Big Time Safaris home
Plan My Safari
Ngorongoro · Tanzania

Simba Public Campsite

  • Public camping
  • Ngorongoro

Simba Public Campsite is a camping option on the Ngorongoro crater rim. The open ground and tents in the photograph convey a simple outdoor stay rather than a hotel or permanent safari lodge.

Plan a safari with this stay
Tents beneath a tree at Simba public campsite on the Ngorongoro crater rim
Tents beneath a tree on the open campsite ground. Property photograph supplied with commercial-use authorisation · Credits
At a glance

About this stay.

Use the sourced information below to plan, then confirm your room, meals and current facilities in a written proposal. Ask us about Simba Public Campsite.

Location
Ngorongoro crater rim · Ngorongoro, Tanzania
Setting
Western rim of the Ngorongoro CraterSource: Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority
Type
Public campsite (Simba A)Source: Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority
Crater access
Four-wheel-drive vehicles only; no walking on the crater floorSource: Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority
Comfort level
Public camping
Our journeys
Not named on a catalogue package: ask us to quote it for your route.
Ngorongoro highlands

An overnight stop above the crater.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area visitor brochure identifies Simba A as a public campsite on the western crater rim. This is useful location context, but the brochure is older and does not establish today’s operating conditions. Confirm the exact campsite and arrival arrangements when your route is planned.

Source: Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (opens in a new tab)

A camping choice

Ask what is operating now.

The official brochure describes toilets, showers, kitchen and dining facilities and tells visitors to bring tents, food and cooking equipment. Treat that as background guidance: ask about current facilities and exactly what your organised trip supplies. Do not assume a heated room, private bathroom or hotel service from a photograph of tents.

Source: Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (opens in a new tab)

Prepare for the rim

Keep the overnight and crater visit distinct.

Discuss warm layers, rain protection and bedding for an outdoor night before you travel. A campsite stay does not itself include crater entry or a game drive. Check the day’s departure time, conservation charges, meals and transport in your quotation, and follow the site’s instructions around wildlife and food storage.

The crater

A collapsed volcano below the campsite.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority describes the crater as a collapsed volcano about 20 kilometres across, with a high concentration of wildlife that includes all of the Big Five. Only four-wheel-drive vehicles may enter it, walking is not allowed on the crater floor, and lodges, special campsites and a public campsite are found on and near the rim.

Source: Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (opens in a new tab)

Who it suits

Is Simba Public Campsite right for you?

  • Camping safaris

    An outdoor night on the rim before or after a crater visit.

  • Prepared campers

    Who are ready for an outdoor night on the rim, with warm layers, rain protection and suitable bedding.

Things to know

Before you choose it.

  • Crater entry, conservation charges and the descent are separate from the campsite night; check your quotation.
  • The official brochure describing the campsite’s facilities is older; current arrangements need reconfirming.
  • Follow the site’s instructions on food storage and wildlife.
Journeys that visit Ngorongoro

17 journeys visit Ngorongoro.

None of these journeys names Simba Public Campsite. They visit Ngorongoro; ask us whether Simba Public Campsite can be quoted for your dates.

Show all 17 journeys
Questions travellers ask

Simba Public Campsite, answered.

Does a night at Simba include a crater safari?
No. Camping and the crater visit are separate arrangements; check the activities and charges in your safari proposal.
Can I assume the brochure’s facilities are unchanged?
No. The official brochure is older. Current washing, kitchen and equipment arrangements need reconfirmation.
More accommodation

More accommodation

How we describe this property

This guide separates the stays named in our approved catalogue from independently researched accommodation. Photographs show the property as photographed or supplied; they do not guarantee a room allocation or current service. Property website claims are attributed, and current arrangements should be confirmed before booking. Listing a property here does not imply ownership of it or a formal partnership with it.

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. Park rules, fees and conditions change, so always check the latest before you travel.

Your journey begins with a conversation

Plan a safari with Simba Public Campsite.

Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will suggest journeys that suit you, and talk you through where you would stay in Ngorongoro.

Plan My SafariAsk about this stay
Let’s talk safari