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Outdoors Crater floor, Ngorongoro

Lerai Forest

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

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Lerai Forest in Crater floor, Ngorongoro
Photo: Banja-Frans Mulder · Google

Why go

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

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 Lake Magadi, 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
    Lake Magadi

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

    Outdoors · 3.5 km straight-line
  2. 2
    Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

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

    Drinks · 4.6 km straight-line
  3. 3
    Ngoitokitok Springs

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

    Outdoors · 9.2 km straight-line
  4. 4
    Ngorongoro Crater

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

    Outdoors · 9.9 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 · 13 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

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

More to do in Ngorongoro

Lerai Forest 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 Lerai Forest 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 Lerai Forest, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Address
Conservation Area;, QGJ9+RHH, Ngorongoro, Tanzania
Coordinates
-3.21794, 35.51899
Destination
Ngorongoro, Tanzania

Lerai Forest: quick answers

How much time do you need at Lerai Forest?

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

When is the best time to visit Lerai Forest?

Our pick: Morning.

Where is Lerai Forest?

Lerai Forest is at Conservation Area;, QGJ9+RHH, Ngorongoro, Tanzania, in Crater floor. The Google Maps and Apple Maps links on this page open it for directions.

Which TripsCircle routes include Lerai Forest?

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

Add Lerai Forest 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.