Getting Around the Ngorongoro Crater

Arusha is the small but buzzing hub for East African safaris and visitors will fly into this Tanzanian town before driving off to various Kenyan and Tanzanian attractions. Most people visit Ngorongoro Crater as part of a longer safari and safari companies will usher them between destinations in four wheel drive vehicles.

Once at Ngorongoro, it takes roughly an hour to descend to the crater floor from the rim. Recent restrictions on game vehicles have resulted in each vehicle only being allowed to spend six hours a day in the crater, so be prepared to see quite a few vehicles while you're out on your game drives.

Ngorongoro Crater is open from 7am, descents from the rim are stopped from 4pm, and all vehicles must be out by 6pm.

The road between Ngorongoro and the Serengeti is infamously bad and drivers generally tackle the bumpy ride by speeding through it as quickly as possible, much to the dismay of many a foreign belly. We're sure you'll find that the bad roads and discomfort are a small price to pay for visiting such an amazing wilderness area though.

Park Fees

There's quite a substantial daily park fee to be paid that does not include entry into the Ngorongoro Crater. Those wanting to go down into the crater will pay an additional fee per vehicle.

It's important to remember that the only road to the Serengeti runs through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, so even those that are just passing though will have to pay the park fee. Also, you have to get to either of the two gates before they shut for the night (Lodoare Gate is open from 6:30am to 6pm, and Naabi Hill Gate is open from 6am to 6pm).

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