Where Is The Ngorongoro Crater?

The Ngorongoro Crater is a world-famous safari destination that offers visitors an incredible game-viewing experience in an unbelievably unique and natural setting. But where is the Ngorongoro Crater located? The crater, often called Africa’s Garden of Eden, can be found within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania. This protected region includes a large chunk of the southern Serengeti’s short-grass plains and the Ngorongoro Highlands, a range of ancient volcanoes on the west side of the Great Rift Valley.

How Big Is The Ngorongoro Crater?

The massive Ngorongoro Crater was formed when a large volcano erupted and collapsed over 2.5 million years ago. Today, the caldera measures between 10 and 12 miles across, and has an area of 102 square miles where a remarkable concentration of animals live in the crater’s diverse habitats. For many safari-goers, a game drive across the Serengeti to Ngorongoro crater is essential to a Tanzanian safari experience.

When Is The Best Time To Visit The Ngorongoro Crater?

 Suppose you are planning to book a Ngorongoro tour package with a local tour operator. In that case, the tour company will be able to help you decide when to make the trip across the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater. Generally speaking, the best time to visit Ngorongoro Crater is from May to October, during Tanzania’s dry season. This period offers the best wildlife viewing opportunities for safari-goers because the crater’s animals tend to gather around water sources and are easy to spot. However, if you plan your visit during the rainy season from November to April, you will enjoy lush landscapes and off-season discounts on tour packages and lodging. You also will have the crater to yourself – fewer tourists visit during the off-season!

Five Fun Facts About The Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro tour packages are part of many safaris that travel across Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit. This circuit explores wildlife zones like Tarangire and Serengeti National Parks. It’s not far from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater, making it possible for visitors to explore both areas during one safari! Here are a few fun facts about Ngorongoro Crater to help you get your adventure started:

• The Ngorongoro Crater has the highest density of wild animals in the world. Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater is famous for having one of the highest densities of wild animals in the entire world. The unfilled volcanic caldera serves as a gigantic natural zoo, where thousands of animals - including a large population of lions, elephants, wildebeest, and even rhinos – live all year round!
• The Ngorongoro was home to our ancient ancestors. The area in which the Ngorongoro Crater is located is rich in archaeological sites that have provided key insights into the earliest human evolution. Many of the discoveries that have been made here date back millions of years. These findings make Ngorongoro Conservation Area one of the key locations in the world for understanding early humans.
• There is a 7-mile lake on the crater’s floor. In the southwest corner of the Ngorongoro Crater lies a beautiful shallow soda lake known as Lake Magadi. Thousands of flamingoes, who thrive on the unique algae found in the lake, can be found on its surface daily. In addition, many larger animals can be seen by the lake, which offers visitors many opportunities for wildlife viewing.
• The Great Migration can be seen here. Each year, the Great Migration moves through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti National Park. This is a great opportunity to see African animals while on safari from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater and to witness the largest movement of large mammals on the entire planet.
• There are 300 species of large animals living in The Ngorongoro Conservation Area. If you add birds and insects, the count could easily reach into the thousands. The Crater is famous for a biodiversity of wildlife that is accustomed to visitors, which makes for a perfect wildlife viewing destination. However, you will not find giraffes here; the crater’s steep sides make it difficult for these creatures to navigate the terrain!

What Animals Live Inside The Ngorongoro Crater?

The Ngorongoro Crater is the biggest intact volcanic caldera on Earth, as well as a natural sanctuary for some of the densest populations of large mammals in Africa. Due to its enclosed nature, the Ngorongoro Crater has effectively formed its own ecosystem that is estimated to be more than 3 million years old. What animals live inside the Ngorongoro Crater? Keep reading to learn more!

The Animals Of Ngorongoro Crater – Birds

A huge variety of bird species live in the Ngorongoro Crater. The Crater and the broader conservation area is a haven for birdwatchers and features more than 550 species of birds. From flamingoes and ostriches to birds of prey and tiny sunbirds, the variety of birds you can see with a Ngorongoro tour package is astonishing. You may even spot rare species like Livingstone’s Turaco during your trip.

The Animals Of Ngorongoro Crater – Predators

Thanks to the mineral-rich volcanic soil, the short-grass plains grow lush on the Crater’s floor, which provides nutritious grazing for a variety of herbivores. These big herds in turn attract a remarkable number of predators – the densest populations found anywhere in Africa. For example, the lion population that lives on the crater floor is one of the highest densities of prides in the world. Safari-goers can also find spotted hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, jackals, and bat-eared foxes living within the Ngorongoro Crater.

The Animals Of Ngorongoro Crater - Herbivores

Ngorongoro Crater is home to many wonderful and important animal species. Some of the animals living in Ngorongoro Crater are very important – and exciting to spot – because they are globally threatened species. These species include black rhinos because they are critically endangered, with only 5,000 left in the world! Some of the other animals to look for while on a Ngorongoro Crater safari include bush elephants, African civets, African buffaloes, Blue wildebeests, Burchell's zebras, Grant's and Thomson's gazelles, Coke's hartebeests, Bushbucks, Elands, Defasse waterbucks, Vervet monkeys, Olive baboons, and hippos.

Many animals live in Ngorongoro Crater year round, while other species migrate in and out of the crater with the seasons. But no matter what time of year you plan to visit Ngorongoro Crater, you will be sure to see an incredible diversity of Tanzanian animals living on the crater’s floor!

An Amazing Safari To Remember

Now that you know where the Ngorongoro Crater is, you can start planning your adventure in the Serengeti! From stunning landscapes to incredible wildlife viewing opportunities, game drives from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater offer first-time safari goers as well as seasoned travelers an experience of a lifetime. So, get packing! Ngorongoro tour packages are a great way to discover Tanzania’s wild side and to see the incredible array of animals that live in this magnificent country