A herd of wildebeest in the Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Conservation Area is one of the best places in the country to see the endangered black rhinoceros. Home to the entirety of the Big Five, Ngorongoro is a natural wonder that needs to be seen to be believed.

The Ngorongoro Crater, a large, unbroken, unflooded volcanic caldera is the pride of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The Ngorongoro Crater, once a gigantic volcano, is the largest intact caldera in the world. Ringed on all sides by the tropical forest draped walls of the caldera, Ngorongoro looks like something out of myth. Most of the animals in the Crater are resident and remain year-round. There are approximately 20,000 large mammals at any given time within the Crater walls. Herbivores that you will likely encounter include elephant, hippo, buffalo, eland, zebra, wildebeest, hartebeest, waterbuck, warthog, Grant’s gazelle and Thomson’s gazelle. One of the best places in the country to see the endangered black rhinoceros, the park is home to the entirety of the big five and is a particularly good place to see lions and cape buffalo year round.

Best time to visit

The crater can be visited through out the entire year, even in the rainy season between March and May. The dry season begins in June and ends in October. Even the months of December to March, right after the short rains are recommended. Expect a lot of dust in the crater during the dry season.

Getting there

You can reach the Ngrorongoro Crater by vehicle from Arusha in around 3 hour drive. Charter flights are available from Arusha, Dar es Salaam as well as all parks in the area.