Tanzania
Ngorongoro
The world's largest intact volcanic caldera, with dense wildlife on its floor. Stay 2 nights. This guide pulls together 1 sight, 4 outdoor spots and 2 places to eat from our curated routes.
- Places
- 8
- Curated routes
- 1
- Best season
- Jun – Oct
- Warmest month
- October
- Coolest month
- June
- Wettest month
- April
1 See · 4 Outdoors · 2 Eat · 1 Drink
Kenya & Tanzania Safari
from our route notes
26°C / 79°F avg high
22°C / 71°F avg high
about 190 mm rain
Climate: NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages.
Things to do in Ngorongoro
8 places from our curated routes, grouped by what you will do there. Each one has its own page with the address and full notes.
See
The landmarks we would not skip in Ngorongoro in Olduvai.
Photo: Kufundisha · CC BY-SA 4.0SeeOlduvai Gorge Museum
Museum at the gorge where the Leakeys found early human fossils, with a talk over the site.
Tip Easy stop on the drive between the crater and the Serengeti.
Outdoors
Trails, views and open space in and around Ngorongoro.
Photo: THOMASE MAHENGE · GoogleOutdoorsNgorongoro Crater
Caldera about 20 km across, home to lions, buffalo, flamingos and one of the best chances to see black rhino.
Tip Descend at opening time (6am) to beat the vehicle crowds.
Photo: Dr Mary Gillham Archive Project · CC BY 2.0
Photo: Banja-Frans Mulder · GoogleOutdoorsLerai Forest
Yellow-barked acacia forest on the crater floor, a good spot for elephants and bushbuck.
Photo: Cory W · GoogleOutdoorsNgoitokitok Springs
Spring-fed pool on the crater floor used as a picnic stop, with hippos nearby.
Tip Keep food inside the vehicle; black kites swoop on picnics.
Eat
2 places to eat across Crater rim and Karatu, picked for groups who care about the food.
Photo: Juliet Samaka · GoogleEatEntamanu Ngorongoro
Small Nomad Tanzania camp on the crater's western rim, serving set meals with views across the crater floor.
Tip Non-guests should arrange lunch in advance through a safari operator.
Photo: Gibb's Farm · GoogleEatGibb's Farm
Coffee farm and lodge near Karatu serving lunches built on its own organic gardens.
Tip Good lunch stop on the drive up from Arusha.
Drink
1 bar or café in Crater rim for coffee, a round or a nightcap.
Photo: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge · GoogleDrinkNgorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Stone lodge built into the crater rim, with a bar and terrace looking over the caldera.
How to fit Ngorongoro into a trip
Ngorongoro is stop 4 of 4 on our Kenya & Tanzania Safari route. Follow it as-is or lift Ngorongoro into your own plan.
Stop 4 of 4
Kenya & Tanzania Safari
Maasai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
- Trip length
- 11 days
- Best season
- Jun – Oct
- Pace
- moderate
- Before: Serengeti
Getting here and onward
- Serengeti to NgorongoroSerengeti is about 122 km / 76 mi away in a straight line
Distances are straight-line estimates between destination centers, not road distances.
Ngorongoro month by month
Average daily highs run from 22°C / 71°F in June to 26°C / 79°F in October. April is the wettest month, with about 190 mm of rain. Outlined months fall in the best season on our routes.
- Jan24° / 76°F average high
- Feb25° / 77°F average high
- Mar24° / 76°F average high
- Apr23° / 74°F average high
- May22° / 72°F average high
- Jun22° / 71°F average high, in our recommended season
- Jul22° / 72°F average high, in our recommended season
- Aug24° / 75°F average high, in our recommended season
- Sep26° / 78°F average high, in our recommended season
- Oct26° / 79°F average high, in our recommended season
- Nov25° / 77°F average high
- Dec24° / 75°F average high
Average daily highs, NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages. Ngorongoro weather and the best time to visit →
Near Ngorongoro
3 other destinations from our guides within about 300 km (186 mi), measured in a straight line.
Ngorongoro questions, answered
How many days do you need in Ngorongoro?
Our route notes suggest 2 nights in Ngorongoro. On our Kenya & Tanzania Safari route it is stop 4 of 4 in a 11-day trip. The listed visit times for our 8 places add up to roughly 14 hours, before travel between them, so you will need to choose.
What is Ngorongoro best known for?
The world's largest intact volcanic caldera, with dense wildlife on its floor. Stay 2 nights. Standouts on our list: Olduvai Gorge Museum (Museum at the gorge where the Leakeys found early human fossils, with a talk over the site); Ngorongoro Crater (Caldera about 20 km across, home to lions, buffalo, flamingos and one of the best chances to see black rhino); Lake Magadi (Shallow soda lake on the crater floor where flamingos feed and hippos wallow).
When is the best time to visit Ngorongoro?
Our Kenya & Tanzania Safari route is best Jun – Oct. NASA POWER 2001–2025 averages put the warmest highs in October (26°C / 79°F), the coolest in June (22°C / 71°F) and the most rain in April (about 190 mm).
What are the best things to do in Ngorongoro?
Start with Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Magadi, Lerai Forest, Ngoitokitok Springs and Olduvai Gorge Museum. Our guide lists 8 places in all, from 1 sight, 4 outdoor spots, 2 places to eat and 1 bar or café.
Where should a group eat in Ngorongoro?
Our picks: Entamanu Ngorongoro (Crater rim); Gibb's Farm (Karatu). Non-guests should arrange lunch in advance through a safari operator (Entamanu Ngorongoro).
What is near Ngorongoro?
The closest destinations in our guides are Serengeti (about 122 km / 76 mi), Maasai Mara (about 194 km / 121 mi) and Nairobi (about 258 km / 160 mi). Distances are straight-line estimates, not road distances.
Plan Ngorongoro with your crew
Open the Kenya & Tanzania Safari route in TripsCircle, invite friends with a link, settle which of these 8 places make the cut with a quick poll, then split costs and share one packing list.