Best places to stay in Ngorongoro Crater and Conservation Area

Ngorongoro Crater is one of the best places to see the Big Five in Africa — lion, leopard, rhinoceros, cape buffalo, and elephant, all living with the volcanic caldera.

The Ngorongoro Crater is one of Africa’s most famous sites and is said to have the highest density of wildlife in Africa. Sometimes described as an ‘eighth wonder of the world’, the Crater has achieved world renown, attracting an ever-increasing number of visitors each year. You are unlikely to escape other vehicles here, but you are guaranteed great wildlife viewing in a genuinely mind-blowing environment. There is nowhere else in Africa quite like Ngorongoro!

Choosing where to stay in Ngorongoro

Most people mistake Ngorongoro to be only the crater but the larger Ngorongoro Conservation Area spans from the south Serengeti, to the south are the Ngorongoro highlands famous for vibrant Masai Culture and beautiful rolling hills patchworked with coffee plantations. In the north Ndutu region, All this forms the Ngorongoro conservation area meaning when you stay in Highlands, Ndutu you are still in the Ngorongoro Area.

Lodges and camps are split into two categories; ones based on the Crater Rim, and others which are in the surrounding Ngorongoro Highlands and the Karatu town area. The Highlands are home to some exceptional lodges, though they tend to be a bit further away than the ones on the crater rim, and the drive can take around 30 minutes.

At the Rim