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From the Highlands to Lake Natron.
Volcano Rift Trek.
Volcano Crater Rift Trek
For active types Tanzania has a lot to offer and this is one of the most dramatic hikes in East Africa.
As well as the amazing scenery there is also the chance to witness the changing lives of the Maasai in both Ngorongoro and Natron.
“The beauty of this area is not in the wildlife but in the landscapes, so take a moment to marvel at what you see before you from dusty gorges and rugged mountains to grassy plains and sparkling pools.”
Take a dawn walk on the shores of Lake Natron, the only known breeding ground for millions of powder-pink flamingo.
Watch the Maasai, adorned in their traditional shukas and bright beads, go about their daily lives undisturbed.
Follow in the footsteps of our ancestors and visit the ancient hominid footsteps, thought to be almost 100,000 years old.
Looking for something that you won’t find in the guidebooks? Then this spectacular trek through the remote wilderness of northern Tanzania is the trip for you.
Avid walkers can choose to do the entire trek, which compasses 4 days and 3 nights. Casual adventurers can shorten the trek into a day trip and do the rest by car.
Lace up your hiking boots and let the walking begin! A medium-level of fitness is required for this trip and days one and two are the most strenuous, but there are opportunities for a little R&R too – think cooling swims in gin-clear rock pools and sundowners high in the clouds. Other highlights include morning strolls around Lake Natron, visits to the local villages and even a hike to the top of Ol Donyo Lengai, the Maasai ‘Mountain of God’, if you’re feeling up to it.
First we explore the lush Ngorongoro Crater by 4x4 and marvel at its wealth of wildlife. Those who want to do multiday hiking can start the trek around the Ngorongoro Crater, hiking all the way to the Empakai Crater. From thereon, the path continues to Ol Doinyo Lengai (climbing up the volcano is possible, though it's very strenuous) and eventually reaches Lake Natron.
Safari enthousiasts that are not in for a multiday hike can stay in Ngorongoro Highlands Camp to explore Ngorongoro and Empakai as seperate daytrips and hike a fullday-walk from Nayrobi, a Maasai village around Ol Doinyo Lengai, to Lake Natron.
Both options are stunning and marvels off the beaten path.
Ngorongoro
Crater
Pick a superlative: amazing, incredible, breathtaking…they all apply to the stunning, ethereal blue-green vistas of the Ngorongoro Crater.
Empakaai
Crater
Lake-filled Empakaai Crater, northeast of Ngorongoro, may not be as famous as the Ngorongoro Crater, but many seasoned travellers consider it to be its match in stunning beauty.
Ol Doinyo
Lengai
The northernmost volcano in the Crater Highlands, Ol Doinyo Lengai (2878m), ‘Mountain of God’ in the Maasai language, is an almost perfect cone with steep sides rising to a small, flat-topped peak.
Great Rift
Valley
The long-forgotten Great Rifts offer some of the most impressive views and landscapes of entire East-Africa and form the link between the rugged highlands and the sun-scorched Natron Lake.
Lake
Natron
Shimmering amid the sun-scorched Kenyan border northeast of Ngorongoro Conservation Area, this 58km-long but just 50cm-deep alkaline lake should be on every adventurer’s itinerary.
"The challenging ascent to the crater of Ol Doinyo Lengai passes through some fantastic scenery with panoramic views of the Rift Valley."
Curated Multiday Route
Below is our suggested route curated by our travel experts for a multiday hike from the Empakaai Crater to Lake Natron. As always, modulations can be made. Please feel free to contact us.
Instead of hiking the multiday route, we also offer a full day hike between Maasai Village Nayrobi and Lake Natron which passes Ol Doinyo Lengai and passes through the Great Rift Valley.
Day 1: Ngorongoro (No Hiking)
We come to pick you up for a Ngorongoro Game Drive. Game drives descend into the Ngorongoro Crater through a lush highland forest, with magnificent birdlife to be spotted among the different tree species. Once on the grassy crater floor, you may discover a large variety of grazing herbivores, as well as the predators that are attracted by this abundant supply of prey.
Day 2: Empakaai Crater
On arrival at Empakai crater there is the option to descend into the crater. This is around 40 minutes down and depending on season can be quite slippery but certainly a great hike with stunning views. Flamingoes are often seen flying into the crater or feeding in the lake at the base. A hot shower is available before dinner.
Day 3: Great Rifts & Ol Doinyo Lengai
The final section of hiking passes along the rift wall. The views are spectacular with the active volcano Oldoinyo Lengai dominating the foreground. This volcano affects almost everything from hydrology to lifestyle, as will become apparent. Once down on the rift valley floor we are picked up and transfer to Lake Natron Camp, Ngare Sero and here have the chance to jump in the natural pools to cool down. Climbing up Ol Doinyo Lengai is possible at night, although the hike is extremely strenuous and only suited for the brave and fit adventurer.
Day 4: Lake Natron
Lake Natron has a number of activities that are very easily combined with dawn walks and sundowners and in the middle of the day there is the nearby Ngare Sero gorge that you can walk to options of long hikes to the source or shorter hikes to majestic waterfalls. The lake itself is also stunningly red, a sight to behold and a must see. The staff are on hand to make you stay as adventurous or relaxing as you want.
Ngorongoro Crater.
"Africa is mystic; it is wild; it is a sweltering inferno; it is a photographer’s paradise, a hunter’s Valhalla, an escapist’s Utopia. It is what you will, and it withstands all interpretations. It is the last vestige of a dead world or the cradle of a shiny new one."
- B. Markham
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