ngorongoro gives the amateur photographer using a point and shoot camera and the professional photographer the opportunity to enjoy them and to take great memories home. A good zoom, a large memory card, a bit of patience and a steady hand are all you need, the results are usually great and something you can always be proud of.
Explore the Crater Lakes
While the Ngorongoro crater is the single most visited tourist site in Tanzania, the rest on the Ngorongoro offers many rewards for those visitors prepared to explore further afield. Other beautiful craters in Ngorongoro to visit on walking tours include the Olmoti Crater and the Embakai crater.
Look out for the “Big 5” animals
Ngorongoro crater is a UNESCO world heritage site and home to one of the few places in Tanzania continuing to be populaces of black rhinocerous, considered one of the best game viewing spots in the world offering a high possibility of spotting all the “Big 5” animals in one day while on safari – Lion, Rhino, Leopard, Buffalo, Elephant.
Visit a Local Maasai Village
If you are fascinated with various aspects of the African culture and indigenous tribes, you can interact with the Maasai who are one of the most popular African tribes. The Maasai have inhabited the Ngorongoro conservation area for over 50 years. They are known to invite tourists to their homestead to watch them dance and share a meal.
Explore Ngorongoro on Foot
You can get out of the confines of a safari car on a walking tour in and around the Ngorongoro Conservation Area but this can only be done with the guidance of a Tanzania National Park Authority guide. Short hikes can be organized with your lodge or the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority headquarters even on a short notice. However, for longer walks which can be adventurous and rewarding, advance planning is needed.
Visit the Olduvai Gorge Museum
At the edge of Olduvai Gorge, there is the Olduvai Gorge Museum which exhibits numerous fossils and stone tools of our hominid ancestors, and skeletons of many extinct animals excavated in the gorge. Apart from the exhibitions inside the museum, there are also outdoor lecture areas where the museum curators give orientation presentations to visitors. At the museum, one can also plan a guided tour down the gorge.
Birding Safaris in Ngorongoro
Another delightful experience at the Ngorongoro conservation area is bird watching especially at the lakes. Lake Ndutu is mainly popular because of its high bird population. The most common bird species here are flamingos, storks and ducks. Cheetahs and lions are also in plenty here. The cheetahs are very fond of hunting these birds and a cheetah chasing a flock of birds as some of them fly away could make for a fine picture.
Visit the Shifting Sand Dunes
North of Olduvai Gorge on the plains is a spectacular moving ash dune, famously known as Shifting Sands. It is a remarkable crescent-shaped, black dune, composed of volcanic ash from the active Oldonyo Lengai, reaching about 9 meters high and stretching about 100 meters at the curves.
Take a Hot Air Balloon Safari
A Ngorongoro balloon safari is an extraordinary opportunity to relish a bird’s eye-view of the phenomenal Ngorongoro conservation area. Drift over the Oldupai Gorge, dark shifting sand dunes of the Ngorongoro, and go over manyatta homesteads of the semi Nomadic Maasai tribe as you head westwards towards the Ndutu plains.
Laetoli Foot Print
The Laetoli Footprints are the oldest known footprints of early ancestors of humans in the world. About 3.6 million years ago in Laetoli, two early ancestors of humans walked through wet volcanic ash. When the nearby volcano erupted again, subsequent layers of ash covered and preserved the oldest footprints of early humans.
Gol Mountains
The Gol Mountains, formed millions of years before the formation of Ngorongoro Crater lie in the remote northern end of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The surroundings of the Gol Mountains are lush green during the rainy season, hosting thousands of herbivores and predators.
Mounts Lolmalasin and Losirua
Mount Lolmalasin is the highest crater mountain in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and indeed, it is the third tallest mountain in Tanzania. Attached to Lolmalasin, but rising as an independent mountain, is Mount Losirua (3,260m). The two mountains are located near the eastern border of the Conservation Area, opposite the Olmoti Crater on the way to Empakaai Crater. The peak of Lolmalasin provides beautiful views of the surrounding features.
Olduvai Gorge
East Africa gained the name “The cradle of mankind” because the fossils of the earliest hominids known to have existed down the evolutionary chain were found here. Archeologists found evidence showing that the area was occupied by hominids over 3 million years ago and thus claiming that it could be the birthplace of mankind.
Nasera Rock
Nasera Rock is a huge monolith jutting out from the plains to an elevation of 100m on the western side of the Gol Mountains. The site of the rock has yielded archaeological resources since the 1930s, and is also a spot for climbers and bird watchers, during the wet season, the surrounding plains are green and full of wildebeests.
Olkarien Gorge
The Olkarien Gorge, extending to a length of 8km is famous as a vital nesting site of the Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture. It is a place to see vultures soaring, circling and gliding down to their nests. The best time to visit the gorge is from March to April when the vultures are breeding.
Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek
Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek are close to the border with Serengeti National Park on the western side of Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The two lakes form shallow basins where water accumulates from the nearby areas of slightly higher altitude. The area around the lakes is the staging ground and take off point for the migration because it is surrounded by woodlands and the short grass plains, which provide ample cover and food.
Stay at a Crater Rim Lodge
What accommodation is in the Ngorongoro crater? There is No accommodation or camping facilities within the Ngorongoro crater its self, however, there is a varied choice of accommodation perched on the crater rim, most of these Ngorongoro crater safari lodges and camps offer amazing views to the crater floor.
So there you have it, The ultimate safari guide for Ngorongoro – The best tours, Things to see & Much more! If you want more inspiration on tours and safaris to Ngorongoro, checkout some of our safari Tanzania itineraries or get in touch with our safari experts to get free advise for your next safari to Tanzania.
What more would you include in this Ngorongoro safari tours guide? Any top tips for visitors?
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