How to get from Nairobi to Ngorongoro Crater?

The Ngorongoro Crater is a massive, ancient volcanic caldera in Tanzania, renowned as one of Africa’s Seven Natural Wonders for its breathtaking scenery and incredible wildlife density, housing the famous “Big Five” (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo) and thousands of other animals in a unique ecosystem, making it a top safari destination within the broader Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  

You can reach the Ngorongoro Crater location easily from Nairobi in Kenya. It’s a well traveled route in east Africa, because Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport is well connected, making it very easy to access from many parts of the world.

There are two main transport options to get from Nairobi to the crater and that is to either drive or take a plane ride.

Driving from Nairobi to Tanzania can be inexpensive. There are many reliable shuttle bus services you can book which take you from Nairobi to Arusha. The drive normally takes around 8 hours and costs around $30 per person per way. During this drive you will be crossing the Namanga border from Kenya to Tanzania and witnessing an array of changing landscapes which can be particularly interesting. Once you get to Arusha, the shuttle service will drop you off at your lodge. It’s recommended to stay overnight before embarking on the second leg of your journey to Ngorongoro Crater, as the complete drive is particularly lengthy.

 

 

From Arusha to Ngorongoro Crater – follow our guidelines above to get there by car. We recommend starting early in the morning to drive to the crater so that you can spend as much time on your Ngorongoro safari as possible.

For a faster option, you can opt to fly from Nairobi’s Wilson or Jomo Kenyatta Airport directly to Arusha or Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. 

There are regional flights you can book that fly from Wilson Airport directly to Arusha Airport, such as HOP! or Flightlink airlines. Fares typically start at around $135 one way.

From Jomo Kenyatta Airport you can fly directly to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania with Kenya Airways, Precision Air or Air Tanzania. Fares can be anywhere from $139 to $300 for a one way ticket. Both flights take around one hour.

Once you arrive in Arusha or Kilimanjaro, you can opt to stay overnight or continue your journey on a short charter flight to the Manyara Airstrip. Additional flight information is above.