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Outdoors Crater floor, Ngorongoro

Lake Magadi

An outdoor spot in Crater floor, Ngorongoro, worth about 45 minutes. Best time to go: Morning.

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Lake Magadi in Crater floor, Ngorongoro
Photo: Dr Mary Gillham Archive Project · CC BY 2.0 · license

Why go

Shallow soda lake on the crater floor where flamingos feed and hippos wallow.

It is one of 8 curated places we feature in Ngorongoro, alongside 3 outdoor spots, 2 places to eat and 1 place for a drink. The closest of our other picks is Lerai Forest, 3.5 km away as the crow flies. At about 45 minutes, it slots neatly between bigger plans.

Type
Outdoors · Nature
Neighborhood
Crater floor
Time needed
45 min
Best time
Morning

Nearby

The 6 closest curated picks in Ngorongoro, measured as straight-line distance.

  1. 1
    Lerai Forest

    Yellow-barked acacia forest on the crater floor, a good spot for elephants and bushbuck.

    Outdoors · 3.5 km straight-line
  2. 2
    Ngorongoro Crater

    Caldera about 20 km across, home to lions, buffalo, flamingos and one of the best chances to see black rhino.

    Outdoors · 6.5 km straight-line
  3. 3
    Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

    Stone lodge built into the crater rim, with a bar and terrace looking over the caldera.

    Drinks · 6.9 km straight-line
  4. 4
    Ngoitokitok Springs

    Spring-fed pool on the crater floor used as a picnic stop, with hippos nearby.

    Outdoors · 7.2 km straight-line
  5. 5
    Entamanu Ngorongoro

    Small Nomad Tanzania camp on the crater's western rim, serving set meals with views across the crater floor.

    Food · 10 km straight-line
  6. 6
    Gibb's Farm

    Coffee farm and lodge near Karatu serving lunches built on its own organic gardens.

    Food · 18 km straight-line

On these curated routes

Lake Magadi is a stop on our Kenya & Tanzania Safari route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.

More to do in Ngorongoro

Lake Magadi is our only outdoors pick in Ngorongoro; here is what else we recommend there. See the full Ngorongoro guide.

When to go

Average daily highs in Ngorongoro run from 22°C in June to 26°C in October; April is usually the wettest month. For Lake Magadi itself, we suggest: Morning.

Modelled monthly averages for Ngorongoro from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Ngorongoro weather by month.

Getting there

Map links open a live search for Lake Magadi, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Address
Lake Magadi, Tanzania
Coordinates
-3.19275, 35.53842
Destination
Ngorongoro, Tanzania

Lake Magadi: quick answers

How much time do you need at Lake Magadi?

Plan on about 45 minutes at Lake Magadi. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.

When is the best time to visit Lake Magadi?

Our pick: Morning.

Where is Lake Magadi?

Lake Magadi is at Lake Magadi, Tanzania, in Crater floor. The Google Maps and Apple Maps links on this page open it for directions.

Which TripsCircle routes include Lake Magadi?

Lake Magadi appears on Kenya & Tanzania Safari, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.

Add Lake Magadi to your crew's plan

Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to Ngorongoro.

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Also in Ngorongoro

Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.