How far is it from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater? From Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater: A classic safari in East Africa. The Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater are two important facets of the Tanzania eco-system, home to some of the best wildlife viewing on the African continent, exceptional scenery and classic tented safari camps.
Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park are quite closely situated and while on a Tanzania Safari, you can enjoy tranquil walking safaris, cultural experiences with local tribes and excellent game viewing against the backdrop of spectacular vistas within a few days of one another.
These two famous destinations perfectly combine for a quintessential East African safari experience, so the question is how far apart are the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater?
About Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the premier attractions in Africa and is a world-renowned wonder and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the crater is a massive cavity in the earth’s surface and one of the most famous wildlife reserves in Africa.
This breathtakingly beautiful area was created about two to three million years ago when a large volcano exploded and collapsed on itself creating a natural amphitheatre.
Ngorongoro Crater is home to over 30,000 animals and it is the best place in Tanzania to see the big five in their natural habitat.
About Serengeti National Park
Named from the Maasai world Siringet which translates as “the place where the land runs on forever”, Serengeti National Park is among the oldest game reserves in Tanzania and one of the most iconic safari destinations in Africa.
Serengeti National Park is located in the north of the country, partly adjoining the Kenyan border and together with Masai Mara National Reserve. The park is also situated north west of the Ngorongoro crater in northern Tanzania.
Technically, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti Conservation Area are neighboring parks and remaining on the ground it would be about a 150 km-long drive to get where you need to be on both ends. The driving distances and time depends on where your camps are located and optimum camp location depends on the time of the year on the time of the year you are visiting and what you are looking to experience. In reality, it is normally easier and more affordable to fly between these two regions in a light aircraft.
With their nearby location, the two parks are quite easily explored in under a week.
Travelling from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is located 180 kilometers (110 miles) west of Arusha and the trip to the Serengeti from there is just over 150 km but driving between the two could mean between 3 and 6 hours of driving time.
Flying between the two parks is normally an easier option and a more affordable one, light aircraft networks are relatively well set up in this area and the northern Tanzania safari circuit in general. Also, moving from a camp in one area to a camp in the next area would involve a short game drive to an airstrip and only around a 45-minute flight, freeing up more of your time to enjoy the two areas that you are visiting.
When is the best time to travel from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater?
Each year around the same time, the great circle of the wildebeest migration begins in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The migration is determined by the rains and grazing patterns but generally lasts from January to March in this area during the calving season.
The best time to visit Ngorongoro Crater is when there is plenty of grass sprouting from the rains which draw in over 250,000 zebras and more than 1.5 million wildebeests. Calving happens usually during February and it is a wonderful sight to see more than half of a million baby wildebeests playing in the Savannah.
As the rains dry up in May, the herds starting moving northward towards the Grumeti River and then head into Kenya in late July and August. River crossings are a popular attraction in July and if you happen to find yourself in the right spot, you may see a crocodile lying in wait try and catch his dinner.
Let us help you plan your safari around the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater Area, get in touch with us for full information.
