Kilimanjaro Climbing & SafarisDuration:15 Days
- Destinations:Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
Highlight
Kilimanjaro climbing has always been a big deal for many people that want a true taste of Africa. This tour is the ideal route for people that want to experience the beauty of Mount Kilimanjaro, while bringing you to the best Tanzania Destinations
Day 1: Arrival
We will pick you up and transfer you to Planet lodge for dinner and overnight
Day 2: Machame Gate – Machame Camp
Early morning after breakfast, start with a drive to Machame gate. Begin trekking though the rain forest on a winding trail for 5-7 hours, then continue past fist hut to the Machame hut Campsite at 3100m for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Machame Camp – Shira Camp
After breakfast, leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing a little valley and walking along a steep rocky ridge covered with heather until the end of the ridge. The route then turns west onto a river gorge at 3658m (5-7hours) for dinner and overnight at the Shira hut campsite at3800m.
Day 4: Shira Camp – Barranco Camp
From the Shira plateau, continue trekking east towards the lava tower called (the shark’s tooth””). Shortly after the tower, you come to a junction leading to the arrow glacier. Continue to Barranco hut campsite at 3950m for dinner and overnight (5-7hours walking).
Day 5: Barranco Camp – Karanga Valley Camp
After breakfast start with a tailspin into the Gorge, before you climb its eastern wall and you will delight in views of Kilimanjaro’s ice fields, an equatorial anomaly. Go on hiking until you reach your camp in Kilimanjaro Karanga Valley at 13,900 feet, (4-5 hours of walking).
Day 6: Karanga Valley Camp – Barafu Camp
After breakfast hike through the Karanga Valley, the trail turns steadily uphill, following the lava ridge to the Barafu camp. The temperature will grow colder and the landscape more sparse as we approach Barafu Camp. Barafu Camp is set on a bantam, exposed flat area on a ridge, acting as a base camp from which you will make your summit attempt at midnight. Barafu camp is at 15,200 feet, (6-7 hours of walking).
Day 7: Barafu Camp – Uhuru Peak
Just after midnight trek to Stella point (5745m) on the way to the summit, the UHURU peak, and this part of the climb takes about 8hours. Here you will have reached the highest point in Africa (5895m)! From the summit, descend to Mweka hut campsite at 3100m for dinner and overnight. (5-hours walking)
Day 8: Mweka Camp – Mweka Gate
This day is spent descending to the Mweka park gate (3-4hours).When you get to the gate you will be awarded your climbing certificate and there after your driver will be there ready to transfer you to Planet lodge for late lunch, dinner and overnight
Day 9: Arusha National Park
After breakfast drive to Arusha national park for a game drive with picnic lunch. This park has lots of giraffes, antelopes, and flamingos in the Momela Lakes. You will also look for the rare black and white Colobus Monkey in this park. After lunch you will do 2 hours of canoe riding in the Momela. You will then return to Planet lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Mto wa Mbu
After breakfast drive to Mto wa Mbu village for a guided village walk. In this small but very busy tow you will get an opportunity to interact with the local people. People from all the 120 tribes in Tanzania live in this small village. Here you will visit a local alcohol (banana beer) bar seat and drink with the local people (if interested), visit a nursery school, visit banana/rice farms see how people work in their farms (try work with them if interested). You will then continue to Twiga lodge for lunch. In the afternoon you will do bike riding across the villages to Lake Manyara where you will see animals from distance (wildebeests, zebras, buffalo, impala and flamingos), guided by a local guy from the area. You will return to Twiga lodge for dinner, then depart a night game drive with special night drive vehicles to look for nocturnal animals. You will later continue to Twiga lodge for overnight.
Day 11: Lake Manyara National Park
After breakfast depart for a game drive in Lake Manyara national park. This park has the largest concentration of baboons in North Tanzania, tree climbing lions and others. It is also the best place to see flamingos and other birds. You will then return to Manyara Twiga lodge for a late lunch and a little rest. In the afternoon drive to a traditional Maasai village to explore their culture (you will visit a typical village and not the ones set for tourists). You will then return to Twiga lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Serengeti National Park
After breakfast drive to Serengeti national park for game drive with picnic lunch. In the late afternoon continue to Serengeti bush camp for dinner and overnight. Serengeti is the park with the largest concentration of big mammals in the world. Here you will see most of your animals in your trip including lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, impalas, giraffes and many more.
Day 13: Serengeti National Park
Morning and afternoon game drives in Serengeti national park with early departures, trying to look for active cats/hunting predators. All meals and overnight will be at Serengeti bush camp.
Day 14: Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast drive to Ngorongoro for a game drive in the crater with picnic lunch. This is the best place to see the endangered black rhino (less than 1000 black rhinos are left in the wild in the world). The crater has also many other animals like zebras, wildebeests, hippos, gazelles, hyenas and many more. In the late afternoon continue to Eileen trees inn for dinner and overnight.
Day 15: Departure
After breakfast drive back to Arusha for lunch, then continue to the airport for your departure after this amazing Kilimanjaro climbing experience.