Welcome to
Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Stay right on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater
Explore the Cradle of Mankind at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge.
Tanzania’s prehistoric Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage, has yawned heavenward for millennia. Deep within its immense walls is a breath-taking blue-green landscape dotted with plains, lakes and forests, an eerie, otherworldly “land that time forgot” thick with massive bull elephants, rhinos, wildebeests and the highest concentration of lions in Africa.
Elevated high above the plains into the Crater’s jagged rim, cloaked in river stone and indigenous vines, Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge is barely visible to the naked eye. Framed by arched stone passages and timbered decks, its torch-lit walls are adorned with stylized cave paintings. At the stone heart of the lodge burns a glowing fire, which is kept constantly alight. Rooms are looped around the Crater rim. Each has its own rock-enclosed balcony, and all enjoy completely uninterrupted views of the volcanic amphitheatre far below. Our Ngorongoro lodge is a place that feels as ancient as the Crater itself, yet no modern comfort has been spared in an effort to bring you the best safari adventure in Africa and one of the most unique travel experiences in the world.
Accommodation
Elegant Ngorongoro Lodge Accommodation
The 74 guest rooms and suite at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge blend the almost indescribable beauty and magnitude of the Ngorongoro Crater with unparalleled standards for comfort and service. Clinging to the Crater rim beneath river stone and a cloak of native vines, our accommodation is so seamlessly entwined with the landscape, guests can’t help but feel as one with the natural surroundings.
With a private stone balcony opening onto the blue-green vastness of the Crater floor below, it’s like you’re living alone in the “cradle of mankind.”
Standard King Room
Standard King Rooms at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge feature elegant interior spaces infused with a locally inspired décor and private stone balconies overlooking the Crater.
Standard Twin Room
Standard Twin Rooms at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge feature elegant interior spaces infused with a locally inspired décor and private stone balconies overlooking the Crater.
Standard Triple Room
Standard Triple Rooms at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge feature elegant interior spaces infused with a locally inspired décor and private stone balconies overlooking the Crater.
Kimba Suite
The spacious bedroom is luxuriously appointed with a king bed with sumptuous furnishings, a dressing area and natural stone ensuite bathroom. The elegantly appointed sitting room enjoys panoramic views and is tastefully furnished while offering a fully stocked mini-bar, digital multi-channel TV and direct dial telephone. The room also features a generous stone-built balcony overlooking the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater.
Dining
Elegant Dining with Ngorongoro Crater Views
The Main Restaurant at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge is beautifully designed in the traditional style and décor of Tanzania to create an enchanting dining experience. Savour a delightful range of local and international cuisines crafted from the finest and freshest meats, produce and ingredients.
Featuring charming stone-built architecture, a glowing fireplace and walls adorned with prehistoric cave paintings and flickering torchlight, the elegant yet relaxed dining space is ideal for any taste and occasion. Floor-to-ceiling windows and double doors leading out on to an expansive terrace complement each meal with panoramic views of the Ngorongoro Crater.
Breakfast and lunch are served buffet-style and feature a wide range of international choices. In typical safari style, we offer a full English breakfast as well as European options while our lunch menus include meat, poultry, fish and vegetarian options. Our table d’hôte dinner menus feature a salad buffet, soup, entrée, pudding, cheese and biscuits and tea or coffee. Vegetarian options are always available. The majority of our meat and dairy products, as well as our fruits and vegetables, are sourced from local communities.
Kindly note that our restaurant caters to any special dietary requirements our guests may have.
Breakfast: 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Lunch: 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
The Crater Breakfast
One of the highlights of the Crater visit, the bush breakfast is an experience not to be missed. Typically, guests are awakened by a very early morning cup of tea; they then set off down the steeply winding road that leads to the Crater floor.
After a game drive through primeval forests and acacia groves, the guests arrive by the selected spot where a spectacular cooked breakfast is served. After breakfast, the game drive continues around the 120 km of roads that circle the lakes, forests and plains of this unique conservation area.
Open from 6:00am to 10:00am
RESERVATIONS
T: (+255) 272545555 or 272537053
The Crater Lunch
Because entrance to the Crater is strictly limited – and also because there is so much to see – many guests prefer to take lunch on the Crater floor. This can be provided as a picnic, which can be enjoyed in one of the forest clearings, or as a full cooked lunch, which is typically cooked and served in the acacia groves.
Before and after lunch, the guests are then free to enjoy extensive game drives around the Crater floor.
Open from 12:00 noon to 3:00pm
RESERVATIONS
T: (+255) 272545555 or 272537053
Sundowners On The Crater Rim
An essential part of traditional safari life, the concept of having drinks whilst watching the sun go down dates back to the time of the great safaris of the 1920's, all of which featured the serving of elegant ‘bush' cocktails against the unforgettable backdrop of the African sunset.
Timed to commence as the sun starts its descent, which on the Equator is usually around 6 pm, the Ngorongoro sundowner begins with a gentle drive to a scenic spot on the rim of the Crater, where chairs, lamps, campfire and bush bar with cocktail snacks will already have been set up. Musical entertainment can also be provided.
From 6:00pm
RESERVATIONS
T: (+255) 272545555 or 272537053
The Bush Dinner (Summer Only)
Typically, the Ngorongoro Bush Dinner takes place at a scenic location on the rim of the Crater, with stunning views over the plains below. Timed to coincide with the setting of the sun, which on the Equator is around 6 pm, the bush dinner will commence with a short drive to a panoramic spot on the Crater rim. Here, tables, chairs and lanterns will already have been set up, and a campfire will have been lit.
Beginning with sundowners around the campfire, we are proud to entertain our guests with Maasai dance and song while their 5-course dinner is prepared on the blazing charcoal BBQ. The choice of meat, fish and poultry will be supplemented by vegetarian choices, salads, fruit and desserts from the main lodge, and a full safari bar will be provided.
From 6:00pm till late
RESERVATIONS
T: tel:(+255)272545555 or 272537053
Business Meetings
& Conferences
One of The Most Unique Event Venues in The World
Accommodating up to 150 delegates, our safari-style conference venue is a canvas tent with stunning views over the Crater rim to the plains below. Exceptionally spacious, the venue features a raised wooden floor and canvas walls and ceilings. From the early planning stages until the last delegates have departed, our experienced event planning team and caterers are at your service to ensure that every detail is perfect.
Your group will enjoy well-appointed accommodation with balconies perched at the Crater’s edge, superb cuisine and unforgettable incentive options like our English breakfast on the Crater, private game drives on the Crater plains and bush dinners accompanied by scarlet-clad Maasai morans (warriors).
Meetings at a Glance
- Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi throughout all meeting rooms
- Video conferencing services and multimedia display systems
- Video/DVD/LCD projector and screen setups
- TV monitors and AV equipment for hybrid meetings
- PA system, LCD overhead projector, podium, flip charts and marker pens
- Delegate pads, pens/pencils, individual mineral water supply
- A tented space with external terrace and lawns where delegate reception procedures can be hosted
- Event planner onsite
- Planning assistance for off-site group outings, recreational activities or teambuilding
- Group rates for event attendees staying at the hotel
- IT support
- Business support (secretarial services, photo-copying, Wi-Fi and a full range of global communications)
- Complimentary wireless Internet
- “Meet and greet” services
Ngorongoro Capacity Chart
|
Name of Room
|
Banquet
|
Cabaret
|
Reception
|
Theatre
|
Classroom
|
Boardroom
|
U-Shape
|
Hollow Square
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference Room |
Your Stay Enriched
Ngorongoro Safaris in Tanzania
- Maisha Spa Treatment*
- Maasai Curios*
- Acrobats & evening entertainment
*Chargeable experiences
Complimentary access for all in-house guests. Stay active and refreshed. Designed for wellness and vitality.
Explore at the heart of Maasai life, and meet women’s groups creating distinctive beadwork and handicrafts.
Experiences
A Unique Ngorongoro Safari
- Crater breakfast*
- Crater lunch*
- Sundowner on the Crater rim*
- Guided nature walks around the crater rim*
- Crater game drive*
- Olduvai Gorge*
- Empakaai crater*
- Circle rim hike*
- Maasai villages & cattle markets
- Wildlife & cultural talks and presentations
*Chargeable experiences
One of the highlights of the Crater visit, the bush breakfast is an experience not to be missed. Typically, guests are awakened by a very early morning cup of tea; they then set off down the steeply winding road that leads to the Crater floor.
After a game drive through primeval forests and acacia groves, the guests arrive by the selected spot where a spectacular cooked breakfast is served. After breakfast, the game drive continues around the 120 km of roads that circle the lakes, forests and plains of this unique conservation area.
Pricing: USD 70 per person
*Minimum pax: 8
Because entrance to the Crater is strictly limited – and also because there is so much to see – many guests prefer to take lunch on the Crater floor. This can be provided as a picnic, which can be enjoyed in one of the forest clearings, or as a full cooked lunch, which is typically cooked and served in the acacia groves.
Before and after lunch, the guests are then free to enjoy extensive game drives around the Crater floor.
Pricing: USD 100 per person (ih-house guest)
Pricing: USD 150 per person (Non-In house guest)
*Minimum pax: 8
An essential part of traditional safari life, the concept of having drinks whilst watching the sun go down dates back to the time of the great safaris of the 1920's, all of which featured the serving of elegant ‘bush' cocktails against the unforgettable backdrop of the African sunset.
Timed to commence as the sun starts its descent, which on the Equator is usually around 6 pm, the Ngorongoro sundowner begins with a gentle drive to a scenic spot on the rim of the Crater, where chairs, lamps, campfire and bush bar with cocktail snacks will already have been set up. Musical entertainment can also be provided.
Pricing:
Sundowner Crater View (within the lodge): $45 per person
Sundowner at Seneto Crater View: $65 per person
*Minimum pax: 6
Descend to the floor of the Crater for game viewing drives. Often described as the “Eighth Wonder Of The World,” the Ngorongoro Crater is a spectacular natural sanctuary for over 25,000 animals, including the black rhino. It is also a conservation area inhabited by the Maasai tribe.
Prices:
Half day crater tour: $100 per person
Full day crater tour: $180 per person
*Excludes crater entrance fee
The Empakaai Crater is a beautiful 6-kilometre wide, 300-metre deep caldera containing a natural forest and a soda lake that serves as a famous Flamingo breeding site. From the north and eastern rim you can take in dramatic views of the Great East African Rift Valley, Lake Natron and the cone of the active Oldoinyo Lengai Volcano.
Take a day trip to Olduvai Gorge. Also known as the “Cradle of Mankind,” it is one of the most important and controversial Palaeolithic finds in recent history.
Enjoy an easy 90-minute wildlife walk around the lodge and Crater rim with our resident naturalist. On this purely educational tour, you will see an array of bird species, wildlife and plants and flowers while enjoying spectacular views of the Crater floor below. Morning and evening walks are offered.
Escorted by an armed ranger, you will enjoy a two-hour walk through the diverse landscapes of the Crater highlands, from the grassy plains to the mountainous forest. Along the way you will view various wildlife and interact with Maasai cattlemen.
Visit authentic Maasai villages, all of which belong to the national Cultural Tourism Programme, and learn more about Maasai homesteads, traditional cattle markets and women's handicraft groups.
Cultural talks are offered evenings at the bar area at 9:00 p.m. Our resident naturalist will discuss the Maasai culture, their activities, their lifestyle and their co-existence with wildlife within the Ngorongoro conservation area. You will also learn about the Ngorongoro ecosystem and biodiversity.
Maisha Treatment at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Cleanse the mind, restore balance, and reconnect with yourself in the stillness of the Ngorongoro Crater. Our Maisha Spa menu features treatments designed to pamper, indulge, and restore.
Each therapy is customised to your personal needs and draws from both modern skincare and time-honoured African healing practices.
Whether you're unwinding after a game drive or seeking a deeper sense of renewal, every treatment is a moment of serenity.
The Ultimate Destination Wedding
A once-in-a-lifetime event calls for a once-in-a-lifetime setting, and the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage destination, is a location unlike any other in Tanzania and perhaps the world. Exchange vows on a stone terrace with dramatic views. Host a sunset cocktail party on the lawn or celebrate your reception in the safari-style tent overlooking the Crater. Whatever your vision, our wedding planner will help you design an event that exceeds all expectations.
Weddings Overview & Options
Safari-style reception tent accommodating up to 150 guests
Lawns and terraces for al fresco ceremonies and events
Wedding planner onsite
Customisable catering menus
Planning assistance for off-site wedding party outings, recreational activities and local tours
Group rates for wedding guests staying at the hotel
A traditional Maasai wedding with local chief, dancers and choir
Crater floor, bush or terrace wedding ceremony
Individually tailored ‘bush brunch' or ‘savannah barbecue'
Individually themed champagne reception - at the lodge or in the bush
Tailor-made wedding cake
Private candle-lit honeymoon dinner for two
Luxurious honeymoon suite supplied with wine and tropical fruit
Cultural dance performance for you and your guests
Gallery
Images of Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
Cultural Diplomacy & Renewable Energy
At Serena Hotels, cultural diplomacy is a cornerstone of our identity. We are committed to preserving and promoting the diverse cultural heritage of the regions we serve by creating platforms that celebrate artistic expression, tradition, and dialogue.Through a vibrant calendar of festivals, performances, exhibitions, and culinary showcases, we bring communities together and bridge cultures.
The electrification project at Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge, completed in 2024, has significantly reduced our reliance on generators and promoted the use of cleaner energy. This achievement aligns with our Group’s decarbonization plan, which aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in our own operations by 2030.
Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge
A Unrivalled Unesco World Heritage Site Location
Perched on the rim of the legendary Ngorongoro Crater, Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge offers unmatched access to one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.