Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater sits within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in northern Tanzania, covering 260 square kilometres of crater floor at an altitude of roughly 1,800 metres. Formed by a volcanic collapse millions of years ago, the crater walls create a natural enclosure that supports an extraordinary year-round concentration of wildlife including all of the Big Five, with one of Tanzania’s most reliable populations of black rhino found here.
The crater floor holds open grassland, forest patches, swamps, and a soda lake that attracts flamingos and over 500 bird species. Lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos, hippos, hyenas, and wildebeest are all resident within the crater. It is the only place in Tanzania where you can realistically expect to see all of the Big Five in a single game drive, making it an essential stop on any Tanzania safari itinerary.