Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area in Tanzania

Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area

Visit the incredible Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Tanzania and the largest intact caldera in the world, as part of scintillating Tanzanian safaris. Plan your Tanzania and East Africa holiday with the safari experts, to witness the magnificence of the crater, part of the eastern Rift Valley, and a place where the evolution of volcanos dates back to the late Mesozoic / early Tertiary periods. 

This conservation region also includes Laetoli and Olduvai Gorge, where ancient human remains were discovered, clues to human evolution, such as the early hominid footprints from at least 3.6 million years ago.

It is hard to believe that the actual rim of the crater is an astounding 2286m above sea level – a veritable mountain. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers enormous areas of pristine grasslands, savanna woodlands and forests. Here, wildlife lives with the Maasai livestock and shares their grazing land while the incredible biodiversity significance of the park includes endangered fauna and flora such as the Black Rhino plus the annual Great Migration into the plains of the north.

Did you know?

It was only in 1892 that any Europeans ever set foot in the Ngorongoro Crater and later, two German brothers (Adolph and Friedrich Siedentopf) farmed in the crater until the outbreak of World War I, and often arranged shooting parties to entertain their German friends. They also attempted to drive the wildebeest herds out of the crater!

Highlights

  • View about 30 000 different wild animals living on the crater floor around a small soda lake, one of the most magnificent and intensive game viewing experiences on Earth! See giant-tusked elephants, black-manned lions and about 6 000 resident wildebeest (the Crater’s lions are known for hunting within yards of a vehicle, and, when exhausted, even seek shade beside them)
  • The crater, which formed when a large volcano exploded and collapsed on itself two to three million years ago, is 610 metres deep and its floor covers 260 square kilometres – now one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa. 
  • Once part of the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area now encompasses a huge expanse of grassy plains on the southern side of the Serengeti Plain – including the Ngorongoro Highlands, a range of largely extinct ancient volcanoes on the west side of the Great Rift Valley.
  • The crater formed its own ecosystem thanks to its enclosed nature – the Lerai Forest comprises yellow fever trees (part of the acacia family) while the Gorigor Swamp and Ngoitokitok Springs provide the perfect habitat for hippos.

Olduvai Gorge

Experience the famous Olduvai Gorge within the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area – where Dr Louis Leakey and family discovered the remains of Homo Habilis or “handy man”. This historical find is regarded as mankind’s first step on the ladder of human evolution and proves Leakey’s theory that man had his origins in Africa.

Take a safari to the Olduvai Gorge to visit the fascinating museum to see fossils and some actual artefacts found on site. There are even early hominid footprints dating back 3.6 million years. Other fossils discovered here include those of prehistoric elephants, giant horned sheep, and enormous ostriches.

A steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley that stretches across East Africa, it is about 48 km long, and is located in the eastern Serengeti Plains within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area about 45 kilometres from Laetoli, another important archaeological locality of early human occupation.

Family Holidays to Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area are Hot

Pack up the entire family for a safari holiday to Tanzania that they will never forget. Intrepid journeys into Africa introduce your kids to the biggest classroom in the world, nature! Game viewing, nature walks, river cruises and camping under the stars are all part of a safari adventure your family will talk about for years down the line!  

Bring your children into the true wilderness of Tanzania, our top African safari destination of all time – so check out the luxury lodge and bush camp accommodation where children are made to feel at home and book your special family package today.

The Best of the Best Holidays in Ngorongosa Conservation Area

Plan a Tanzania tour and safari with Voyage2Africa, the African travel experts, and enjoy signature experiences to the premier wildlife destination south of the equator. We bring you thrilling adventures in the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks, the vast Selous Game Reserve and the spectacular Ruaha National Park. We offer you the best of the best safari accommodation in Tanzania, in lavish lodges, family resorts, modern hotels, eco villas and rustic wild campsites in nature. Bring your camera and you hat, your binoculars and your sense of spirit to an African land that is home to humankind.

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