OUR TREKKING TOURS:
The Ngorongoro Crater Highlands are not a single landscape but a chain of them, each shaped by millions of years of volcanic activity along the western edge of the Great Rift Valley. Ancient craters that collapsed inward forming vast calderas, forests that gave way to open grassland, summits that push above 3,100 metres in the south and younger, still-active volcanic forces building quietly in the north. This is one of the most geologically dramatic regions in Africa, and walking through it over seven days is a rare privilege.
The route begins at the Ngorongoro Crater, descends through highland forests and open Maasai cattle trails, passes through the forested rim of Empakaai Crater and its volcanic lake, and works its way north toward the shores of Lake Natron and the extraordinary ascent of Ol Doinyo Lengai, the Maasai’s Mountain of God and one of the few active volcanoes on earth still erupting today. At 2,962 metres (9,718 ft), the summit climb begins just after midnight, which sounds unkind until you are standing at the top watching the sun rise over the Rift Valley below.
All overnight stays are in tented campsites, placing you directly in the wilderness rather than at a remove from it. Your walking guide is accompanied throughout by Maasai Warriors and an armed ranger, ensuring your safety in the presence of wildlife. Donkeys carry all luggage and supplies along the route, and are available to give you a helping hand on the sections where the trail asks a little more than your legs want to give.
This trek can be combined with a descent into the Ngorongoro Crater, a visit to the Hadzabe tribe at Lake Eyasi, or extended into Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit. Talk to us about what appeals and we will build an itinerary around it.
Our Crater Highlands information pages, along with our Trekking Tips and Trekking FAQ, cover everything you need to prepare properly for this route.
For questions, quick price quotations or a fully tailor-made programme, please get in touch. We would love to hear from you.
ITINERARY:
DAY 1: Arusha – Ngorongoro Crater – Nainokanoka Village (28 km, 5 hour walk)
An early departure from Arusha toward the Ngorongoro Crater, with the option to descend for a three-hour game drive and picnic lunch before the trek begins. Camp is set at Nainokanoka village in the early afternoon, and the first evening rewards you with a walk to the rim of Olmoti Crater and through the forest to the top of the Munge waterfalls. The Munge river originates here at Olmoti and flows down through these falls to fill the freshwater lake on the crater floor below. Overnight: Camp
DAY 2: Olmoti Crater – Kamnana Village (20 km, 6 hour walk)
After breakfast the trail continues through the Embulimbuli Depression, following ancient Maasai cattle paths that wind through a shifting mix of forest and open grassland. The landscape here has been used by the Maasai for generations, and the paths show it. Camp is set in the bush a short distance from Kamnana Village. Overnight: Camp
DAY 3: Kamnana Village – Empakaai Crater (8 km, 4-5 hour walk)
An early start through open grassland and bushland, the path rising gradually to the rim of Empakaai Crater. Before descending, camp is pitched on the rim itself, looking down into the dense equatorial forest that covers the crater floor and the volcanic lake at its centre. The descent to the lake brings you close to buffalo, reedbuck, waterbuck and a rich variety of birdlife, all within a setting that feels genuinely remote and completely untouched. Overnight: Camp on the crater rim
DAY 4: Empakaai Crater – Naiyobi Maasai Village (5 km, 7 hour walk)
The day circles the Empakaai Crater rim before descending on the north-western side toward Naiyobi, a Maasai village whose name translates as bubbling water. The descent is gradual but the terrain keeps you attentive, and the views across the highlands reward every step. Overnight: Camp
DAY 5: Naiyobi Maasai Village – Mounwongoni Maasai Village (11 km, 6-8 hour walk)
The trail drops away from the crater highlands today, following dusty downhill paths through open Maasai country to Mounwongoni village. The landscape becomes progressively more arid as the altitude falls, and the sense of moving from one world into another builds steadily through the day. Overnight: Camp at the edge of the village
DAY 6: Mounwongoni Maasai Village – Ngaresero Village – Ol Doinyo Lengai (27 km, 7-9 hour walk)
An early start before the heat sets in. The path crosses bare volcanic rock and dusty lava soil, following the Ngaresero river to the nearby village before rounding the north-western base of Ol Doinyo Lengai. Camp is set near the river, and a natural bath here is one of the more welcome moments of the entire trek. Just after midnight you transfer by jeep to the foot of the Mountain of God to begin the ascent to the 2,962-metre (9,718 ft) summit. The climb is demanding and the crater at the top is unlike anything else in Tanzania. Overnight: Tented Camp/ Camp
DAY 7: Lake Natron – Arusha (375 km, 6-7 hour walk)
Descend from Ol Doinyo Lengai around midday, earned and exhilarated in equal measure. Lunch is followed by a short visit to Lake Natron, one of Tanzania’s most visually striking soda lakes and the primary breeding ground for hundreds of thousands of Lesser Flamingos. The colours here, the flamingos against the red and orange of the alkaline water, make for a quiet and beautiful final chapter before the afternoon drive back to Arusha.
End of tour!
Back to main Trekking page
