Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest inactive, intact volcanic caldera, its floor a self-contained ecosystem roughly 260 square kilometres across, holding a remarkably dense and varied wildlife population year-round.
Why it’s different from an open safari park
Because the crater floor is enclosed by its steep walls, wildlife doesn’t migrate out of it in the way herds move across the open Serengeti — this concentrates sightings, including some of Tanzania’s best remaining odds of seeing black rhino.
Visiting the crater
Most visits are a single, full day of game driving on the crater floor, descending from a lodge or camp on the rim — a natural stop either on the way to or from the Serengeti.