7-Day Ngorongoro Crater Highland Trekking

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Arusha City to Ngorongoro Crater for Game Drive

You will be picked up from the agreed point in Arusha and driven to Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, where you will descend into the Crater floor for afternoon game drives. The Big Five live in this wonderful caldera, as do zebra, hippo, wildebeest, hyena, and more. Birds there include flamingos on the soda lake, geese, storks, vultures, and more. You will break for lunch at Ngoitoktok Spring Picnic Sites. It will be an unforgettable experience. After lunch, you will proceed with an afternoon wildlife viewing while ascending the Crater and driving to Simba campsite for dinner and overnight.

Main Destination:

Ngorongoro Crater

Best Time To Visit June to October (Wildlife viewing is best)

High Season Most of the year – July to March (Expect crowds)

Best Weather June to October (Rainfall is little to none)

Wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater

Black RhinoCommon

LionCommon

BuffaloAbundant

ZebraAbundant

WildebeestAbundant

HyenaAbundant

Show more

ElephantCommon

HippoCommon

LeopardOccasional

GiraffeNone

White RhinoNone

CheetahNone

Wild DogNone

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Ngorongoro Crater

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Ngorongoro Crater Rim to Nainokanoka Masai Village-Bulati

Breakfast is at 7:00 am. Then, you'll depart to Nainokanoka Masai village, where you will meet your Ranger and Masai Warrior, who will guide you for the next few days. The Masai guide is escorted by a couple of donkeys who will carry the luggage for the upcoming trek. He will load the donkeys. The journey begins through the highlands, passing many traditional Masai Bomas and their cattle. After a short distance, wild animals such as Thompson and Grant's gazelle, zebras, and wildebeest can be seen. There are many animals; hungry jackals are not far away, and majestic eagles are observing the situation high in the sky. Your dinner and overnight stay will be close to the Masai village Bulati.

Main Destination:

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Ngorongoro Crater

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Bulati Masai Village to Embakai

After breakfast, the journey goes up a hill where you can take a last panoramic view of the grass plains. The trek continues up and down through the bushy landscape which finally opens up to the active volcano, Oldonyo Lengai. The trek gives you great views of the majestic volcano as well as into the impressive Empakai Crater before reaching the campsite for the night. A well-maintained track goes to the crater bottom; one-third of it is covered by the Empakai Lake. This (alkaline) soda lake is an important source of flamingos, which can be observed throughout the year. When returning to the camp, a good dinner will be waiting for you. During the night you might hear the flamingo. Your dinner and overnight stay will be at Embakai Crater Campsite.

Main Destination:

Ngorongoro Highlands

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Ngorongoro Highlands

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Embakai Crater to Nayobi Village

You will wake up early so you don't miss the beautiful panoramic sunrise above the lake in the Embakai Crater. After breakfast and loading the donkeys, we will start our 7 km trek on the rim of the crater, heading for Nayobi Village. The loading of the donkeys goes easier every day, as the participants and the animals get more familiar with each other. Here in Nayobi Village, you will fill your water bottles and have lunch. While following a good track, the village and Oldonyo Lengai can be seen from a distance. After this break, you will trek to Acacia Trees campsite for dinner and an overnight stay.

Main Destination:

Ngorongoro Highlands

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Ngorongoro Highlands

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Nayobi Village to Lake Natron

Breakfast is at around 7:00 am. The highlights of the trek are the great views of Oldonyo Lengai, Lake Natron, and the Rift Valley. A big part of the rugged countryside is covered by the ashes of the last eruption in the year 2007, which adds to the surreal picture of the landscape. The trek goes deeper down into the dry and hot Rift Valley, where the dried-out ashes can be viewed from up close. The car will pick us up and take you to Lake Natron camp where you can refresh yourself in the Lake Natron River. Your dinner and overnight stay will be at Lake Natron Kamakia Campsite. You will have an early dinner and go to sleep. At midnight, you will wake up and transfer to the mountain where you will ascend Ol Doinyo Lengai, 2878m (9650ft), in the heart of Maasai country, and locally regarded as a sacred mountain. You will be on top of this mountain in the early morning for the best sunrise photos and view.

Main Destination:

Lake Natron

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Summit the Oldonyo Lengai Mountain and Relaxation at your Camp

You'll descend by mid-morning to the foothills of Ol Doinyo Lengai where your safari vehicles will transfer you to the campsite for shower and brunch. Afterward, you can just rest and relax at the camp. Your dinner and overnight stay will be at Lake Natron View Point Campsite.

Main Destination:

Ol Doinyo Lengai

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Non-alcoholic drinks

Lake Natron to Arusha

After breakfast at 6:00 am, you'll visit Lake Natron which is one of the most alkaline lakes in the world. Home to millions of tiny crustaceans, the lake is a haven for thousands of lesser flamingos and it is one of the most important flamingo breeding grounds on earth. The area around the lake is dry and desolate. The strangely beautiful landscape is the attraction in this area. After a strenuous walk up the stream, you'll reach the source of the river in the cascading waterfalls that gush out of the mountains. It is an excellent swim in the river and under the waterfalls for a nice cool-down from the hot sun. There may be baboons or other wildlife in the gorge. After leaving the area en route to Arusha, you see many Maasai villages, gazelles, giraffes, zebras, baboons, bee boxes, and birds such as vultures, ostriches, glossy starlings, Cory bustards, and kites.

Main Destination:

Arusha (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Non-alcoholic drinks

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.