The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ngorongoro District, 180 km (110 mi) west of Arusha City in Arusha Region, within the Crater Highlands geological area of northern Tanzania. The area is named after Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera within the area. The conservation area is administered by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, an arm of the Tanzanian government, and its boundaries follow the boundary of the Ngorongoro District in Arusha Region. The western portion of the park abuts the Serengeti National Park (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the area comprising the two parks and Kenya's Maasai Mara game reserve is home to Great Migration, a massive annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and other animals

The average daily temperature is about 16 °C (61 °F) from October to April, while it drops to 13/14 °C (55/57 °F) from June to August; at night, it's a bit cold, and drops below 10 °C (50 °F). With this in mind, the main best time to visit the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the dry season, from June to September. You must be equipped for the cold at night, and be ready to remove the outer layer during the day. In September, the temperature begins to increase a bit, and at lower altitudes, it can get hot during the day. In October, the temperature rises further, and while at the beginning it is still dry, in the course of the month, the short rains begin.

To spot the herds of wildebeest and zebras that make the "great migration", you can choose January and February, when the animals arrive in this area. In this period, the temperature is high enough, and the days are hot at lower altitudes; afternoon showers are relatively frequent, but less so than in the two real rainy seasons (long and short rains).