Tanzania

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Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Africa's great caldera and cradle of humanity

Visa & entry checker Plan a trip to Ngorongoro Conservation Area Plan a trip around Tanzania

Best time to visit: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Currency: TZS
Time zone: UTC+3
Country: Tanzania

Photo: Kulwa Kanyoro, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern Tanzania, built around the world's largest intact volcanic caldera. Visitors come for dense wildlife on the crater floor, Maasai culture, and the palaeoanthropological site of Olduvai Gorge.

Largest cities

Dar es Salaam
Dodoma
Mwanza
Arusha
Mbeya

Quick facts

Figures are rounded recent official estimates.

Country: Tanzania
Capital: Dodoma
Region population: 93,136
Population of Tanzania: 57.3M
Country area: 947,303 km²
Official language: Swahili and English
Currency: Tanzanian Shilling (TZS) · 1 USD ≈ 2,635 TZS
Time zone: UTC+3
Calling code: +255
Drives on the: Left
Elevation: 2,488 m
Plugs: D / G · 230V
Emergency numbers: 112 · 114 · 115
Best time to visit: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct

Temperatures through the year

Average daily high and low for each month in °C. Months marked with a drop are often rainy.

Temperatures through the year

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High	19°	20°	20°	18°	17°	16°	16°	17°	19°	20°	20°	19°
Low	10°	10°	11°	11°	10°	8°	7°	7°	8°	9°	10°	10°

Best time to visitOther months

Approximate daily cost

Per adult per day: food, local transport and half a double room, without activities or flights.

ConservativeSimple stays, free and low-cost sights first.$85
HighComfortable hotels, a balanced mix of sights and trips.$235
LuxuryLuxury hotels, more paid experiences and day trips.$595

Plan a trip to Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Top things to do

≈ $71
Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive
Descend the steep access road to 260 sq km of savanna holding lions, elephants, buffalo and one of East Africa's best chances of a black rhino; bring a packed lunch and water as there are no restaurants below the rim.
- Full day
- Ngorongoro Crater Floor
- Good for kids
≈ $71
Lake Magadi and Flamingos
The shallow alkaline lake in the crater's southwest often holds thousands of lesser flamingos; combine it with the nearby Ngoitokitok picnic site where hippos and elephants are usually visible.
- Half day
- Ngorongoro Crater Floor
- Good for kids
≈ $71
Lerai Forest
A groundwater forest on the crater floor where elephants, waterbuck and leopards are sometimes seen; stay in the vehicle and keep quiet for the best sightings.
- Half day
- Ngorongoro Crater Floor
- Good for kids
≈ $71
Olduvai Gorge and Museum
A steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley where Homo habilis fossils were found, with a small museum of two-million-year-old stone tools; a local guide explains the seven exposed sediment layers.
- Half day
- Olduvai Gorge and Western Plains
- Good for kids
- Indoors
≈ $71
Empakaai Crater Hike
A guided walk down a ring of cliffs to a salt lake about 300 m below, with colours shifting from turquoise to pewter through the day; an armed ranger is required.
- Half day
- Empakaai and Olmoti Craters
≈ $71
Olmoti Crater Walk
A gentle hiking safari across the shallow grassy floor of Olmoti Crater, where Maasai herders pass with cattle and eland, buffalo and reedbuck are sometimes seen.
- Half day
- Empakaai and Olmoti Craters
≈ $30
Maasai Village Visit
Meet pastoralist families living inside the conservation area, see traditional bomas and beadwork, and learn how land is shared between livestock and wildlife; agree the fee in advance.
- Half day
- Karatu and the Eastern Highlands
- Good for kids
Free
Karatu Market
The nearest town with reliable ATMs, restaurants and a market for textiles, Maasai souvenirs, coffee and spices; stock up here before entering the park, where prices are higher.
- Half day
- Karatu and the Eastern Highlands
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening

Before you go

Entry and visas

Most visitors need a visa for Tanzania. Apply for an e-visa before you travel, or get a single-entry tourist or business visa on arrival at the main ports of entry if you meet all immigration requirements; multiple-entry visas are not available on arrival. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after arrival and have one blank page, and you may be asked for proof of onward or return travel. All visitors except residents must have mandatory Tanzanian government inbound travel insurance, which you can buy online or on arrival. If you buy it after 1 October and arrive first in Zanzibar, it must be from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC); if you arrive first in mainland Tanzania, it must be from the National Insurance Corporation (NIC). A yellow fever certificate is required if you are arriving from a country with a transmission risk. Rules vary by nationality, so check the official Tanzanian Immigration Department page before booking.

Official website

From the airport

Most visitors arrive overland from Arusha (about 180 km, roughly 3–4 hours by road) or by small charter aircraft to airstrips serving the safari lodges. Organised safaris usually include the drive and park formalities.

Getting around

The area is explored almost entirely by 4x4 safari vehicle with a driver-guide; walking is not permitted in most areas because of wildlife.

Local tips

Nights and mornings on the crater rim are cold (7–11°C), so bring warm layers, while the crater floor can be hot at midday.
Park fees for foreigners are about US$70.80 per person per day plus about US$295 per vehicle per day; payment is by prepaid TANAPA card only, not cash or credit card, so arrange this before you arrive.
There are no ATMs or public restaurants inside the conservation area; carry cash for Karatu and Arusha and drink only bottled or filtered water.
Greet people politely and ask before photographing Maasai residents; a small agreed payment is customary for portraits.

Areas worth knowing

Karatu and the Eastern Highlands
Olduvai Gorge and Western Plains
Ngorongoro Crater Rim
Ngorongoro Crater Floor
Empakaai and Olmoti Craters

Official travel advice

The UK Foreign Office last updated its advice for this country on October 9, 2026. The advice includes warnings against travel to some areas. Read it before booking.

Read the advice on GOV.UK