Holiday in Ngorongoro Crater

What makes Ngorongoro Crater special as a destination?

The Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania is the largest unfilled caldera in the world and one of Africa's most spectacular natural wonders. The 19-kilometer-wide crater forms a natural amphitheater, home to an incredible density of wildlife — from the majestic lion to the rare black rhinoceros. Around 25,000 large mammals permanently inhabit the crater floor, including the highest density of predators in Africa. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and jackals hunt wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes, and gazelles here. The few remaining black rhinoceroses in Tanzania find one of their last refuges in the protected crater. A safari in Ngorongoro offers the best chance in East Africa to see all the 'Big Five' in a single day. The crater walls rise 600 meters above the ground and are covered with lush mountain forest. In the morning, when the fog drifts through the treetops and the first rays of sunlight reach the crater floor, a spectacle of such beauty unfolds that it takes your breath away. The nearby Empakaai Crater, with its emerald green lake full of flamingos, is another insider tip. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is not only a wildlife paradise but also home to the Maasai, who have lived here with their cattle herds for centuries. The coexistence of wildlife and pastoralists is unique worldwide and makes the reserve a UNESCO World Heritage Site in two categories: nature and culture. A visit to a Maasai village (Boma) provides insights into a fascinating way of life that has hardly changed over millennia. Ngorongoro is strategically located between the Serengeti National Park to the west and Lake Manyara to the east — ideal as part of a multi-day safari route. The Olduvai Gorge at the edge of the crater is the 'Cradle of Mankind,' where some of the oldest hominid fossils in the world have been found.