Olduvai Gorge tour: Laetoli Footprints & active digs

The Laetoli Footprints here are the earliest evidence of bipedalism on record.

A guided tour of Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, set between the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, with private transportation and entrance fees. You'll see a replica of the Laetoli Footprints, descend into the gorge to learn what Mary and Louis Leakey discovered about early hominin remains, and can arrange in advance to visit active dig sites. Between June and October, you may speak with scientists working there. The tour also includes a stop at a shifting sand dune 30 minutes away that moves roughly 10 meters a year.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Olduvai Gorge and surroundings

• Visit Olduvai Gorge museum
• View Laetoli Footprints replica
• Drive to Olduvai Gorge site
• Learn about Leakey discoveries
• Read information board on site
• Visit active dig sites with staff
• Chat with scientists (June–October)
• See shifting sand dune nearby

The experience

The Laetoli Footprints replica anchors the museum at Olduvai Gorge. They're the oldest direct evidence of upright walking, and the guide explains what that discovery meant for understanding human origins. You're driven down into the gorge itself to see where Mary and Louis Leakey uncovered early hominin remains, and you'll read the information boards on site that lay out what those finds tell us about our ancestors. If you arrange it in advance, a staff member can take you to the active dig sites where ongoing research happens. Between June and October, you might have the chance to talk with the scientists working there.

The tour runs two hours and includes private transportation from your pickup point, so you move at your own pace between stops without waiting for other groups. Entrance fees to the gorge and museum are covered. On the way back, there's a detour to a curious geological feature: a sand dune that shifts roughly 10 meters each year, pushed by the prevailing wind, located about 30 minutes' drive from the gorge. It's a small thing, but it breaks up the day and gives you a different kind of landscape to look at.

What’s included

• Private transportation from your location.
• entrance fees to Olduvai Gorge and the museum.
• English-speaking guide for the full tour.
• access to the Laetoli Footprints replica and on-site information boards.
• optional visit to the shifting sand dune.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Opatrip.com US LLC – Local Tours in Tanzania

Is this one for you?This is a private guided tour, so you move through the gorge and museum at your own pace without a group schedule. It suits anyone who wants to linger over the fossil displays or ask the guide detailed questions about the Leakeys' work and what the finds mean for human history, and it makes arranging access to active dig sites straightforward since the operator handles the coordination.

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Top questions

What exactly are the Laetoli Footprints, and why do they matter?

The Laetoli Footprints are fossilized human footprints preserved in volcanic ash, dating back 3.6 million years. They're the earliest direct evidence that our ancestors walked upright on two legs, which is a major marker in human evolution. You'll see a replica of them at the museum.

Can I actually visit the dig sites where scientists are working?

Yes, but you need to arrange it in advance with the tour operator. A staff member will take you to the active dig sites if you've made that request beforehand. Between June and October, you may also have the chance to speak with the scientists conducting the research there.

How long does the whole tour take?

The tour runs two hours, including the drive down into the gorge, time at the museum and information boards, and the optional sand dune stop on the return.

Is the gorge itself accessible, or do I just see it from above?

You're driven down into the gorge itself, so you descend to the actual site where the Leakeys made their discoveries. The information boards are on site, and you get a sense of the landscape where the fossils were found.

What's included in the price?

Private transportation, entrance fees to the gorge and museum, and an English-speaking guide are all included. You arrange any visit to active dig sites separately in advance.