Oldupai Gorge is an archaeological site in Tanzania that holds the earliest evidence of the existence of human ancestors. Paleoanthropologists have found hundreds of fossilized bones and stone tools in the area dating back millions of years, leading them to conclude that humans evolved in Africa.

Oldupai Gorge (Originally misnamed Olduvai) is a Maasai word for a wild sisal plant that grows in the area. It is the most archaeological site in East Africa, and has become an essential visit for the travellers to Ngorongoro and Serengeti. The steep ravine is about 48.2 km long and 90 meters deep, not quite large enough to classified as a canyon. A river cut through several layers to form four individual beds, with the oldest estimated at about 2 million years old. At Laetoli, South of Oldupai Gorge, hominids footprint are preserved in volcanic rock 3.6 million years old and represents some of the earliest signs of mankind in the world. Three separate tracks of a small-brained upright walking early hominid. Australopithecus Afarensis, a creature about 1.2 to 1.4 meters high, were found. Imprints of these are displayed in the Oldupai Gorge Museum.

More advanced descendants of Laetoli’s hominids were found further North, buried in the layers of the 100 meters deep, Oldupai Gorge. Excavation, mainly the archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey, yielded four different kinds of hominid, showing a gradual increase in brain size and in the complexity of their stone tools. The first skull of Zinjanthropus, commonly known as “Nutcracker man” who lived about 1.75 million years ago, this made it the oldest hominin discovered to that point. The most important find includes Homo habilis, Zinjanthropus and Laetoli footprints.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, it is where people and their early ancestors have co-existed with wildlife for nearly four million years. This World Heritage and International Biosphere Reserve encompasses a spectacular mosaic of landscape that includes the breath-taking of the Ngorongoro crater and the legendary Serengeti the annual hosts of the world’s highest concentration and diversity of migratory animals numbering nearly three million strong.

The Oldupai Gorge Museum and Visitor Centre offer numerous educational exhibits, including fossils and artifacts of our human ancestors and skeletons of many extinct animals who shared their world. There are also informative lectures, special guided to the archaeological site and shifting sand.

Birding in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is remarkable, from the highland forests to the crater floor due to the existence of more than 500 bird species. The variety is astonishing year-round as birds like flamingos can be found at Lake Magadi and cranes, ostriches, and raptors perched over the crater are also abundant.

Maasai Communities: The NCA is a multiple-use area, home to the Maasai, who coexist with wildlife. Visitors can tour Maasai bomas (villages) to learn about their pastoralist lifestyle, crafts, and traditions.
Archaeological Importance: Nearby Olduvai Gorge, part of the NCA, is a key paleoanthropological site where fossils of early humans (e.g., Homo habilis) were found by Louis and Mary Leakey. The site includes a museum.
Conservation Status: Managed by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), balancing tourism, wildlife protection, and Maasai rights. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 for its ecological and cultural value.

Dry Season (June-October): Ideal for wildlife viewing as animals congregate around water sources. Clear skies and cooler temperatures (15-25°C). Peak season, so book early.
Wet Season (November-May): Lush greenery, fewer tourists, and lower rates. Short rains (November-December) and heavy rains (March-May) may make roads muddy, but game drives are still viable.
Calving Season (January-February): Overlaps with nearby Ndutu (Serengeti), where wildebeest migration is prominent, complementing a crater visit.