$4,153 to $4,235 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateArrival
Arrival
Day 1
Arrival - Arusha
Arrival - Arusha
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, our official airport team will meet and greet you and assist you with your visa and luggage. You will have some welcoming refreshments and your driver guide will transfer you to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Arusha is a city in Northern Tanzania and the capital of the Arusha region with a population of 416,442 plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha district. It is located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley. Arusha has a temperate climate. The city is close to the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.
- Main Destination:
- Arusha (City)
- Accommodation:
- Arusha Planet Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Machame Hut
Machame Hut
We pick you up from your hotel and drive for 1 hour to the Machame gate (10,000ft) for registration. We'll meet the rest of the crew (cooks and porters) and get ready for the climb. We will start the 6-hour climb through the rainforest and the giant heathers to our first overnight camp.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
Shira Camp
Shira Camp
It is a short hiking day with rather steep, rocky, and dusty trails. It's a slow hike with plenty of breaks and enough time to acclimatize. Most of the route is quite bare of vegetation, providing little shade from the heat. You will cross many ridges and see the first of many senecias.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
-
Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Barranco Hut
Barranco Hut
Today's trekking will take 4 to 7 hours to the Barranco Camp. We start with climbing over boulders and very few rocks, then a steady uphill climb to Lava Tower. We'll stop for lunch around noon. For those interested, we can climb up the Lava Tower which is 14,850ft. You may start to get a mild headache due to altitude change. From Lava Tower, we will go down for about 2 hours through dusty and rocky trails to the Barranco Camp at 13,000ft.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Karanga Valley
Karanga Valley
After spending a night at the great Barranco Wall (a very imposing sight at first), you make your way up this awesome-looking obstacle, which in the end normally turns out to be easier than anticipated. Topping out just below the Heim Glacier, you will now appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley over intervening ridges and valleys and then joins up with the Mweka route. This is the preferred route down from the summit, so remember it. The last water stop on the route is the Karanga Valley, as there is no water available at Barafu Camp. Enjoy dinner and overnight at the Karanga Camp.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Barafu Hut
Barafu Hut
After breakfast at Karanga Camp, we turn left up the ridge and the route ascends 640m toward Barafu Camp. Barafu is the Swahili word for “ice” and it is a bleak and inhospitable camping area to spend the night. Totally exposed to the ever-present gales, the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any accidents.
The summit is now a further 1,214m higher and you will commence with your final ascent attempt the same night. Prepare your equipment, hiking poles, and thermal clothing. This should include the replacement of your headlamp and camera batteries and make sure you have a spare set available as well. To prevent freezing, it will be wise to carry your water in a thermal flask. Go to bed as early as possible and try to get some precious rest and sleep.
Day 7
Summit - Mweka Hut
Summit - Mweka Hut
You will get up at around 23h20, and after some tea and biscuits, you shuffle off into the night. You will head in a north-westerly direction and ascend through heavy scree toward Stella Point on the crater rim. For many climbers, the 6-hour walk to Stella Point is mentally and physically the most challenging on the route. At Stella Point (5,739m), you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting).
From Stella Point you will normally encounter snow all the way on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. The time you will spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop here for too long, as it will be extremely difficult to get going again due to cold and fatigue. The walk back to Barafu from the summit takes about 3 hours. Here, you will have a well-earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear before heading down to Mweka Hut (3,090m).
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
Mweka Hut - Arusha
Mweka Hut - Arusha
After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short 4 to 6-hour scenic hike back to the park gate. Some hikers might experience knee problems which could make the descent longer than planned. It is strongly recommended not to pay your porters any tips until you have reached the gate safely with all your gear. Visit the tips page for more info.
At Mweka gate, you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. The climbers who reached Stella Point (5,739m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5,895m) receive gold certificates.
From Mweka gate, you will continue down into the Mweka village, normally a muddy 3km (1 hour) hike. In Mweka village, you will be served a delicious, hot lunch. You then drive back to Arusha for a long overdue hot shower.
- Main Destination:
- Arusha (City)
- Accommodation:
- Arusha Planet Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 9
Tarangire National Park
Tarangire National Park
After breakfast, you drive to Tarangire National Park for a full-day game drive in the park. Your driver will set and prepare a table for a full, hot lunch (soup, bread rolls, main dish, and fruit salad) followed by a glass of wine, tea, or coffee. In the evening, check in at the lodge or camp for dinner and overnight.
Tarangire National Park is located slightly off the main safari route. It is a lovely, quiet park in Northern Tanzania that is most famous for its elephant migration, birding, and quiet authentic safari atmosphere. The majority of travelers to the region either miss out on Tarangire altogether or venture into the park for only a matter of hours, leaving parts of Tarangire virtually untouched.
- Main Destination:
- Tarangire National Park
- Accommodation:
- Marera Valley Lodge
Wildlife in Tarangire NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 10
Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast at the lodge, go on a game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater for a full-day crater tour. Your driver will set and prepare a table under the car's shade for a full, hot lunch (soup, bread rolls, main dish, and fruit salad) followed by a glass of wine, tea, or coffee. After lunch, proceed with a game drive until the evening when you drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
The jewel in Ngorongoro's crown is a deep, volcanic crater, the largest unflooded and unbroken caldera in the world. About 20km across, 600m deep, and 300 sq. km in area, the Ngorongoro Crater is a breathtaking natural wonder. We will visit Lake Magadi, a large but shallow alkaline lake in the southwestern corner which is one of the main features of the crater. A large number of hippos, flamingos, and other waterbirds can usually be seen here.
- Main Destination:
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Accommodation:
- Marera Valley Lodge
Wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 11
Lake Manyara National Park - Arusha
Lake Manyara National Park - Arusha
After breakfast at the lodge, go on a morning walking safari escorted by an armed ranger in Lake Manyara National Park with a game drive afterward. In the afternoon, your driver will set and prepare a table for a full, hot lunch (soup, bread rolls, main dish, and fruit salad) followed by a glass of wine, tea, or coffee. After lunch, continue with the game drive until the evening when you drive back to Arusha for drop-off at the airport.
Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day. Inland of the floodplain, a narrow belt of acacia woodland is the favored haunt of Manyara’s legendary tree-climbing lions and impressively-tusked elephants.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Manyara National Park
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
Wildlife in Lake Manyara NP
- Meals & Drinks:
