Arrival
Arrival
Day 1
Arrival - Moshi
Arrival - Moshi
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 drive to the hotel for dinner and overnight in Salinero, Moshi.
- Main Destination:
- Moshi (Town)
- Accommodation:
- Salinero Kilimajaro Hotel
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Marangu Gate - Mandara Hut
Marangu Gate - Mandara Hut
The drive from Moshi to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate takes about 50 minutes. The journey passes through the village of Marangu which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. Once you reach the park gate, all hikers are requested to sign in at the park office and make their final preparations for the climb. An alternative and more scenic parallel forest trail branches off to the left a few minutes after the gate. This trail follows the edge of a stream through the undergrowth and offers you the option to rejoin the main trail either after 1.5 hours of hiking, or 1 hour before Mandara Hut.
Your first night's stop, Mandara Hut, consists of wooden A-framed huts in a forest clearing. Each hut features 6 to 8 sleeping bunks with solar-generated lighting. The total capacity of the camp is 60 climbers. Water is piped into the camp from springs above and there are flush toilets behind the main hut. Dinner is prepared by our cook and served in a communal dining mess.
Day 3
Mandara Hut - Horombo Hut
Mandara Hut - Horombo Hut
From Mandara Hut, the trail passes through a short stretch of forest, skirts the base of the Maundi Crater, and then emerges into the transition from rainforest to moorland. It is well worth a short detour to scramble up the rim of the Maundi Crater for your first really impressive view of the Kibo Crater. On a clear day, Kibo will glimmer in the distance, showing off her majestic glaciers in the morning sun.
Once you are in the open moorland, you will get the chance to see some of Kilimanjaro’s most spectacular plants. They include the endemic giant lobelia which grows up to 3m in height and the giant groundsel (Senecia kilimanjari) which can reach heights of 5m! After about 6 hours' trek from here, you reach the Horombo Hut where you will have a hot bowl of water for washing. You can rest, have dinner, and overnight.
Day 4
Horombo Hut for Acclimatizing
Horombo Hut for Acclimatizing
Horombo Hut is a village of huts perched on a small plateau with buildings similar to Mandara, but with a total capacity of 120 climbers! Horombo is normally bustling with hikers, guides, and porters, with an atmosphere of adventure and excitement. You will meet both ascending and descending hikers here. This extra day and night at Horombo are for additional acclimatization.
A hike toward the Mawenzi Hut, passing the Zebra Rocks on the way (about 3 hours up and 1.5 hours down), is strongly recommended. This hike will further assist with the process of acclimatization. Remember to drink enough water and move slowly! All meals for the day are provided at the hut. Retire to bed early and get a last, good night’s rest.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
- Horombo Hut
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Horombo - Kibo Hut
Horombo - Kibo Hut
After breakfast, you continue your ascent into the Alpine desert habitat. From Horombo, there are two trails to the “Saddle” (which refers to the area located between the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo). There is an upper route (right-hand fork) and a lower route (left-hand fork) to choose from. The upper route should be very familiar, as you will have climbed most of it the previous day on your acclimatization hike toward Mawenzi Hut. This section is very stony and eroded, The recommended lower route is much easier and nearly an hour shorter, and it also passes the last watering point at 4,130m.
You will have to fill your water bottles with all the water you will need until your return to Horombo Hut in 2 nights’ time (unless you are willing to buy mineral water at Kibo Hut). Once again, remember to slow down and drink enough water. There are platform toilets behind the hut. Go to bed at around 19h00 and try to get as much sleep as possible.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
- Kibo Hut
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Uhuru Summit - Horombo Hut
Uhuru Summit - Horombo Hut
You will rise at around 23h20, and after some tea and biscuits, you shuffle off into the night. This is where the going gets really tough. The first section of the trail consists of a rocky path to the Hans Meyer Cave (5,150m), also a good resting spot. The path then zigzags up to Gillman’s Point (5,681m), which is located on the crater rim.
From Gillman's Point, you will normally encounter snow all the way up to Uhuru Peak (5,895m), the highest point in Africa. Total exhilaration and satisfaction – you made it! Weather conditions on the summit will determine how long you will be able to spend time taking photographs before the 3-hour descent back to Kibo Hut. After a short rest, you gather all the gear you left behind for the ascent and head down to Horombo Hut (3 hours) for your overnight. The return to Horombo Hut will seem surprisingly fast compared to the ascent.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
- Horombo Hut
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Horombo Hut - Marangu Gate - Arusha
Horombo Hut - Marangu Gate - Arusha
After breakfast, you continue your descent (6 hours), passing the Mandara Hut, down to the Marangu Gate. It is strongly recommended not to pay your porters any tips until you have reached the gate safely with all your gear. Contact us for more info on tips. At Marangu Gate, you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Gillman’s Point (5,685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5,895m), receive gold certificates.
You will now drive back to the hotel in Arusha for a long overdue hot shower, dinner, celebrations, and overnight.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
- Venus Premier Hotel
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
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 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:
- Eileen's Trees Inn
Wildlife in Tarangire NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 9
Ngorongoro Crater Tour
Ngorongoro Crater Tour
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:
- Eileen's Trees Inn
Wildlife in Ngorongoro Crater
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 10
Lake Manyara - Arusha - Departure
Lake Manyara - Arusha - Departure
After breakfast at the lodge, go on a morning game drive in the park. 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:
