Discover Ngorongoro Crater

Formed around two to three million years ago by the collapse of a massive volcano, the crater measures about 20 kilometers in diameter and is considered the largest intact, unfilled volcanic caldera in the world.

Because the steep crater walls prevent many animals from migrating out, around 25,000 large animals live year-round on the crater floor in a confined space, including one of East Africa's last remaining populations of the critically endangered black rhino.

As the only conservation area in Tanzania, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area still allows the traditionally nomadic Maasai to graze their cattle herds, and village visits offer an up-close look at their traditional bomas and dances.

A day trip down onto the flat crater floor passes lakes, swamps and forests, where lions, elephants and flamingos can often be observed in close proximity to the narrow game tracks.

From Arusha, the crater rim can be reached by car in about four hours, and Ngorongoro Crater is often visited as the first or last stop on a larger safari tour through northern Tanzania.

Formed around two to three million years ago by the collapse of a massive volcano, the crater measures about 20 kilometers in diameter and is considered the largest intact, unfilled volcanic caldera in the world.

Because the steep crater walls prevent many animals from migrating out, around 25,000 large animals live year-round on the crater floor in a confined space, including one of East Africa's last remaining populations of the critically endangered black rhino.

As the only conservation area in Tanzania, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area still allows the traditionally nomadic Maasai to graze their cattle herds, and village visits offer an up-close look at their traditional bomas and dances.