The Ngorongoro highlands and Olduvai Gorge

In the highlands you can walk into Empakaai Crater, walk to the rim of Olmoti Crater or hike Mount Lolmalasin. On the plains to the west are Olduvai Gorge and its museum, the Shifting Sands, Nasera Rock, the Gol Mountains and Olkarien Gorge, and to the south the Laetoli footprints. Near Karatu, the Endoro waterfall and elephant caves make a good half-day walk.

The NCAA fee for Olduvai Gorge, which also covers the Shifting Sands, is $35.40 per adult and $11.80 per child aged 5 to 15, for non-residents and expatriates, including VAT. You also need a valid Ngorongoro entry permit for that day, which most visitors already have because Olduvai lies just off the road between the crater and the Serengeti.

Yes. The NCAA requires an armed ranger for every walk in the conservation area, and the walk needs to be booked in advance. For the highland walks, the ranger is collected at the Nainokanoka ranger post, next to Olmoti Crater. The walking fee on the NCAA tariff is $23.60 per adult for a walk of one to four hours and $29.50 for a longer walk. Children aged 12 to 15 pay a child rate.

According to the NCAA, the walk down to the crater floor takes about one hour and the climb back up about two and a half hours, depending on your fitness. The western rim sits at about 3,200 m, so the climb out is steep. Comfortable walking shoes and a warm layer are a good idea, as the rim is often in mist. Travel guides estimate the drive from the Ngorongoro Crater rim at about 1.5 to 2 hours each way, so a visit usually takes a full day.

The NCAA tariff lists no separate fee for Empakaai or Olmoti, and the crater service fee of $295.00 applies only to the Ngorongoro Crater. You pay the Ngorongoro entry permit, the walking fee for your ranger and, if you stay inside the conservation area, the overnight fee.

Laetoli lies on the southern edge of the Serengeti plains, west of Endulen, and the NCAA charges $23.60 per adult to visit. The trackway is about 27 m long with around 70 footprints, made 3.6 million years ago. If Laetoli does not fit your route, the Olduvai Gorge museum has replicas of the footprints.

The NCAA recommends June to December for Empakaai and Olmoti, when the trails are drier, and May to October for hiking Mount Lolmalasin. The Gol Mountains and the plains around Olkarien Gorge are best during the rains from March to June, and the vultures at Olkarien breed in March and April.

No. One Ngorongoro entry permit, at $70.80 per non-resident adult, covers the whole conservation area for 24 hours. On top of the permit you pay only the site or activity fee, such as the Olduvai fee or the walking fee. A new permit is needed each time a 24-hour period ends or you leave the conservation area and return.