Best of Gorgeous Olduvai Gorge Attractions & Luxury Tours, Tanzania

During your journey to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, take a side tour to the archeological treasure trove of the Great Rift Valley. There you’ll find Olduvai Gorge which was originally created by tectonic and volcanic forces and was then home to an ancient salt lake. Further disturbances caused the lake to drain, leaving exposed salt deposits as well as an incredible fossilized record of the area going back millions of years.

For some 30 years, going back to the mid 1950s, archeologists Mary and Louis Leakey worked the area, discovering masses of plant, animal and human fossils within the Olduvai Gorge area. The most significant finding was that of human footprints which date back around 3.8 million years.

Visit the area museum and ponder the fascinating stone tools, fossils and recreations of life which dwelt in that area millions of years ago. Through guided tours, you can ascend into the valley and behold the famous dig sites of Laetoli, Nasera Rock Shelter and Lake Ndutu.

Nearby at Engaruka, you will encounter the ruins of an ancient city, complete with complex irrigation systems and stone terraces. You’ll also want to see the black Shifting Sands which is a volcanic ash dune that is formed and reformed by prevailing winds into beautiful symmetrical shapes.

Interesting/Unique Accommodations

For accommodations, see our Ngorongoro section for convenient side trips to Olduvai Gorge.

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