Full Day Game Drive in Ngorongoro Crater — Overview
The Ngorongoro Crater Game Drive Experience
Descending into the Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most anticipated moments of any Tanzania safari. The 600-meter descent through highland forest on a switchback road takes approximately 30 minutes and ends in a completely enclosed world of plains, swamps, forest patches, and soda lake that functions as a permanent wildlife sanctuary.
Early Morning Descent and Predator Activity
Gates open at 6:00 AM and early arrival is strongly recommended. The first light hours are when lion prides are most active and visible, often feeding on kills from the night before. Hyenas can be observed returning to dens after overnight hunting. Cheetahs patrol the short grass plains in the morning light. The low angle morning sun creates exceptional photographic conditions across the open floor.
The Hippo Pool and Flamingo Lake
A mandatory stop midday is at the hippo pool where two dozen or more hippos wallow in a freshwater pool fed by springs on the crater wall. The hippos are visible at very close range from a bridge over the pool outlet. Lake Magadi, the soda lake in the western crater, supports hundreds to thousands of lesser flamingos depending on season, their pink color intensifying in the midday light.
Locating the Black Rhinoceros
Approximately 30 to 40 black rhinoceros live on the crater floor, representing one of the last significant populations in East Africa. Your guide will make deliberate effort to locate them, typically in the southwestern crater zone. A rhino sighting, often from 100 to 200 meters in open terrain, is considered the crown jewel of the crater game drive.
Lunch and Afternoon Drive
A packed picnic lunch is taken at a designated lunch spot on the crater floor. Afterwards, the afternoon drive continues in the eastern crater zone where large elephant bulls with enormous tusks are often seen. The ascent departs before 6:00 PM in accordance with park regulations.
Safari Packages for This Experience
