13 Days Ultimate Kilimanjaro Treks and Tanzania Safari

Day 1 Kilimanjaro Airport – Moshi

Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport you will be greeted by our transfer driver and taken to the  Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel. The rest of the day is for you to enjoy at leisure – relax at the hotel pool or take a taxi and explore the town of Moshi. In the late afternoon you will met by one of our Kilimanjaro team members, who will brief you on your upcoming trek. Dinner and Overnight at Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel

Day 2 Arusha – Machame Gate (1,790m) – Machame Camp (3,010m)

After breakfast you will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel  and taken to the Kilimanjaro National park gate. After completion of all the necessary paper work, your adventure commences. Your destination for today is the Machame Camp, a 5 – 6 hour hike. Soon you will be hiking through the lush rainforest with its large ancient trees, primeval ferns and endemic flowers, like the Impatiens Kilimanjari. You might also spot black and white thumbless colobus monkeys, peeking through the leaves. Reaching the campsite you will have time to relax, stretch your legs and enjoy a hearty meal, before snuggling into your tent for the night.Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 3 Machame Camp (3,010m) – Shira Camp (3,845m)

Today’s early start is not due to a long stretch, but rather to allow you to reach Shira Camp at around mid-afternoon. As you walk you will notice the dramatic change in the landscape – from lush and green rainforest to dry moor and heath land. Arriving at your campsite a beautiful view of the mountain range opens up before you. The glaciers of Kibo glistens in the golden hue of the setting sun as you enjoy another lovingly cooked meal before climbing into your tent.Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 4 Shira Camp (3,845m) – Lava Tower Hut (4,640m) – Barranco Camp (3,960m)

Acclimatization is on today’s menu, where you will climb roughly 700 m, but sleep on a level not much higher than the previous night. Starting at Shira Plateau, you will make your way up to Lava Tower (4,640m), where you will rest a while, before continuing through the Barranco Valley to the beautiful Barranco Camp. The trek will take approximately 6 – 7 hours, but the various distractions of the alpine desert as well as the Barranco Valley with its small lobelia plants and giant senecio’s, will keep your mind off the stretch still ahead. A well-deserved dinner and overnight awaits you at Barranco Camp.Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 5 Barranco Camp (3,960m) – Karanga Camp (4,035m)

Today the Barranco Wall stands before you to conquer. Some stages will require you to use your hands for a better grip, but no actual climbing is necessary and your guide will be with you every step of the way to lend a helping hand. The route with its numerous ascents and descents allow for further acclimatization, before reaching the mountain ridge. Walking along the ridge you can take in the beautiful landscape with its stunning contrasts of desert and vegetation, before finally reaching the cloudy Karanga Camp. You trek will take between 3 – 4 hours, leaving more than enough time to rest and play a game of rummy. Evening meal and overnight at Karanga Camp.Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 6 Karanga Camp (4,035m) – Barafu Camp (4,640m)

Awakening to the sunlight dancing off the Kibo Summit, you will enjoy a hearty breakfast before setting out to today’s destination – Barafu Camp. Most of they day will be spent walking through very dry desertic terrain, with Kibo ever present on your left side. After 3-4 hours you will reach Barafu Camp, where you will have an early dinner and overnight as the highlight of your trip is only a few short hours away…Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 7 Barafu Camp (4,640m) – Uhuru Peak (5,895m) – Mweka Camp (3,080m)

At around midnight you will be awoken by your guide with a warm cup of tea and biscuits to get you ready for your final ascent. The moon and your headlamps will be your only source of light as you make your way up to Stella Point, reaching the crater rim in about 5 – 7 hours. Another 1 – 2 hours will take you to Uhuru Peak (5,895m), where you can enjoy the sun rising over the African landscape, casting a pink hue over the snowy peak and making the glaciers sparkle like diamonds around you. After capturing this incredible view and achievement on film, you will start your descent along the same route back to Barafu Camp, where your team awaits you with some snacks and refreshments. Rested and relaxed you will make your way to Mweka Camp for your last night on the highest mountain in Africa.Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 8 Mweka Camp (3,080m) – Mweka Gate (1,630m) – Arusha/Moshi

A scrumptious breakfast is followed by a traditional farewell ceremony from your mountain crew, before you start your final stretch down the mountain. You will once more trek through the rainforest, giving you another opportunity to spot the cheeky colobus monkeys, finally reaching the Mweka gate in about 2 – 3 hours. You will be met at the gate and taken back to the Green Hills of Africa for a long shower and relaxed day by the pool. Dinner and overnight at the Green Hills of Africa.Breakfast; Dinner

Day 9 Arusha/Moshi –  Tarangire National Park

After a short briefing in the morning, you will be taken to the Tarangire National Park. The park with its endless tree savannah including the impressive baobab trees and seasonal marshes, is also home to the largest elephant herds in northern Tanzania. In addition to elephants you are also likely to spot giraffes, buffaloes, lions, zebras, gnus and other types of antelopes and gazelles. Upon arrival at the park, your driver will open the roof of the vehicle and the extensive wildlife viewing will begin. Lunch will be taken at a picnic spot and in the afternoon you will get to see more of this amazing and beautiful park. In the late afternoon you will arrive at the Lake Burunge Tented Camp, located outside of the park for your overnight stay.Lunch; Dinner

Day 10 Tarangire Area – Serengeti National Park

After breakfast you will depart towards the Rift Valley, passing through Mto Wa Mbu and Karatu, in the cooler regions of the crater highlands. You will enter the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and stop for a short look into the crater from a viewing platform. Continuing your journey around the crater, you will descend the other side, enjoying your free “African massage” on the bumpy road, passing Maasai villages on your way to the Serengeti National Park. At the Naabi Hill entrance gate you can walk to a viewpoint with spectacular views across the plains of the Serengeti savannah. You will then continue towards the Seronera Area in the central part of the Serengeti. The park offers a multitude of wildlife including the “Big Five” – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard. Late in the afternoon you will arrive at the Kati Kati Tented Camp. The camp is in a secluded area, in the heart of the bush and the stars at night are breathtaking. Lunch will be enjoyed en-route.Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 11 Serengeti National Park

Following breakfast, you will spend the whole day on a game drive in the Serengeti National Park and have lunch at a picnic spot en-route. Depending upon the time of year, you might even have the chance to witness the great migration with hundred thousands of wildebeests, zebras and Thompson gazelles. During the small rainy season in October and November, you will typically see these herds moving from the Kenyan Masai Mara through the northwest of the Serengeti to the plains in the south. After the great rainy season in April, May and June, the herds slowly travel back through the western and north-western part of the Serengeti. With fluctuations in rainfall, this timetable can of course change, resulting in the animals migrating during different times and routes. Your guide will try his outmost to find the animals and will make sure that you can see the animals from the best spot in the national park. Naturally, the migration also attracts predators and with luck you might see a kill in action. You will spend another night at the Kati Kati Tented Camp.Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Attention:Please note, that should you travel between the beginning of January and mid-March, you will stay at the Kati Kati Ndutu Tented Camp. This camp is also situated in the Serengeti National Park but closer to the border of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in the Ndutu Area.Staying at a camp in the Ndutu Area during this time increases your chances of seeing the famous migration as the herds can either be on the Serengeti or Ngorongoro side.

Day 12 Serengeti National Park – Ngorongoro Crater – Karatu

After breakfast at daybreak, you will start early on your outward journey from the Serengeti back to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, leaving behind the beautiful Seronera Valley. As predators are livelier in the cooler hours of the day, you might even see them in action. Lunch will be taken en-route at a designated picnic spot. On reaching the crater’s edge, the 19 km diameter caldera opens up before you in all its stunning glory and you will descend into the crater on an adventurous trail. This World Heritage Site is seasonally home to over 25,000 animals in including a wide variety of birds, hyenas and the “Big Five” – lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard. Exiting the crater on a different ascent road, you will drive to Karatu, where you will spend the night at the Ngorongoro Farm House, a former working farm.Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner

Day 13  Karatu – Arusha

After a relaxing breakfast, you will return to Arusha, arriving around noon. Those who wish to combine this safari with a trip to Zanzibar can take a flight from the local Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport. Lunch will be taken en-route.Breakfast; Lunch