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4-Day Ngorongoro Crater Safari Tours
Everyone should visit Ngorongoro Crater at least once in their lifetime. This is the quintessential safari destination, with a combination of drama-filled landscapes brought to life by big populations of wildlife that you only find here in Africa. Ngorongoro also hosts some of northern Tanzania’s best accommodation choices. And it’s close to numerous other attractions which can be combined with a visit to Ngorongoro on a 4-day safari. These range from the well known – Serengeti, Lake Manyara or the historically significant Olduvai (Oldupai) Gorge and Museum – to the less famous – Lake Eyasi or the Crater Highlands.
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Best Seller
4-Day Northern Parks Lodge Comfort
$1,710 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Shemeji Safari Tanzania
4.9/5 – 272 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Touch of Wilderness - Mid-Range
$1,690 to $2,080 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Soul of Tanzania
5.0/5 – 377 Reviews
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4-Day Camping Safari Tarangire Ngorongoro and Serengeti
$680 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Focus in Africa
4.7/5 – 136 Reviews
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4-Day Drive & Fly Back Safari Serengeti - (310B)
$1,820 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti NP, Arusha (End)
Paradise & Wilderness
4.8/5 – 70 Reviews
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Best Seller
4-Day Mid-Range Lodge Group Tour
$1,350 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Suricata Safaris
5.0/5 – 1090 Reviews
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4-Day Tanzania Wildernes, Coffee Tour & Authentic Tribes
$700 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping & Hotel
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Materuni (Highlight), Arusha (End)
Savannah Eagle Travel
4.7/5 – 3 Reviews
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4-Day Safari to Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater
$1,680 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 8 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping & Lodge
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Going Green Safari Tours Company
4.9/5 – 103 Reviews
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4-Day The Endless Adventure in Wildlife
$2,596 to $2,770 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
EATL Tour Company
5.0/5 – 6 Reviews
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4-Day Northern Park High Lights Comfort Plus
$1,785 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Sunset Adventure Safari
4.9/5 – 56 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
4-Day Ndutu and Serengeti Safari (Camping)
$1,700 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetCamping
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Ndutu (Southern Serengeti), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Benson Safaris Tanzania
5.0/5 – 193 Reviews
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4-Day Northern Tanzani Group Budget Sharing Safari
$790 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping & Hotel
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Meijo Safaris
5.0/5 – 85 Reviews
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4-Day Tarangire - Ngorongoro Crater - Arusha
$1,095 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Ngorongoro Crater, Kilimanjaro Airport (End)
Migada Adventures
5.0/5 – 53 Reviews
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4-Day Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti
$1,000 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 5 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping
You Visit: Moshi (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Moshi (End)
MJ Safaris & Adventure
4.5/5 – 44 Reviews
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4-Day Budget Safari Lake Manyara, Serengeti&Ngorongoro
$1,300 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Greg Adventures
4.9/5 – 16 Reviews
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4-Day Private Serengeti and Ngorongoro Tented Tour
$1,850 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & Tented CampYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Hadzabe Safari Adventure
5.0/5 – 10 Reviews
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4-Day Comfort Wildlife Safari
$1,181 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Lake Eyasi, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Amshar Serengeti Adventures
4.9/5 – 18 Reviews
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4-Day Popular Budget Safari Joining
$780 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)BudgetCamping
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Mellivora African Travels
5.0/5 – 10 Reviews
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4-Day Budgeted Tanzania Safari
$1,720 to $1,780 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range Tented Camp & HotelYou Visit: Arusha (Start), Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Highlands, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
EL.C.A
5.0/5 – 20 Reviews
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4-Day Tarangire, Manyara & Ngorongoro Tour
$1,185 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Moshi (Start), Arusha (City), Tarangire NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara NP, Arusha (End)
Bearfoot Expeditions
4.8/5 – 4 Reviews
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4-Day Budget Tour to Tarangire, Serengeti & Ngorongoro
$1,410 pp (USD)
Tanzania: Private tourBudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Arusha (Start), Tarangire NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha (End)
Serengeti Smile
5.0/5 – 53 Reviews
5 Questions About 4-Day Ngorongoro Crater Safaris

Answered by
Anthony Ham
Anthony is a writer and author of nearly 150 Lonely Planet guidebooks, including Kenya, Tanzania and East Africa. He writes about safaris, Ngorongoro and the wider region for magazines and newspapers around the world. He is also the author of The Last Lions of Africa.
5 Questions About 4-Day Ngorongoro Crater Safaris

Which parks can I visit on a 4-day Ngorongoro Crater safari?
“With 4 days to explore the region, make sure you dedicate one of these days to a full day exploring Ngorongoro Crater. A little extra time around Ngorongoro could also pay huge dividends, if you allow space in your itinerary for a visit to a Maasai village, a hike through the forests around the crater rim, or an excursion further into the Crater Highlands (to little-known Olmoti Crater, for example). With all or most of these as part of your tour, you may have time to include one other park. The two most obvious choices are the Serengeti (which is vast and deserves a lot more time) or Lake Manyara. If you do go to the Serengeti, consider flying from Ngorongoro, both for the views and to maximize your limited time in the Serengeti. Famous for its elephants and its tree-climbing lions, Lake Manyara is a compact park well-suited as an add-on to your visit to Ngorongoro.”
1Which animals am I likely to see?
“Ngorongoro Crater is one of the best wildlife experiences you can have. The crater floor has prides of lions, clans of hyenas, herds of elephants and flocks of flamingos. Perhaps the biggest drawcard is the population of black rhinos: Ngorongoro is the easiest place in northern Tanzania to see these prehistoric creatures. They’re present elsewhere, including in the Serengeti, but they can be very hard to see there. And, of course, you can expect to see so much more while you’re here, including hippo, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, cheetah and crocodile. Watch also for golden jackal and the occasional leopard. There’s also wildlife in the forests up on the crater rim, although they’re much more difficult to see. Highlights might include elephant, giraffe, lion, leopard and a range of antelope species.”
2Which activities are available on a safari including the Ngorongoro Crater?
“Everyone who visits Ngorongoro goes on a guided game drive. Even if you’re on a self-drive safari, you’re required to take a guide with you down into the crater for the duration of your visit. A game drive usually begins around dawn, with a descent into the crater, where you’ll spend the best part of the day driving around, looking for animals and enjoying the view. Officially, each vehicle may only spend six hours down in the crater. Although this rule is rarely enforced, you’ll be back up on the crater rim by mid- to late afternoon. Other worthwhile activities include hiking in the forests around the crater rim, or elsewhere in the Crater Highlands, and a visit to a Maasai village (of which there are a handful up on or near the crater rim).”
3How can I avoid the crowds when visiting the Ngorongoro Crater?
“Ngorongoro is busy year-round and it can be difficult to avoid the crowds. That said, the crater floor is large enough that it doesn’t always feel crowded, even during peak tourist seasons. The limited number of campsites, lodges and tented camps in the Ngorongoro area (when compared to other northern Tanzanian destinations) also keeps something of a lid on visitor numbers. Even so, there will be times when you’re down in the crater (at the popular lunch picnic spot of Ngoitoktok Springs, for example) where you’ll long for a little more serenity. High season runs from July to March, and the crater is busy for most of that time. Outside of these months, there’s a risk of rain in April and May; many Ngorongoro tracks become quagmires after rains. One of the best options is to visit in late May (and hope for fine weather) or June, when visitor numbers should be a little lower.”
4How much does a 4-day Ngorongoro Crater safari cost?
“A 4-day Ngorongoro safari will usually cost at least US$150 per person per day for the cheapest budget camping safari (where you may need to help out with camp chores). At the other end of the scale, you could pay US$500 per person per day or even significantly more than that. Prices obviously increase if you factor in an air transfer to and from Ngorongoro. You also need to include a daily fee of US$50/10 per adult/child for every day you spend within the boundaries of the Ngorongoro Conservation Authority. Accommodation is a major cost variable, and so is the kind of safari you choose. If you go for a private safari, you’ll pay a lot more than you will if you decide on a group safari. On a private safari, the guide, driver and vehicle will be yours and yours alone to enjoy and pay for. On a group safari, these costs and experiences are shared. High-season prices can also push the overall cost higher, although the difference between low- and high-season prices is relatively small at Ngorongoro when compared with other northern Tanzanian destinations.”
5Ngorongoro Crater Reviews


Mary is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including South Africa, Tanzania, East Africa and Africa.
Wildlife-filled Crater & Magnificent Vistas
Ngorongoro Crater is expensive, but the scenery, and the density and variety of the wildlife, are unparalleled. With its quintessential East African vistas awash with wildlife, and surrounding landscapes graced by the local Maasai, it is...

Stephen is a travel writer and avid conservationist whose work appears in prestigious magazines such as Africa Geographic and Travel Africa.
The Safari of a Lifetime
Sure there will be plenty of other tourists and vehicles bumping and bouncing around inside the crater with you, but there is good reason for this: Ngorongoro is an incredible wildlife area. If you are allergic to crowds and the thought of...

The atmosphere in this unique environment is particular. The flat surface allows unique views and understanding the role it plays in the great migration is very interesting. The absence of trees has an influence on the presence and...

The crater is well known for it's natural beauty and high concentration of animals available. As a result, it is the site of lots of day trippers. We got there early, but after 10am the roads were crowded with vehicles. When a lion was...

We saw lots of wildlife there, but nothing more than we saw in Tarangire and Serengeti. And the drive up to the rim of the crater we through thick fog and pretty scary. Once we got down into the crater the viewing was good.

Astonishing. It is incredible the different environments the Crater has within it. We move from sabana, to bushes, to lakes.. We saw plenty of wild animals including all the expected ones such as elephants, lions, zebras, wildebeests,...