Ngorongoro Crater
A long, tiring day, and we won't pretend otherwise. If you only have one day for safari, it's still the one we'd choose.
Private day trip1 / 4
Overview
The Crater is about three hours from Arusha each way. That is around six hours in the vehicle for a few hours on the Crater floor, and you will be tired by the evening.
It is still worth it if you only have one day, because the Crater concentrates so much in one place: a closed bowl of grassland where many animals stay all year. What you see on the day is never guaranteed. If you have two days, stay a night near the rim instead and the same visit becomes easy.
Highlights
- A closed bowl of grasslandMany of the Crater's animals stay put all year, which makes it the most reliable single drive in the north.
- Lunch on the Crater floorAt a picnic site, between the morning and the afternoon drives.
- Or make it two daysA night in Karatu or on the rim turns this into two unhurried days.
Itinerary
Pickup: Early morning, from your Arusha hotel. From Arusha: about 3 hours each way.
Numbers show the order of stops; the gold line is the route, not the exact road. Parks shaded. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, Natural Earth.
About Ngorongoro
The Ngorongoro Crater is the collapsed caldera of an old volcano, about 19 km across and 600 m deep, inside a wider conservation area where Maasai still graze their cattle. Vehicles go down to the floor for the day and come back up to the rim by late afternoon.
Today
An early pickup from your Arusha hotel and up through the highlands to the Crater rim. Down to the floor for a game drive, with lunch at a picnic site on the floor. Back up the wall in the afternoon, and the drive to Arusha in the evening.
Price
One guide price per person, confirmed for your dates.
Price on request
- Low · Apr–May
- Mid · Nov–mid Dec, Jan–Mar
- Peak · Jun–Oct, 20 Dec–10 Jan
Included & not included
What your price covers, and what to budget for separately.
Included
The park's entry and conservation fees for the day, paid by us in advance.
Lunch during the day, in the park or on the way.
Return transport from your hotel, with an English-speaking guide who stays with you all day.
Collected from your hotel in the morning and taken back at the end of the day.
Water in the vehicle through the day.
Not included
- International flights. Flights to and from Tanzania are booked by you. We will suggest arrival and departure times that fit the trip.
- Visa. Paid by you, usually online before you travel. Visa information
- Travel insurance. A condition of travelling with us. It must cover medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation.
- Tips. Always your choice, for your guide at the end of the day. How tipping works
- Personal spending. Drinks other than water, souvenirs and anything personal.
Packing
A proper warm layer (the rim is high and cold in the morning), a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses for the floor, binoculars, something for travel sickness if winding roads bother you, and your passport for park entry.
Visa
Most nationalities need a visa: $50 for a single entry. US citizens pay $100 for a multiple-entry visa. Apply online before you travel to avoid the queue on arrival. Fees and rules change, so check with the Tanzanian embassy in your country.
Questions travellers actually ask
If one day is all you have, yes. It is the most reliable single game drive in the north. If you can find a second day, a night near the rim is better in every way.
Maybe. The Crater has a small black rhino population, but they are often distant and never guaranteed. Binoculars help.
It's a very long day in the vehicle. Older children who are used to travel usually cope; for younger ones we'd suggest a shorter day or an overnight stay.
Yes, and if you can, we'd recommend it. A night in Karatu or on the rim turns this into two unhurried days. Tell us and we'll quote both.
Ask about this journey
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More ways to spend a day from Arusha, and what to book when one day isn't enough.
