The crown jewel of Ngorongoro is a deep, volcanic crater, the world’s largest unflooded and unbroken caldera. The Ngorongoro Crater is a breathtaking natural wonder that is about 20 kilometers across, 600 meters deep, and 300 square kilometers in size. The Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s most famous sites, with the highest density of wildlife on the continent. The Crater, sometimes referred to as the “eighth wonder of the world,” has achieved worldwide acclaim, attracting an increasing number of visitors each year. You’re unlikely to escape other vehicles here, but you’ll be rewarded with incredible wildlife viewing in a truly breathtaking setting. Ngorongoro is unlike anywhere else in Africa!

The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world. It is home to approximately 30,000 animals at any given time, forming a spectacular bowl of about 265 square kilometers with sides up to 600 meters deep. The rim of the Crater is over 2,200 meters high and has its own climate. The tiny shapes of animals making their way around the crater floor far below can be seen from this vantage point. Most of the year, swaths of cloud hang around the rocky rim, and it’s one of the few places in Tanzania where it can get chilly at night.

The crater floor is home to a variety of habitats, including grassland, swamps, forests, and Lake Makat (Maasai for “salt”), a central soda lake fed by the Munge River. Wildlife is drawn to these various environments to drink, wallow, graze, hide, or climb. Although animals are free to move in and out of this enclosed environment, the rich volcanic soil, lush forests, and spring source lakes on the crater floor (combined with relatively steep crater sides) tend to encourage both grazers and predators to stay all year.

Wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the best places in Tanzania to see the critically endangered Black Rhino, as a small population thrives in this idyllic and protected environment. It is currently one of the few remaining areas where they can breed in the wild. You can also expect to see leopards and magnificent black-maned lions here. Many flamingos are also drawn to Lake Magadi’s soda waters.

Maasai village trips

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area was established in part to protect the environment for the Maasai people who were relocated from the Serengeti Plains. They are essentially nomadic people who build temporary villages in circular homesteads known as bomas. There are now opportunities to visit a couple of these, which have been made available to tourists. You can see how the huts are built in a strict pattern based on the wives’ chronological order, and you can imagine what it must have been like to rely on warmth and energy from a fire burning at the heart of a cattle dung dwelling with no chimney. These proud cattle herders have a long history as warriors, and despite the fact that they are no longer permitted to build villages inside the crater, they continue to herd their cattle into the crater to graze and drink, despite the predators nearby.