Arusha to Ngorongoro crater distance
Arusha to Ngorongoro crater distance : The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a protected area located in Tanzania’s Crater Highlands, 180 kilometres west of Arusha. It is managed by the Tanzanian government’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority and includes the famous Ngorongoro Crater, a massive volcanic caldera, and the ancient Olduvai Gorge.
It is simple to go to the Ngorongoro crater and the larger conservation area by car or aeroplane.
Getting to Ngorongoro Crater by Air
Kilimanjaro International Airport in Moshi, which is located at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, is the destination for travellers. From there, one has the option of using the free shuttle service, a taxi, or a charter flight. There are roughly 55 kilometres between Moshi and Arusha. The trip to Arusha, the entry point to the Northern Safari Circuit, from the airport takes roughly an hour.
Getting to Ngorongoro Crater by Road
Lodoare is the nearest gateway for safaris to the Ngorongoro crater, and the route from Arusha to the entrance gate is 160 km long. It takes roughly 3.5 to 4 hours to go there, and as of late, the entire trip is on tarmac. A 4×4 vehicle is required to enter the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, unless you choose to stay on the gravelled main routes.
Descending to the Crater
The Seneto descending road enters the crater on its western side and serves as the primary access point. The Lerai ascending road leads to the rim close to park headquarters and begins south of Lake Magadi. Use it to exit. On the north-eastern side of the crater, close to Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge, is the Lemala road, which is utilised for both ascent and descent.
The Best time to visit Ngorongoro Crater
Safaris to Ngorongoro Crater are fantastic at any time of year, but from May to October, when it’s drier and the grasses aren’t as plentiful, the animals tend to congregate.
Opening Hours
Safaris to the Ngorongoro Crater begin at 6 a.m. and end at 4 p.m.; all vehicles must leave the crater by 6 p.m. Officially, you can only spend a maximum of six hours in the crater, but this is rarely followed. It’s a long way back to the park gate to hire a ranger if they won’t let you go down without one, and self-drivers are expected to pay US$23.60 per vehicle to hire a park ranger for the crater. Keep in mind that this restriction is being enforced more seriously than it used to be. Every charge is good for one entry only and is valid for 24 hours.
Due to their proximity to the Ngorongoro conservation area, safaris to the Ngorongoro Crater can be combined with other national parks, particularly the Serengeti and Manyara National Parks. Our safari specialists can help you create the ideal itinerary for the trip of a lifetime.
Tanzania safari activities at Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s biggest complete crater, is the focal point of Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The Ngorongoro Crater, which is approximately 20 km broad, 600 meters deep, and 300 square km in size, is a magnificent natural wonder. It would have been higher than Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, according to some, before it erupted. Ngorongoro Crater offers visitors a wide variety of activities. Only a few calderas exist in the world, but the Ngorongoro is unique in that it is the biggest entirely intact caldera that hasn’t yet formed a lake. There are a lot of Tanzania safari tour attractions and things to do at Ngorongoro Crater, such as;
Game drives
It is one of the most likely places in Tanzania to observe the endangered Black Rhino, whose small population thrives in this beautiful and protected habitat, a safari to Ngorongoro is truly amazing. They still breed in the wild there, which is one of the few places left. Leopards and amazing black-maned lions are also likely to be seen here. Lake Magadi’s soda waters also draw a lot of flamingos. A small population of endangered Black Rhinos thrives in the beautiful and protected Ngorongoro Crater, making it one of the most likely places in Tanzania to observe them. They still breed in the wild there, which is one of the few places left.
Leopards and amazing black-maned lions are also likely to be seen here. Lake Magadi’s soda waters also draw a lot of flamingos. Numerous cats, cheetahs, jackals, Grant’s and Thompson’s gazelles, flamingos, bat-eared foxes, and almost 400 different species of birds are among the other wildlife found in the Ngorongoro. Ngorongoro safaris are, to put it mildly, action-packed, and despite being a relatively small park, they do feature the highest concentration of animals in all of Africa. From December to March, the Great Wildebeest Migration—the world’s greatest ungulate migration, according to one source—passes directly through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, more especially Lake Ndutu. This massive migration of more than 2 million gazelles, zebras, and wildebeest is an amazing sight.
Tour Oldupai Gorge
The Oldupai Gorge, a high gorge in the Great Rift Valley, is part of the larger Ngorongoro Conservation Area. It is there that paleoanthropologists Louis and Mark Leakey notably found evidence of the 2 million-year-old Homo habilis, our earliest known human species. “The Mountain of God,” as it is known in Maasai.
Walking safaris
Ngorongoro is a rewarding and adventurous place to walk. Lodges in the vicinity, the Ngorongoro Conservation vicinity Authority offices, or a travel company can arrange short treks. Trekking down Empakai or Olmoti Craters are examples of short walks. Long treks are easier to schedule through tour operators, but they require more preparation. Trekking in the Northern Highlands Forest Reserve; trekking in the Eastern Plains around Nasera Rock, Gol Mountains, and Olkarien Gorge; and trekking from Olmoti to Empakai and down to the Great Rift Valley level are all examples of lengthy excursions. In Ngorongoro, an armed ranger must go with every walking safari.
Photography and Filming
It is recommended that photographers bring all necessary equipment for both photography and filming. Off-road driving is strictly prohibited in the area, so telephoto cameras with telescopic lenses are advised. We advise you to carry protection gear, such as a dust cover, because the area can occasionally be extremely dusty. Early in the morning and late at night are the best times to take pictures. It is strictly forbidden to take photos of the Maasai along the road. Permission is required to do this in specific locations, including cultural Bomas. Don’t forget to include devices with sufficient storage space and multiple fully charged batteries.
Visit the Maasai people
Preserving the ecosystem for the Maasai people, who were displaced from the Serengeti Plains, is one of the reasons for the establishment of the Ngorongoro. They are primarily nomadic and construct makeshift settlements in bomas, which are circular homesteads. Now that a few of these have been made accessible to tourists, there are opportunities to see them. Here, you can observe how the huts are constructed in a precise order that corresponds to the wives’ chronological order. You can also witness what it must be like to depend on the warmth and vitality of a fire blazing in the centre of a chimneyless cattle dung home. Because of their lengthy history as warriors, these proud cow-herders are still able to herd their animals into the crater to drink and graze, despite the fact that they are no longer permitted to establish settlements inside.
