17 days Kilimanjaro & Safari
The Kilimanjaro & Safari is an astonishinig Tanzania private tour. Live your dream and climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain of Africa. End the challenge with a 6-days private safari to the most beautiful wildlife parks in Tanzania.
From US $4990 per person
Highlights of the Kilimanjaro & Safari:
Climb Kilimanjaro and reach the "Roof of Africa"
Professional climbing crew to ensure your success and safety
Rewarding private safari to the northern parks
Ultimate adventure combined with unspoiled wilderness
Day 1 Arrival in Tanzania
You will be picked up at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfered to your accommodation in Moshi for overnight stay.
Day 2 Resting day
Before starting your Kilimanjaro Adventure (7-day Machame route) we strongly recommend you to take a day to rest. This day you can relax and spend at your leisure. The head guide will pass by to brief you on the climb and to check your equipment.
Day 3 Your expedition starts
After breakfast you are picked up and drive in approximately one hour to the Kilimanjaro National Park Gate (1.800 m/5,837 ft) for registration. Here starts your Kilimanjaro & Safari. You walk through the rainforest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. You absolutely need excellent boots and rain gear in your day backpack (with rain cover) and also gaiters and trekking poles are recommended. The forest is beautiful, lush deep and green. You reach the first camp, Machame Huts, for dinner and overnight.
Elevation: 3000 m /9730 ft | Distance: 11 km | Hiking time: 6-7 hrs | Habitat: rainforest
Day 4 Shira Camp
Today your Kilimanjaro & Safari has a short distance walk for you, but it is however quite steep. After breakfast you leave the glades of the rainforest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the little valley walking along a steep rocky ridge, covered with heather, until the ridge ends. The route now turns west onto a river gorge. It is now time to rest, dinner and overnight at the Shira campsite.
Elevation: 3840 m /12450 ft | Distance: 5 km | Hiking time: 4-5 hrs | Habitat: moorland/heather
Day 5 Lava Tower - Barranco Huts
From the Shira Plateau you will continue to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As you continue your direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower at an altitude of 4600 m /14916 ft. Here you will have your lunch.We now continue down to the Barranco Huts at an altitude of 3950 m /12028 ft. At the Barranco Huts you will rest, enjoy dinner and overnight. You end the day at almost the same elevation as when you started. This day is necessary to acclimatize and will help your body prepare for summit day.
Elevation: 3950m /12810ft | Distance: 10 km | Hiking time: 6-7 hrs | Habitat: semi desert
Day 6 Karanga Camp
After breakfast you leave Barranco Huts and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco wall (1-1.5 hours) to the Karanga Valley campsite. This short day in your Kilimanjaro Adventure is meant for acclimatization.
Elevation: 4.010m /13000ft | Distance: 5 km | Hiking time: 3-4 hrs | Habitat: alpine desert
Day 7 Barafu Huts
After breakfast you will leave Karanga on an easy but steep path. You hit the junction, which connects with the Mweka Trail, with the Southern Glaciers looming to your left. We continue up to the Barafu Huts. At this point, you have completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here you rest and recover, have dinner and prepare for the summit day. Maybe you even go on a short acclimatization walk. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position.
Elevation: 4600m /14915ft | Distance: 4 km | Hiking time: 2.5-3 hrs | Habitat: alpine desert
Day 8 To the top of the Kilimanjaro
Your Kilimanjaro Adventure will lead you to the summit! You depart around midnight after a full breakfast. You shuffle into the night and this is where it is really going to get tough. You will head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is mentally and physically the most challenging part of the trek.
At Stella Point (5732m /18800 ft), you stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (if weather permits). From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Enjoy the extraordinary views extending hundreds of miles and experience the overwhelming sense of achievement when you reach the top and look out over Africa.
From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Huts campsite, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. Mweka Huts is situated in the upper forest (3100 m /10050 ft) and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, you can enjoy your last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned night of sleep.
Elevation: 5895m /19115ft | Distance: 5 km | Hiking time: 6-7 hrs to summit, 2.5-3 hrs descend (Barafu Huts), 3-4 hrs to Mweka Huts | Habitat: arctic
Day 9 Descent to Mweka Gate
After breakfast you continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificate. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be suitable to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing at hand). A vehicle will meet you at Mweka Gate to drive you to your accommodation in Arusha to experience the next part of your Kilimanjaro Adventure.
Elevation: 3100m /10050ft | Distance: 10 km | Hiking time: 3 hrs | Habitat: rainforest
Day 10 Resting day
Before starting your safari we recommend you to take a day to rest and relax.
Day 11 Lake Manyara, Karatu
In the morning you depart for a 1.5 hour drive to Lake Manyara. Enjoy a full day in this beautiful and relatively small park, which is famous for the large numbers of flamingos and the tree climbing lions. At the end of the afternoon you will start your journey to Karatu for overnight. (It is possible to overnight on the crater rim; if you like to you can ask for it.)
Day 12 Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti
Today your Kilimanjaro & Safari lets you descend 610 meters into the Ngorongoro crater for an impressive game drive. The crater is also known as ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ and is absolutely unique. One of the highlights is the rare black Rhino, and if you are lucky you will spot it here. After a maximum allowed stay of six hours in the crater you will start your journey to Serengeti National Park for overnight stay. The next days you might witness one of nature’s most spectacular events: the migration of millions of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles.
Day 13 & 14 Serengeti National Park
Immerse you in the splendors of the Serengeti with a two full days game drives in the park. Explore the incredible concentration of wildlife such as lions, leopards, cheetahs, hippos, giraffes, elephants and wildebeest. To make your trip even more adventurous you have the option to go on a balloon flight. Weather permitted, you will look over endless savannah plains and spot wildlife from the air. The balloon safari is ended in style with a champagne breakfast. At the end of the day you return to your accommodation at Serengeti for where you can enjoy the beautiful sun downers, the starry sky and the sound of wildlife-the ultimate ‘Out of Africa’-experience.
Day 15 Mto wa Mbu, Maasai boma, Tarangire
Today you can experience the culture and local life in your Kilimanjaro & Safari.After breakfast your guide drives in the direction of Tarangire. On your way you can visit Mto wa Mbu. In this lovely village you meet the local people. The village represents more than 25 different tribes (of about 127 tribes in Tanzania). Not far from Mto wa Mbu is an authentic Maasai village, visited by Ajabu Adventures only. A visit to their village gives you the opportunity to experience their culture, traditions and lifestyle. The Maasai welcome you by means of a ritual. After this unique visit you go to Tarangire to stay overnight.
Day 16 Tarangire
In Tarangire National Park you can see the large herds of elephants near the Tarangire river, while migratory wildebeest, buffaloes, zebras and impalas crowd the shrinking lagoons. During your game drive in the park you will often follow or pass the Tarangire River. This river provides permanent water during the whole year. The vegetation in the park is so diverse, from acacia and palm trees to swamps and savannahs. You may be lucky to spot the tree-climbing python for which the park is famous or the largest flying bird (the Kori Bustard).
Day 17 Tarangire, departure
Your Kilimanjaro Adventure has come to an end. Depending on your (further) travel plans your guide will bring you to the airport or another destiny as you wish.
You can combine your Kilimanjaro & Safari with various activities such as golfing, hiking, biking, scuba diving, helicopter flight or a nice beach holiday at Zanzibar or the uninhabited island Fanjove or Mnemba.
