Big Five
Complete Big Five & Ngorongoro Crater Floor
Four days inside one conservation area rather than four days driving between several. A full day on the crater floor, the Empakaai hike down to its flamingo lake, and highland walks with Maasai guides.
About this journey
Four days inside one conservation area rather than four days driving between several. A full day on the crater floor, the Empakaai hike down to its flamingo lake, and highland walks with Maasai guides.
Best months. Year round. June to October is driest; the green season is quieter and the rim is often in cloud.
Pace. Moderate. One steep descent and climb at Empakaai; everything else is gentle.
Who this journey suits
The Big Five, and black rhino in particular, are what you came for.
You would rather know one place well than pass through four.
You want to walk as well as drive.
Four days is what you have.
Highlights
- A full day on the crater floor rather than the usual half
- Black rhino, which the crater is realistically the best place in Tanzania to see
- Empakaai: a steep forest descent to a flamingo-covered soda lake in a second caldera
- Highland walks with Maasai guides on the rim and the Olmoti slopes
- No long transfers — the whole journey sits inside one conservation area
Route
| Stop | Nights | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ngorongoro rim | 3 nights | One lodge. Everything is within an hour or two. |
How the journey flows
Every point below is a real place at its real coordinates. The coastline is simplified — this is a route diagram, not a survey map.
- Private 4×4
Boundaries and protected areas are OpenStreetMap data, stored with this site. The dashed line is the order of the route, not the road taken.
In order
- Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO)Arrive
- Ngorongoro CraterPrivate 4×4
- Empakaai CraterPrivate 4×4
- Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO)Private 4×4
Day by day
A starting point. Every day here can be moved, shortened or removed — open one to read what it holds.
-
Day1 Arrive and up to the rim WhereNgorongoro OvernightRim lodge Meals LD
Met at Kilimanjaro and about four hours west, with a stop in Karatu. The first sight of the crater from the rim road is worth arriving in daylight for. Cold after dark at 2,300 m.
Where you would sleep this night
Described by standard, not by name: we do not name a property we have no agreement with. Your written proposal names the actual place, and the photographs here are examples of the standard rather than pictures of it. Power, water, wifi and access for each standard.
- No photograph on fileLodgeTwin, double and family rooms. Ground-floor rooms available at most.
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Day2 The crater floor, all day WhereNgorongoro OvernightRim lodge Meals BLD
Down at first light, before the vehicles bunch at the descent road. A full day: the Lerai forest, Lake Magadi and its flamingos, the Gorigor swamp, and the open floor where the rhino are. Up in the late afternoon, when most vehicles have already gone.
Where you would sleep this night
Described by standard, not by name: we do not name a property we have no agreement with. Your written proposal names the actual place, and the photographs here are examples of the standard rather than pictures of it. Power, water, wifi and access for each standard.
- No photograph on fileLodgeTwin, double and family rooms. Ground-floor rooms available at most.
-
Day3 Empakaai WhereNgorongoro OvernightRim lodge Meals BLD
About two hours north on the rim road, then a steep descent of roughly 300 m through montane forest to the crater lake, with thousands of flamingos on it. The climb back is the hard part. Armed ranger required and included.
Where you would sleep this night
Described by standard, not by name: we do not name a property we have no agreement with. Your written proposal names the actual place, and the photographs here are examples of the standard rather than pictures of it. Power, water, wifi and access for each standard.
- No photograph on fileLodgeTwin, double and family rooms. Ground-floor rooms available at most.
-
Day4 Highlands, then home WhereNgorongoro → Kilimanjaro Overnight— Meals BL
A morning walk on the Olmoti slopes with a Maasai guide, then about four hours to the airport.
The places this journey goes
One photograph for each place on the route, in the order you reach them.
These are licensed photographs of the places themselves, credited on our photography credits page. They are not photographs of a Montero departure, vehicle or camp — we have not run this journey yet, and a gallery that implied otherwise would be worth nothing to you.
Where you would stay
Open any of these for rooms, power hours, hot water, Wi-Fi and the honest access position.
What it costs
Price on request — quoted on your dates and lodge standard. No price on this site has been approved, and nothing here is a quotation.
No price is published for this journey. It is quoted on your dates, the size of your party, how much of it you fly, and the standard of camp — and those four move the figure by a very large margin. Rather than print a range nobody has stood behind, we will build you a written, itemised quotation. It is free, and it is not a booking.
All quotations are per person sharing, in US dollars, and exclude international flights. A single traveller pays more and a larger group pays less per head. See what it costs for where the money actually goes.
What moves the price: season, how many of you there are, whether you fly or drive the long sectors, and the standard of camp. A single traveller pays more; we will say how much before you ask twice.
Access and comfort
Each line is either confirmed by our own measurement or it is not. “On request” means we will plan and cost it and nobody has measured it yet.
| Provision | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Crater floor | Partial | Flat and slow-driven once you are down. The descent and ascent roads are steep, rough and one-way. |
| Empakaai descent | Not offered | A steep, often muddy forest path with a 300 m height loss and the same climb back. Not accessible, and hard for fit walkers in the wet. |
| Rim lodges | Partial | Most are built across a slope on several levels, which is the problem rather than the crater. |
| Crater floor toilets | Partial | Two points with grab rails. Neither is roll-in. |
| Hoist-fitted vehicle | On request | On request. The descent road is rough and we would discuss it honestly. |
We do not ask for a diagnosis — only for what you need. How we plan accessible journeys.
The detail
What is covered, what it involves on the ground, and the changes people most often ask for. Open whichever you need.
What is included, and what is not
Included
Private 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof and a professional English-speaking driver-guide, for your party alone
Accommodation as described, on a full-board basis
All park, conservation and concession fees
Airport and airstrip transfers, met at the aircraft rather than at the kerb
Bottled drinking water in the vehicle
24-hour local support while you are in the country
Ngorongoro Crater descent permit for a full day
Empakaai hike with the required armed ranger
Maasai guide for the highland walk, at an agreed community fee
Not included
A second crater descent permit, if you want two floor days
International flights, visas and travel insurance
Tips, premium drinks and personal expenses
Optional activities such as a balloon flight, unless listed above
Emergency medical evacuation cover — strongly recommended, and not something we currently provide
Practical detail
| Altitude | The rim sits at about 2,300 m and Empakaai is higher. Cold at night, and worth mentioning if you have a respiratory or cardiac condition. |
|---|---|
| Descent permits | One descent per vehicle per day, timed, and enforced. A full day on the floor means going down early and staying. |
| Black rhino | A realistic possibility here and nowhere else in the north, usually at distance. Bring binoculars. |
| Crowds | The crater is the busiest place in Tanzanian tourism. Going down at opening and staying late is how you avoid most of it. |
| Price | Not set. Quoted on your dates and lodge standard. |
Ways to personalise this journey
The changes people actually ask for, with what each one does to the shape of the trip. Prices for these are quoted in your proposal, not here.
This itinerary is a draft. It is written to real logistics but has not yet been checked by a guide who works this circuit, and no price here has been approved. Treat every figure as indicative until we confirm it in writing.
Questions about this journey
Will we see a black rhino?
The crater is the best chance in northern Tanzania and it is still not a given. They are usually distant. A full day improves the odds considerably over a half day.
Is the crater too crowded to enjoy?
It can be, between about nine and three. Going down at opening, taking lunch on the floor and staying until late afternoon changes the experience a great deal.
How hard is Empakaai?
A 300 m descent and climb on a forest path, slippery in the wet, taking two to three hours in total. If you walk hills at home you will be fine.
If this one is not quite it
Journeys that share a region or a style with this one, and the background reading for the places on the route.
Tell us what you have in mind.
One conversation with the person who would plan it, and an honest answer about whether we are the right company for the trip.
Free, and with no obligation. A real planner replies within 24 business hours, East Africa Time. No payment is taken to enquire.