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Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Crater Long-Crested Eagle Feeding

Long-Crested Eagle. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Tanzania // African Safari· Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area Tanzania· UNESCO World Heritage Sites Location: [post_gps_latitude], [post_gps_longitude]

The Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania isn’t quite what I’d expected. The overall size is about what I’d expected, but there’s no lush forest. Instead, nearly the entire crater floor is remarkably flat and covered with short grass, very different to nearby Tarangire National Park. It’s basically a giant paddock. Which is precisely why the local Maasai bring their cattle down to the crater to graze.

They’ve been given special dispensation for that. Ngorongoro Crater is a part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (or NCA), a World Heritage Site and now separate from the Serengeti National Park. The NCA is a zone of 8,292 square kilometers established in 1959 incorporating not just the crater but also Serengeti plains along with archeological zones where some of the evidence of the earliest humans has been found, and catchment areas. The distinction is to allow this one exception of mixed-use but to otherwise protect the native wildlife and plant life. A national park wouldn’t allow such things. No-one is allowed to actually live in the crater, though—at least, not humans. Until fairly recently, the Masai living on the rim were allowed to bring their cattle down to the walls to the crater floor, heading back up in the evening. But, since 2015, they’re no longer allowed to do so.

The crater was formed when a volcano much like Kilimanjaro collapsed in on itself two to three million years ago, creating a nearly perfectly flat caldera. The walls of the rim are steep, but not so steep as to eliminate all migration. Some animals still migrate to and from the crater, but one of the reasons there’s so much wildlife here is that there’s not much need for migration. There’s regular water and food year-round.

And that’s why Ngorongoro Crater has an unusually dense population of wildlife, including lions, zebras, wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelles, ostriches, buffalo, hippos, hyenas, and flamingos. There’s a small bush area in one corner with some elephants. And there’s a large salt lake in another corner where flamingos gather. The crater is famous for its rare black rhinos, but they’re notoriously shy, especially on cool mornings. But you won’t find giraffes, at least not on the crater floor (but you can sometimes find them on the outside of the rim). And there’s a swampy area, popular as a tourist picnic area, where hippos swim in a small lake fed by underground springs and that other animals also use as a water source.

Like the national parks, visiting the crater requires permits, fees, and a guide. So apart from one designated lunch spot next to a hippo lake, you’ll spend all your time in a safari vehicle dash across the dirt roads that criss-cross the crater looking for animals. And when one car finds something of interest–some male lions sleeping or an eagle devouring a small rabbit–others will swarm to it. So you can end up with quite a traffic jam even in this wide open space. But one way or another, you’re going to find lots of animals here. There’s a reason, after all, that it’s one of the most popular stops on Tanzania’s northern safari tour.

Photos from Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater Panorama

A panorama taken from the crater rim looking down into the crater. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Stars with the Milky Way from Simba Campground

The Milky Way from Simba Campground on the crater rim. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Zebras and Landscape

On the crater floor. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Lion

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

The Floor of Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania

The floor of the crater as seen from up on the rim, with narrow waterways etched into the crater floor. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Dirt Track and Safari Vehicle

Dirt tracks = lots of dust. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Close-up of a Zebra at Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Hippos and Tourists

Hippos can be dangerous, but there’s an area in the crater that’s designated as a lunch/stopping area where you’re allowed to get out of the trucks and wander around. It’s next to a small lake with hippos. This shot uses a long telephoto lens, so it looks like the two women are closer to the hippos than they actually were. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Picnic Area

A wider view of the designated picnic area. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Thomson's Gazelle

Thomson’s Gazelle. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Hippos at Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania

Some hippos grazing. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Wildlife

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Safari Vehicles Open Tops

When one guide spots something interesting and pulls over, it attracts others to rush over, and, oddly, you can end up with traffic jams even out here. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Salt Lake and Wildebeest

Blue wildebeest (also known as blue gnu) moving across the edge of a salt flat. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Thomson's Gazelle at Stream

Thomson’s Gazelle. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Salt Lake

A salt lake. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Stream

A swampier area. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Thomson's Gazelle and Wildebeest

A young Thomson’s Gazelle with Blue Wildebeest. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Wildebeest

More Blue Wildebeest (or Blue Gnus). Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Watering Hole

Even in this enclosed crater there’s a mix of landscapes. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Thomson's Gazelle Young

A young Thomson’s Gazelle. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Herd of Wildebeest Resting at Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania

A herd of Blue Wildebeest (Blue Gnus), obviously not too worried that there might be predators nearby. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Traffic Jam

One of the traffic jams as guides rush over to something interesting by the road. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Dusty Road

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Safari Trucks

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Grass

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Plains

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Water Buffalo at Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania

Water Buffalo. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Mountains and Clouds

Evening clouds swirling over the crater rim and catching the sun’s last rays. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Wildebeest Grazing

Blue Wildebeest (Blue Gnus). Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Wildebeest Crossing the Road

Obviously, the wildlife has right of way. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Safari Vehicle

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Wildebeest Herd

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Bush

My guide took me through this lightly wooded area in the hope of spotting some rhinos, but we didn’t come across any. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Thomson's Gazelle's Grazing

Thomson’s Gazelles grazing. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Dusty Road

Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

Ngorongoro Crater Overlook

The view from the crater rim looking down into the crater floor. Photo by David Coleman. How to license & download this image.

What To Know Before You Go

Ngorongoro Crater is a protected area. You can only enter for a designated time period (and must exit the park during those designated periods). There’s no accommodation on the crater floor, but there’s a handful of options up on the crater rim, from camping to a luxury lodge.

There are fees involved with entering the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

Where to Next?

  • Tarangire National Park Zebras in the Water
    Tarangire National Park
  • Lake Manyara National Park Elephant
    Lake Manyara National Park
  • Mt Kilimanjaro Stars and Camp at Lava Tower
    Climbing Kilimanjaro


Travel Advice for Tanzania

You can find the latest U.S. Department of State travel advisories and information for Tanzania (such as entry visa requirements and vaccination requirements) here.

The British and Australian governments offer their own country-specific travel information. You can find the British Government's travel advice for Tanzania here and the Australian Government's here.

Health & Vaccinations

The CDC makes country-specific recommendations for vaccinations and health for travelers. You can find their latest information for Tanzania here.

David Coleman Photography

I take photos. I travel. I write. I do it for a living. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between. You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com. Or check out what’s in my go-to travel photography kit. Or get in touch here.


Location: Ngorongoro Crater
Country: Tanzania
Coordinates:
      Latitude: -3.163358
      Longitude: 35.584214

      # African Safari
      # Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area Tanzania
      # UNESCO World Heritage Sites



About David Coleman

I take photos. I travel. I write. I do it for a living.

I’m based in Washington, DC.

You can find my photography gear reviews and tips at havecamerawilltravel.com/photographer.

David Coleman Photography

I take photos. I travel. I write. I do it for a living. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between. You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com. Or check out what’s in my go-to travel photography kit. Or get in touch here.

Licensing & Prints

Looking for travel stock photos or prints? I might be able to help. You can search my collection here:

If you already have a buyer account with Alamy and would prefer to use that, you can search my images directly here.

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Photos by David Coleman. Please contact me for licensing images.
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