Ngorongoro Conservation Area

About Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Three million years ago, a volcano larger than Kilimanjaro collapsed upon itself and formed the Ngorongoro Crater, a 264 square kilometer caldera that has since become one of the most extraordinary concentrations of wildlife on Earth. The crater is not merely a landmark, it is an entire world contained within its ancient walls.\n\nDescending the steep crater wall at dawn, as mist rolls across the soda lake below and the first golden light catches the rim, is one of the great arrivals in African travel. The crater floor hosts an estimated 25,000 large animals in permanent residence, including one of Africa's last viable populations of black rhino, which can often be spotted grazing in the open plains near the Lerai Forest.\n\nBeyond the crater itself, the Conservation Area spans a vast range of habitats, from mountain forests and volcanic peaks to the short-grass plains that border the Serengeti. It is unique in Tanzania as a multiple land-use area where the Maasai people coexist with the wildlife, creating a cultural landscape that is as fascinating as the wildlife spectacle.

“Descending into the crater is like stepping into a self-contained world from another geological era.”