Olduvai Gorge
Olduvai Gorge
4
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
This is one of the most important archaeological site on earth. The geological strata exposed in the gorge reveal a remarkable record of animal and human evolution from about 2 million until 15,000 years ago. Among the significant finds from Olduvai are the range of stone tool types, the thousands of animal fossils- both extinct and extant species- and fossil bones of hominids (pre- Homo sapiens) and early Homo sapiens. The hominid fossils show the evolution of humankind over a 2 million year time span and provide a sense of our recent emergence in the world as modern humans.
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- Pam OEast Setauket, New York73 contributionsVery Cool Place to Visit!Olduvai Gorge is a great spot to stop at if you're on the way to the Serengeti. Not only did we get to visit the museum here but we were able to hike down with our guide Jacky into the Gorge and chat with some archeologists working in the Gorge. The views were incredible and we walked away with a greater idea of how archeologists work as well as the evolution of man!Visited July 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten July 14, 2024
- Esme B36 contributionsOur AncestorsThis is a must. Absolutely amazing the work that was done by the Leakey's. The museum is outstanding. Our guide, Grace was incredibly knowledgeable. We wish we could have spent more time there. The road though to the turnoff to Olduvai was very busy and in a poor state.Visited August 2024Travelled with friendsWritten August 10, 2024
- Susan EPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania1,140 contributionsAwe inspiring archeological epicenter.Having heard of the Leakeys in fifth grade when a British boy joined our class and said that he had been with his father working for the Leakeys in Tanzania it was amazing to see the area where they had one their patient, back breaking work. The museum though small was very well done and I wish we had more time to look at some of the bones they unearthed and other exhibits. Definitely worth seeing if you are in the vicinity.Visited January 2024Travelled with friendsWritten September 1, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
803 reviews
Excellent
326
Very good
288
Average
143
Poor
39
Terrible
7
Pam O
East Setauket, NY73 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
Olduvai Gorge is a great spot to stop at if you're on the way to the Serengeti. Not only did we get to visit the museum here but we were able to hike down with our guide Jacky into the Gorge and chat with some archeologists working in the Gorge. The views were incredible and we walked away with a greater idea of how archeologists work as well as the evolution of man!
Written July 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emily
73 contributions
Aug 2022
This is a significant site for human evolution and should not be missed. We got a short presentation once we arrived overlooking the beds where the fossils were found. Inside there are 6 rooms with fossils, information in english and swahilli and lots of artifacts.
Written September 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan E
Philadelphia, PA1,140 contributions
Jan 2024 • Friends
Having heard of the Leakeys in fifth grade when a British boy joined our class and said that he had been with his father working for the Leakeys in Tanzania it was amazing to see the area where they had one their patient, back breaking work. The museum though small was very well done and I wish we had more time to look at some of the bones they unearthed and other exhibits. Definitely worth seeing if you are in the vicinity.
Written September 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Niko W
Modling, Austria283 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
My husband is a biology teacher so we were keen to see Olduvai. It was a bit of a disappointment to be perfectly honest. There is a very well designed, modern museum on-site but that‘s about it. There is nothing to be seen in the gorge and you are not even allowed to go for a hike. Unless you are bored out of your mind watching animals, I would not go.
Written January 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear our esteemed guest,
Am sorry for any inconvenience you get while in Olduvai Gorge. We've a walking trail to walk along the gorge up to the Leakey Camp and all our visitors are allowed to walk through designated trail
Written February 7, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Simon S
Odense, Denmark52 contributions
Feb 2020
An unplanned visit after our safari to the gorge turned out to be very interesting. We got a short lecture and then a 1 h tour of the gorge (we had little time as we needed to go back to Arusha) where we saw and heard a lot about the various findings made. All in all very nice!
Written February 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for coming! Visit us again and share this experience with your friends and family
Written January 2, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Marie R
Rogue River, OR9 contributions
Jan 2023
This is a once in a lifetime place. Tanzania has preserved not only the fossil beds, but the process Mary Leakey and other scientists use to understand human evolution. The walking tour option gets you into the feel of the discoveries and the huge chunks of time that are exposed.
Written February 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Esme B
36 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
This is a must. Absolutely amazing the work that was done by the Leakey's. The museum is outstanding. Our guide, Grace was incredibly knowledgeable. We wish we could have spent more time there.
The road though to the turnoff to Olduvai was very busy and in a poor state.
The road though to the turnoff to Olduvai was very busy and in a poor state.
Written August 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
FOA
10 contributions
Jan 2020
How I saw, a lot of Safaris visitors pass this place. There's no really to see, but be the place where human was slowly created, giving you a boost and rare moment when you can think about years of evolution and feel to be a part of it.. It was one of the highlights of our trip.
Written February 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for coming! Visit us again and share this experience with your friends and family
Written January 2, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SalamatJalan
Fairfax Station, VA155 contributions
Jan 2020
This turned out to be a much better museum than I expected. There are a couple of quirks that could be ironed out, but it was a nice display. There is also a very nice view of the gorge, where you get a historical overview before a short hike into the gorge to get close to where digging is ongoing. This is definitely a nice place to stop on the drive between Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, including the bathroom!
Written February 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bidule05
France1,918 contributions
Sept 2020
We visited the wonderful Olduvai Gorges, which have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. They are located between the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park.
The landscape is fine, with the lunar desert plateau and green tufts of sisal plants; the deep reddish gorges, 90 meters high, have been carved out by erosion. We learned that the name "Olduvai" comes from the Masai word "ol tupai", meaning "sisal".
On the walls of the gorges, we saw 5 superimposed strata, in colors ranging from ocher to brown, coming from different geological eras (600,000 years to 2.5 million years)!
We were amazed by the Olduvai gorges, which are one of the most important paleontological sites in Africa. They are one of the richest fossil areas in the world! During the guided tour, we learned that different species of hominids lived in Olduvai Gorges (Paranthropus boisei, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens and Homo sapiens sapiens), who had access to food, running water, wetlands, meadows and forest parts (palm trees, acacias). They used a lot of stone tools with sharp edges. Excavations in Olduvai Gorge have found thousands of animal bones (giraffes, elephants, wildebeest), which may have been hunted and killed by hominids, but hominids may also have scavenged the remains left by others predators (leopard lions, hyenas). Hominids also preyed on wetland ferns, crustaceans, and snails/slugs.
The visit to the small museum is also very interesting!
A MUST in Tanzania!!!
The landscape is fine, with the lunar desert plateau and green tufts of sisal plants; the deep reddish gorges, 90 meters high, have been carved out by erosion. We learned that the name "Olduvai" comes from the Masai word "ol tupai", meaning "sisal".
On the walls of the gorges, we saw 5 superimposed strata, in colors ranging from ocher to brown, coming from different geological eras (600,000 years to 2.5 million years)!
We were amazed by the Olduvai gorges, which are one of the most important paleontological sites in Africa. They are one of the richest fossil areas in the world! During the guided tour, we learned that different species of hominids lived in Olduvai Gorges (Paranthropus boisei, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, Homo sapiens and Homo sapiens sapiens), who had access to food, running water, wetlands, meadows and forest parts (palm trees, acacias). They used a lot of stone tools with sharp edges. Excavations in Olduvai Gorge have found thousands of animal bones (giraffes, elephants, wildebeest), which may have been hunted and killed by hominids, but hominids may also have scavenged the remains left by others predators (leopard lions, hyenas). Hominids also preyed on wetland ferns, crustaceans, and snails/slugs.
The visit to the small museum is also very interesting!
A MUST in Tanzania!!!
Written May 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I’m coming from Serengeti National park.
1. How many hours should I spend at Olduvai Gorge?
2. How far is the Gorge to the crater floor?
Thanks in advance:)
Written October 7, 2020
Hi there, do you get to visit Olduvai Gorge on this tour?
Written February 8, 2018
Now we have established a walking trails down to the gorge, after a museum tour and lecture at view point, ask for a guide to take you down the gorge. it's wonderful experience
Written August 12, 2019
Hello. How long a drive is it from Kilimanjaro Airport to Olduvai Gorge.
We want to do a 3-day trip to SErengeti, but include Oludvai and don't know if that is feasible
Written November 5, 2015
its 264km
Written August 12, 2019
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