8 Best Hotels in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania

Background Illustration for Hotels

We've compiled the best of the best in Ngorongoro Conservation Area - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Bougainvillea Safari Lodge

$ | Ngorongoro Conservation, Tanzania

As a budget-friendly option either at the start or end of your safari, the Bougainvillea, halfway between Ngrorongoro Crater and Lake Manyana, is a great option. Run by a former local chef and his partner, there are not many frills and some of the decor is a touch on the odd side, but Bougainvillea has created a wonderful comfortable space with deep community connections. Each quaint cottage comes with mosquito nets, twin or king beds, and charming stone fireplaces or verandas looking inward to the lodge and gardens. The leafy grounds are kept tidy, and the delightful staff makes the lodge a welcoming place.

Pros

  • Fantastic budget option
  • Big swimming pool
  • Food is decent and plentiful

Cons

  • Main bar and restaurant can be a bit dark
  • Wi-Fi is spotty
  • Service can be slow, glacial even
Ngorongoro Conservation, Tanzania
255-27-253--4083
hotel Details
32 cottages
Rate Includes: No Meals

Quick Facts

  • $

Entamanu Ngorongoro Lodge

$$$$ | Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania Fodor's Choice

Nestled high on the northwest rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, the Entamanu Lodge is found under a shady canopy of Acacia trees; it's the only lodge found on this more remote corner of the crater rim. With locally sourced materials, soft neutral colors, and artwork and interior decor made by Tanzanian artisans, this lodge has a warm and inviting home-under-safari canvas atmosphere. Giraffes frequent this area of the highlands more than anywhere else and they can often be found wandering through the camp. Don't miss the opportunity to do a bush walk with one of the lodge's guides, especially if the walk is along the crater rim. 

Pros

  • Unbelievably comfortable beds and linens
  • Massive tents with expansive, private views of the highlands
  • Food and service is of a high standard

Cons

  • A bit windy in season (you get use to it)
  • A long drive to the lodge from the entrance (consider it a bonus safari)
  • Tsetse flies can be a bother in summer season
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
255-787-595--908
hotel Details
6 tents
Rate Includes: All-Inclusive

Quick Facts

Gibbs Farm

$$$$ | Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

With the feel of an English country house, this working organic coffee farm sits midway between Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater. The 1929 farmhouse has managed to retain its old-fashioned genteel nature with a wide veranda, intimate lounges, inviting reading nooks, and a bar and dining room that look much as they must have done almost 100 years ago. Intimate, luxurious guest cottages with en suite bathrooms are scattered throughout the gardens and provide a perfect base to explore the crater and Lake Manyara National Park, as well as a perfect respite from exhilarating game drives. Expect excellent coffee and home-cooked food served with organic veggies and fruit from the farm's own gardens by friendly management dedicated to sustaining the land and supporting the nearby communities.

Pros

  • The farm tour and campfire story evenings are a must
  • Rooms are spacious and uniquely decorated
  • The horizon swimming pool is exceptional

Cons

  • A rather bumpy hour-long ride out to the Crater
  • Food can be a bit lackluster considering the location
  • It's a working farm, so bear in mind there are farm smells around some of the rooms
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
255-272-970--436
hotel Details
20 cottages
Rate Includes: All-Inclusive

Quick Facts

Recommended Fodor's Video

Ngorongoro Crater Lodge

$$$$ | Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania Fodor's Choice

Imagine walking into a Hollywood film set where the spectacular setting is literally "Great Zimbabwe ruins meets RMS Titanic baroque." Clusters of stilted rooms with woven conical banana-leaf domes and fancifully carved stone chimneys cling to the Crater's rim and somehow blend in with the natural surroundings. Your palatial abode has polished wooden floors, leather armchairs, and a dramatic mix of furniture and styles, including crystal chandeliers and hand-wrought local lamps. Ceiling-high swaths of silk taffeta drapes frame a small veranda with some of the world's most awesome views. Hand-carved doors lead to a massive bathroom with fresh-cut roses, a freestanding tub, and a tessellated tile shower straight out of a Roman villa. The main dining room has a 1920s ocean liner stateroom feel, but the adjacent lounge comes straight from an old English country house. It's a daring, glamorous mix of competing styles and themes that somehow works.

Pros

  • Spectacular views over the Crater
  • Unique rooms with views in every direction
  • Expensive but service is exceptional

Cons

  • Crater can be jam-packed with vehicles in peak season
  • High altitude means it's not easy to walk uphill
  • It gets incredibly cold here in the mornings, bring warm clothes
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
27-11-809--4300-in South Africa
hotel Details
30 suites
Rate Includes: All-Inclusive

Quick Facts

Ngorongoro Farm House

$$ | Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Scattered through the winding pathways of a 750-acre coffee plantation that was once owned by a 19th-century German settler are a series of thatched cottages nestled around a generous main farmhouse. After a dusty day of game-viewing take time out to sit by the pools, take a garden tour, or enjoy the views over the valley facing the Oldeani volcano. Only 5 km (3 miles) from the Ngorongoro Lolduare gate, the lodge has rooms that are simply decorated, spacious, and include log fires and verandahs to while away the evenings. Food is sourced from the beautiful gardens surrounding the working farm and served as either a buffet or a set menu.

Ask for a valley-facing room; it is some distance from the main lodge but the views are worth it.

Pros

  • Working farm with walking tours and coffee-making experience
  • Garden-fresh produce used in the cooking
  • Beautiful, rustic setting with plenty of activities

Cons

  • Rooms can be very dim and dark
  • Slightly large and impersonal dining and lounge areas
  • Some rooms are far distances from main lodge for those with mobility issues
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
255-785-069--944
hotel Details
52 chalets
Rate Includes: Free Breakfast

Quick Facts

  • $$

Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

$$$$ | Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Emerging from the natural surroundings and indigenous vines of the western rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serena Safari Lodge is home to one of the most famous views this side of the Mara River. The large lodge, built from local river stone, spreads out to maximize your ability to sit back and gaze over mountain-ringed caldera. Walk to your room through tunnels of stones and enter a large space with wooden flooring, a desk adorned with a hurricane lantern, and small, but comfortably functional bathrooms. Because of the lodge's size and the fact that it caters to large groups, you might find it difficult to find a quiet resting place outside your bedroom. But when it comes to the views over the forest and the beautiful expanse of the Crater, you'd be hard-pressed to find better.

Pros

  • Amazing views of the Crater rim from each room
  • Close to Crater entrance
  • Romantic fireplace nooks to cozy up and admire the views

Cons

  • Common areas can get crowded when the lodge is full
  • Outdoor lounge areas can feel a bit dated
  • There are a lot of stairs across the lodge
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
255-272-545--555
hotel Details
75 rooms
Rate Includes: Free Breakfast

Quick Facts

The Highlands

$$$$ | Ngorongoro Conservation, Tanzania Fodor's Choice
North of the Ngorongoro Crater, situated along the forested slopes of the Olmoti volcano, sits The Highlands, a low-impact high-luxury camp that overlooks the valley below. Built on stilts and connected by wooden walkways, a central lounge and dining dome, as well as eight domed suites rise up out of the trees. The suites have chic, modern furnishings; a wood burning stove to keep you warm on chilly evenings; and king-size beds that look out over the lush scenery. The wood-paneled bathrooms, resembling a modern sauna room, create a spa-like atmosphere that guests will be hard pressed to leave. The road may be tough to get here, but the care taken with the property and the service will be worth every bump.

Pros

  • Breathtaking views in a unique, remote setting
  • Rooms unlike anything on the safari circuit
  • The guides and camp staff go above and beyond

Cons

  • Rooms can get quite chilly in the early morning if the fire goes out
  • Lower suites are a problem for those with mobility issues
  • 45-minute drive from the Crater
Ngorongoro Conservation, Tanzania
255-736-500--515
hotel Details
8 suites
Rate Includes: All-Inclusive

Quick Facts

The Manor House

$$$$ | Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

A charming mix of Afro-European Architecture from a bygone era greets you after a bumpy, dusty drive from the Crater. Your personal butler will escort you to your private cottage with sundeck, luxurious Victorian baths, fireplace, his-and-hers basins, and a rainfall shower. Separated from the main manor house is the stable room, a two-story family paradise perfect for those in groups or wanting to have a holiday with a difference for the kids—there's even a toddlers bathroom. You may never want to leave your room, but do try, because the main lodge is set around rolling hills and a working coffee plantation and has sophisticated and comfortable nooks.

Pros

  • Bliss for families, friends and groups
  • Glorious vegetables served up from the lodge farm
  • Plenty of activities like horse riding, billiards, a movie theater, and hiking trails

Cons

  • 90-minute drive from the Crater on winding, bumpy roads
  • Chilly in the evenings, bring something warm
  • Space and luxury comes at a price
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
255-784-250--630
hotel Details
20 cottages
Rate Includes: Free Breakfast

Quick Facts

Not finding what you're looking for?

We've got a few suggestions for nearby spots.
$$ Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara Serena Lodge13.5 miles away

Lake Manyara National Park, Manyara, Tanzania
We recommend 5 hotels in Lake Manyara National Park
$ Lake Manyara National Park

Kirurumu Manyara Lodge13.6 miles away

Lake Manyara National Park, Manyara, Tanzania
We recommend 5 hotels in Lake Manyara National Park
$$ Lake Manyara National Park

Migunga Tented Camp19.1 miles away

Lake Manyara National Park, Manyara, Tanzania
We recommend 5 hotels in Lake Manyara National Park
$ Lake Manyara National Park Fodor's Choice

Isoitok Camp Manyara26.1 miles away

Lake Manyara National Park, Manyara, Tanzania
We recommend 5 hotels in Lake Manyara National Park
$$$$ Lake Manyara National Park Fodor's Choice

Lake Manyara Tree Lodge26.3 miles away

Lake Manyara National Park, Manyara, Tanzania
We recommend 5 hotels in Lake Manyara National Park