9 Days Mt Kilimanjaro & Safari – Romantic Holidays

Picked up at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to a hotel in Arusha, where you will meet with a Safari driver guide for the Safari briefing and then rest until the next morning.

Accommodation: Weru Weru River Lodge (or similar to that)

Distance: 7 km
Environment: Montane forest
Time: 3 to 4 hours

In the morning you will be taken to Londorossi Gate, a 3 hour’s drive from Moshi. After you’ve gone through all the park entry formalities and driven 15 km on a bumpy road, you’ll reach the starting point of your trekking journey located at the end of the rainforest.

Before setting out, you’ll be served with your lunch. The walk on the first day will be brief and short consisting of about 3 or 4 hours. This will let you enjoy the lush scenery to the fullest which, as you’ll see, will change over the course of your trek.You might even catch a glimpse of the thumbless colobus monkeys sitting in the branches above you.

As you walk along the thin trail through the rainforest, you will notice the vegetation becoming scarcer and scarcer until you finally reach moorland filled with Lobelia and Eric plants. Ascending through rolling hills, you will reach Shira 1 Camp in about 4 – 5 hours. From your campsite, you’ll witness the snow-capped summit of Kibo looking over the Shira plateau. After lunch continue to Shira 2 Camp, the terrain is much flatter than the it was before, your hike will seem more leisurely and you will enjoy fantastic views of the Great Rift Valley and Mount Meru. Beautiful and distinctive Giant Lobelias still dot the moor landscape. Walking on ground where lava used to flow you will reach to the Camp, where you will have your evening meal and overnight stay.

After having your breakfast, you’ll resume your ascent to Lava Tower following a boulder-stream terrain. In the distance, you can get sightings of Kibo which will encourage you to continue uphill. After making it to the Lava Tower at 4640 meters, you’ll have rest and acclimatize properly with the altitude. Then a downward journey to Barranco Camp will follow. This method of climbing high but sleeping low allows your body to acclimatize to the differing altitudes and gives you a good idea on how your body reacts to changes in Altitude.

As you ascend, you’ll notice a sharp change in scenery and suddenly you’ll be surrounded by giant Senecias and relatively smaller Lobelia plants. Trekking for 6 to 8 hours will lead you to beautiful and green Barranco Camp. From here, you can get a good view of the surrounding snow-capped mountains.

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 provide a helping hand. The route with its numerous ascents and descents allow you a chance 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. Your trek will take between 4 to 5 hours, leaving more than enough time to rest and play a game of rummy.

Awakening to the sunlight dancing off the Kibo Summit, you will enjoy an energetic breakfast before setting out to today’s destination – the Barafu Camp. Most of the day will be spent walking through very dry deserted 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.

Distance: 20 km
Environment: Alpine desert/stone scree/ice-capped summit/Montane forest
Time: 14 to 16 hours

After sipping some hot tea with some snacks, you’ll start trekking at around midnight. With aid from torchlight, you’ll climb the heavily screed surface of Kibo. Ascending for 5 to 7 hours in the dark will lead you to Stella Point. Trekking for another 1 or 2 hours along the crater ride will take you to Uhuru Peak which is the summit at 5,895 meters. This point is known as the roof of Africa and from here, you’ll get to experience Kilimanjaro and all its glory and enjoy a 360° view over the landscape. After taking pictures and celebrations, you’ll descend down the same route. Shortly before midday, you’ll arrive at Barafu Camp for your lunch. After having a warm meal and a break of few hours, you’ll head towards Mweka Camp at 3,100 meters where you’ll have your dinner and well-earned rest.

Distance: 8 km
Environment: Montane forest
Time: 3 to 4 hours

The final ascend of your amazing Kilimanjaro trekking adventure begins after breakfast with a traditional farewell ceremony from the mountain crew. Then a gentle 3 to 4 hours’ descent through the rainforest continues to Mweka Gate, where your transferring driver will be waiting for you. He will take you back to the Hotel in Moshi and after a warm shower, the rest of the day is free to rest, relax at the pool or celebrate your achievement.

Accommodation: Weru Weru River Lodge (or similar to that)

The tour to Tarangire National Park begins after breakfast at the hotel. Tarangire has immense concentrations of game in the peak months and a fraction of the visitors that go to any of the other northern parks. The game viewing here from July through to October is superb and the atmosphere and habitat are completely different from the other parks. The real prizes in the park are dwarf mongoose, Oryx and generuk, but viewings are very rare. Tarangire is one of Tanzania’s finest birding destinations.
After an extensive game drive, you will leave the park and drive to Marera Valley Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Baghayo Lodge (or similar to that)

From the Lodge, start your descent to Ngorongoro Crater, one of the most beautiful natural wildlife safari sites in the world and an exceptional place to interact with people from the Masaai tribe.
The Ngorongoro Crater and surrounding highlands together form one of Africa’s most beautiful regions. Volcanic craters form stunning backdrops to some of the most fertile and richest grazing grounds in Africa. The most famous such crater is, without question, the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and home to the highest density of big game in Africa, including all the big five and plenty of predators. Ngorongoro is the best place in Tanzania to see the big five.
Enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater and continue the game drive after the break. Later in the afternoon, ascend to the steep walls of the crater and drive to Arusha/Airport.

Accommodation: Kibo Palace Hotel (or similar to that)