Trail collection · Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Farm House
A relaxed highland farm stay among banana groves, gardens and a sunny pool
- Collection
- Trail · Great value
- Destination
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Area
- Karatu, Ngorongoro Highlands
- Style
- Coffee farm lodge
- Best months
- Jan, Feb, Mar, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
About Ngorongoro Farm House
Ngorongoro Farm House began as a working coffee farm and still feels like one. Banana groves, flower gardens and farmland surround the buildings, and the pace is deliberately easy. This is a place for people who want a comfortable base on the way to the crater, without any pretension.
The thatched main building looks out across flowerbeds, and the grounds suit slow mornings and lazy afternoons. After a day of dust and driving, a shaded lounger by the pool is exactly what most guests are after, and the staff keep things friendly and unhurried.
It sits in the highlands around Karatu, within reach of the crater rim, which makes it a practical stop on many northern circuit itineraries. It is a good-value choice, honest about being homely rather than grand, and all the more welcoming for it. Come ready to relax, eat well and let the farm set the tempo.
- Working coffee farm grounds among banana groves and flower gardens
- Swimming pool with sun deck and shaded loungers under trees
- Thatched main building seen across colourful garden beds
- Four-poster beds draped with mosquito nets in the guest rooms
- String-lit outdoor dining deck for relaxed evening meals
- Free WiFi, handy for catching up between park days
Setting
The lodge occupies farmland in the Karatu highlands, close to the crater rim. Cool, fertile country shapes everything here, from the banana groves to the tidy flower gardens around the thatched main building. Trees shade the pool area, and the grounds feel settled and green. Expect fresher air than on the plains, with evenings that can turn cool enough for a light jacket.
Rooms and tents
Guest rooms are simple, comfortable and homely. Photographs show paired four-poster beds draped in mosquito netting, which gives the rooms a classic, slightly old-fashioned charm. The style is relaxed rather than luxurious, matching the lodge's budget-friendly positioning. Ask us which room types suit families or groups and we will confirm what is available for your dates with the lodge.
Dining
Meals are served in the lodge's restaurant, and in the evening the outdoor deck, strung with lights, is the place to be. The food leans homely in spirit, in keeping with the farm setting. Breakfast is a good start before a crater day. If you eat vegetarian or have allergies, let us know in advance so the kitchen can prepare.
Things to do from here
- Early starts for game drives into Ngorongoro Crater
- Wandering the gardens and farm grounds
- Swimming and sunbathing by the pool
- Visits to Lake Magadi and Olduvai Gorge via the crater area
- Relaxed evenings on the dining deck
When to stay
The crater is rewarding in the destination's best months: January to March and June to October. The dry season from roughly June to October gives clearer roads and easier game viewing, while January and February are typically bright and green. The long rains, roughly March to May, bring lush gardens, quieter lodges and heavier showers. November and December have shorter rains. Highland temperatures stay mild year round, and nights are cooler than you might expect.
Good to know
- Highland evenings can be cool, so pack a warm layer even if the days are sunny.
- WiFi is listed as free, though speeds in rural areas can vary. Ask us what to expect for your stay.
- Lemala handles transfers and crater logistics. Ask us to confirm room types and any child arrangements.
Gallery
Inside Ngorongoro Farm House
On these itineraries
Trips that include Ngorongoro Farm House
7 days
Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire in Seven Days
Baobab elephants, a pair of Serengeti days and a full morning-to-evening descent into the crater.
10 days
Bush to Beach: Northern Parks and Nungwi, Zanzibar
Six days of wildlife in the north, then three barefoot nights on Zanzibar's northern shore.
5 days
Serengeti and Crater Fly-In Getaway
Skip the long road, land on the plains, and spend your short break watching lions and crater wildlife.
7 days
Signature Circuit with Balloon and Night Drive
Tarangire after dark, a Manyara canoe, the crater floor and a Serengeti sunrise balloon, in one week.
9 days
Ndutu Calving Season: A Southern Photographic Safari
Newborn wildebeest, hunting cheetahs and a day in the crater, timed for the plains' most dramatic weeks.
12 days
Twelve Days: Kilimanjaro Hike, Maasai Villages and the Northern Parks
Boots on the Shira Plateau, conversations in Maasai communities, then four of Tanzania's great parks without a rushed overnight in sight.
8 days
Eight Days at the Mara River Crossings
Tarangire and Ngorongoro to warm up, then two full days at the river waiting for a million hooves to decide.
11 days
Northern Parks and Gombe Chimpanzees: An 11-Day Journey
Baobabs and crater floors in the north, then a flight and a boat ride west to wild chimpanzees on the shore of Lake Tanganyika.
12 days
Unhurried Tanzania: Twelve Days at a Gentle Pace
Longer stays, easy walks and a flight home from the Serengeti, for celebrations and multi-generation groups.
5 days
After the Summit: Northern Parks in Five Days
Collected from your Moshi hotel, then Tarangire, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater before you fly home.
5 days
Northern Circuit in Five Days
Baobabs, a crater floor, open plains and a lakeshore, stitched into one tight private loop.
6 days
Northern Circuit with Two Serengeti Nights
The classic four-park loop, with an extra night on the plains to chase the best morning light.
4 days
Baobabs, Hadzabe and the Crater
Elephants, a hunt with one of the world's last hunter-gatherer peoples, and a day on the crater floor.
9 days
Bush-to-Beach Honeymoon with Nungwi
Five days of game viewing, then four unhurried nights on Zanzibar's northern tip.
10 days
10-Day Great Migration Safari: Three Days at the Mara River
Elephants, a crater descent and Olduvai first, then three unhurried days waiting on the river banks.
More partner stays
Other stays in Ngorongoro Crater
- Summit
Ngorongoro Crater · Karatu, Ngorongoro Highlands
Gibb's Farm
Farm estate lodge
- Spa
- Scenic views
- Organic farm-to-table dining
- Ridge
Ngorongoro Crater · Karatu, Ngorongoro Highlands
Kitela Lodge
Former coffee estate lodge
- Pool
- Scenic views
- Restaurant
- Summit
Ngorongoro Crater · Ngorongoro Conservation Area, eastern rim
Lemala Osonjoi
Crater-rim lodge
- 20 suites with wood stoves
- Heated indoor pool
- Spa suite
Stay at Ngorongoro Farm House
Tell us your dates, group and budget, and we will build the trip around this stay.