Ngorongoro Crater Safari: Game Drive & Crater Descent

Descend the crater floor and drive among the Big Five

A full-day group safari from Arusha into Ngorongoro Crater with private transportation, a guide and picnic lunch. You drive to the crater rim for views across the caldera, then descend to the floor for a game drive where rhino, lion, leopard, buffalo and elephant share the enclosed landscape with zebra, hippo, wildebeest and birds including flamingos on the soda lake. Lunch is served at Ngoitokok swamp before an afternoon of viewing, then you ascend and return to Arusha.

Step-by-step itinerary

Ngorongoro Crater game drive and return

• Depart Arusha at 06:30
• Drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
• View Crater Rim from top
• Descend into crater floor
• Game drive spotting Big Five
• Picnic lunch at Ngoitokok swamp
• Afternoon game viewing
• Ascend crater and return to Arusha

The experience

The day starts before dawn. You leave Arusha around 06:30 and drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, arriving at the crater rim for a first view across the caldera before descending to the crater floor itself. The enclosed basin holds a concentration of wildlife that few other places on earth match: all five of the Big Five live here (rhino, lion, leopard, buffalo and elephant) along with zebra, hippo, wildebeest and hyena. Your private guide narrates the crater's geology and formation as you move through the landscape, pointing out the species and their behavior.

The game drive fills the morning and early afternoon. You move at a pace that lets you watch, photograph and absorb rather than rush between sightings. Picnic lunch arrives at Ngoitokok swamp, a hippo pool where you eat while the animals move around you. After lunch the afternoon drive continues until you ascend the crater wall and head back toward Arusha, arriving before dark.

What’s included

• Private transportation from Arusha to the crater and back.
• a picnic lunch box.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• all park fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (14 to 70 years) · Under 14: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Aquiline safaris and adventures

Is this one for you?This is a shared group tour, so you travel with other visitors rather than as a private party. The fixed departure time and route mean you move with the group's pace, and the crater floor itself limits where the vehicle can go, but that same enclosure is what concentrates the wildlife and makes sightings frequent.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What animals will I see on the crater floor?

Ngorongoro Crater holds all five of the Big Five (rhino, lion, leopard, buffalo and elephant) plus zebra, hippo, wildebeest and hyena. Birds include flamingos on the soda lake, geese, storks and vultures. The white rhinoceros is among the species present.

Where is lunch served during the day?

Lunch is a picnic box served at Ngoitokok swamp, a hippo pool on the crater floor, so you eat surrounded by the landscape and wildlife rather than leaving the crater.

What time does the safari depart from Arusha?

Departure is around 06:30 from Arusha, allowing you to reach the crater rim early and descend to the floor while light is good for viewing and photography.

Do I need to be fit for this tour?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You spend most of the day in a vehicle on the crater floor, with the main walking being the brief stop at the crater rim and around the lunch site.