From the thrill of the climb to the heartbeat of the savannah and the calm of island paradise, this is Tanzania at its most unforgettable. Brace yourself for an experience that will live rent free in our memories
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, meet your guide holding a sign, and transfer to a comfortable hotel in Arusha. Use the afternoon to rest, enjoy the lively town atmosphere and go through a tour briefing before heading into the wild tomorrow..
We will drive from Lodge to Ngongongare Gate and get the first gate pass to Momella Gate where we will meet our porters, cook and the armed Park ranger to accompany us, After registering ourselves at Momella Gate, the climb then starts out in the grasslands of the lower slopes where we will encounter giraffes, buffalos and warthogs and then lush forest inhabited by bushbucks, red duikers, blue / Skye's monkeys, black & white colobus monkeys and some variety of birds to Miriakamba Huts, (2515m / 8,250ft)(3 - 4 hours walk).If the weather is clear we will be able to see Mt. Meru summit from Miriakamba Hut, 2515m / 8,250ft where we will overnight.
Our destination today is Saddle Huts (3560m / 11,700ft) and along the way we will stop at Mgongo wa Tembo (Elephant Ridge) viewpoint for lunch. After getting to our camp and resting we will hike to the summit of Little Meru (3810m / 12,500ft), which has spectacular views of Mt. Meru's summit, and the sheer cliffs of the crater wall. As the sun sets behind us we can watch the glaciers on Mt. Kilimanjaro turn different hues of orange and red… spectacular! (3 - 4 hours walk from Miriakamba to Saddle hut).
We start out in early at 12.00 am in order to see the sunrise from behind Mt. Kilimanjaro. Along the way will pass Rhino point (2870m / 12,700ft) then like narrow ridge of the crater to summit itself. If the weather is clear, we see the active volcano of Mt. Oldonyo Lengai to the west and below us the town of Arusha and the plains of the Maasai steppe. From the summit we return to Miriakamba Huts for overnight after stopping for lunch and a while rest at Saddle Huts. (4 ½ - 5 hours walking from Saddle Huts to the summit, 2 ½ hours back to Saddle Hut from the summit, and 2 ½ hours more continuing to Miriakamba Huts)
We will descend back through mountain rainforest to Momella Gate where we will meet the car and also get our Picnic lunch, certificate and then back to Outpost Lodge in Arusha town. From Miriakamba to Momella Gate will take us about 3-hours. On The way down you will be able to see Lake Momella with its nice scenery. Around 5:00pm you will arrive at the hotel
After breakfast our vehicle will transport you from the hotel to Machame gate. Here you will do the required registration procedures then you will start the trek through the rain-forest to Machame camp where you will find the tents are already setup for you. Dinner and overnight at campsite.
After breakfast leave the camp and continue ascending by crossing little valleys and steep rocky ridges covering with heather plants to the western side of the mountain where the camp is situated. At this camp you will be able get the spectacular view of Mount Meru, Shira Plateau, Kibo Peak and sunset; then dinner and overnight.
This is long and important acclimatization day so you will be having an early breakfast then continue trekking east to a junction leading to Lava tower rock 4600m for acclimatization, you will have lunch here at Lava tower and afterwards you will continue down to Barranco camp. The camp location is in the bottom valley of Barranco wall where you will stop for dinner and overnight
Today is short day walk. In the morning you will start climbing Barranco wall and reach 4200m for acclimatization and continue crossing ridges and valleys to Karanga campsite for hot lunch. After lunch you will have a bit of rest and get another acclimatization of trekking up the scree slopes towards the southern ice field. You will then return to the camp for supper and overnight.
On this day, the trek up to the Barafu ridge campsite is tough because of altitude. The walk take few hours because of the short distance but it is steep thus needs a slow pace to avoid fatigue. You will trek across an alpine desert. Chances are that a strong, cold wind will be blowing from Kibo peak and its ice. You will have dinner at the elevation of 4620 m. then rest until midnight when you will attack the summit.
- Wake at midnight to a light breakfast and then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly before or after sunrise. The trails is a series of switchbacks up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Stella Point on the crater rim at 5,856 m. At this point you will be having the views of the fabled crater and its glaciers facing you. Then after 1 hour of hiking along the Kibo crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to the summit, Uhuru Peak 5895m. Here you will spend some times for taking photo’s but it will depend on how you feel. After your summit activities done, you will descend back to Barafu campsite 4620m, for lunch, rest, collect your equipment, and continue down through moorland and heath zone to Mweka campsite 3100m. Dinner and overnight at Mweka Campsite.
Today is your last day on the mountain. After breakfast you will descend down to Mweka park gate walking across Montane forest. This descent will take 3-4 hours. Here at the gate your will sign out and get your achievement certificates, then you will have lunch, and transfer back to the hotel for shower and dinner.
After breakfast drive to Tarangire national park for game drive with packed lunches. Late evening drive to Karatu at Eileens Tress Inn for dinner and overnight. F/B
After an early breakfast descend into the crater floor for a half day crater tour with packed lunches. Late afternoon drive to Serengeti National park, game viewing en route F/B
The vast savannas of the Serengeti are a paradise for grazing animals. On their annual great migration, thousands upon thousands of wildebeest, zebras, and antelope traverse this unique ecosystem. Lions and hyenas follow the herds in search of prey. On game drives in the park, you are likely to see elephants, buffalo, giraffes, baboons, ostriches, and many other animals. With a bit of luck, you might even spot a cheetah on the hunt or a leopard, which likes to spend its daytime hours in the branches of a tree. Crocodiles sun themselves on sandbanks along the rivers, and densely packed herds of hippos populate deeper stretches of water. The seemingly endless plains are interrupted here and there by isolated "kopjes" – smooth granite hills.
On our way through the Serengeti, we have another chance to spot the Big 5 during a morning game drive. In the late morning, we reach the Seronera airstrip and fly from there (with a stopover if necessary) to Zanzibar. Here, you'll take a guided tour through the winding streets of Stone Town, with its old Arabian houses, fairytale palaces, and colorful shops. We'll learn interesting facts about the island's history and visit the Slave Church, the "House of Wonders," and the colorful spice and fruit markets. In the evening, we'll reach our beach hotel on the east coast of the island.
We enjoy relaxing hours on the beautiful beach of Zanzibar. On the 18th day, you are taken to the airport and board our flight home to Europe with many memories in our luggage