Ngorongoro conservation area
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers 8,292 square kilometers. It is one of the three divisions that comprise Ngorongoro District in Arusha Region.
The jewel in Ngorongoro’s crown is a deep, volcanic crater, the largest un flooded and unbroken caldera in the world. About 20kms across, 600 meters deep and 300 sq kms in area, the Ngorongoro Crater is a breathtaking natural wonder.
Within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with the exception of Simba near the NCAA headquarters, the campsites are all classified as “special campsites”.
Best Ngorongoro Packages
1 Day Safari
Ngorongoro Crater
2 Days/1 Night Safari
Ngorongoro National Park
Lake Manyara National Park
3 Days/2 Night Safari
Ngorongoro Crater
Tarangire National Park
Lake Manyara Nationa Park
4 Days Safari
Ngorongoro Crater
Tarangire National Park
Serengeti National Park
What to See
Here are some famous places to explore in Ngorongoro National Park
Oldupai Gorge
In the past three decades, it has become increasingly evident that Africa likely serves as the “Cradle of Mankind,” from which human ancestors spread to inhabit the rest of the Earth. The discovery of the earliest human remains in Oldupai Gorge further supports this theory.
Laetoli Footprints
Explore the Olduvai Museum’s exhibit featuring footprints of early human ancestors, including “Lucy” Australopithecus afarensis, preserved in volcanic ash from 3.6 million years ago. These prints, displaying bipedal locomotion, precede tool use and brain size expansion, offering a remarkable insight into human evolution.
Grand Canyon
Around 30,000 years ago, geological forces shaped Olduvai Gorge, exposing a rich record of human ancestry and Serengeti ecosystem evolution. Mary and Louis Leakey’s decades-long excavation revealed artifacts and fossils of early human ancestors, including Zinjanthropus (Australopithecus boisei), Homo habilis, and Homo erectus. Guided archaeological tours, including the remarkable Shifting Sands, led by Department of Antiquities personnel, offer insight into this significant site.
Upright Apes
Over two million years ago, in East Africa’s Great Rift Valley, a bipedal ape fashioned stone tools, marking a milestone in human evolution. These artifacts, showcased in the Olduvai Museum, enabled the processing of nutritious food, potentially influencing the development of larger brains. Discover the full narrative of Laetoli and Olduvai Gorge, alongside our early ancestors, in a newly published booklet available at the museum’s bookshop.