ITINERARY

• ARRIVAL DAY

  Arrive in Arusha

  Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport where you are met after passing through customs. Transfer to Mount Meru Hotel and have a comprehensive briefing and equipment check with your climbing manager and your guide. Overnight at Mount Meru Hotel.

  Accommodations: Mount Meru Hotel

  Meals Included: Breakfast

• 1
  
  TREK DAY 1

  Arusha to Forest Camp

  7,742 ft to 9,498 ft, 4 miles, approx. 3-4 hours

  From Arusha, set out in vehicles for the long drive to the starting point of the Lemosho Trail, the Londorossi Gate. Approaching the mountain from the west, the Lemosho Route starts in the Afromontane Rainforest, which is the first of four ecological zones you encounter on Kilimanjaro. Here you meet the rest of your crew and set off at a leisurely pace while keeping your eyes peeled for wildlife. Lunch is taken on the trail and camp is reached mid-afternoon. Overnight at Forest Camp.

  Accommodations: Kilimanjaro Camping

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 2
  
  TREK DAY 2

  Forest Camp to Shira 1 Camp

  9,498 ft to 11,500 ft, 5 miles, approx. 5-6 hours

  From the forested slopes of Lemosho you ascend through a podocarpus and juniper forest and then break out on to a zone of heather and lichen-draped volcanic rock and the Shira Plateau, which used to be Kilimanjaro’s third peak before it collapsed. Lunch is taken on the trail and you arrive in camp mid-afternoon. The view of Kibo (the peak of Kilimanjaro) is breathtaking from this vantage point. Overnight at Shira 1 Camp.

  Accommodations: Kilimanjaro Camping

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 3
  
  TREK DAY 3

  Shira 1 to Moir Hut

  11,500 ft to 13,800 ft, 7 miles, 5-7 hours

  Crossing the Shira Plateau – one of the highest plateaus on Earth – is one of the most scenic parts of this trip during your 3-4 hour hike across moorland meadows to the lunch point. After lunch you ascend to Moir camp, arriving in the mid afternoon. If you have the energy, a hike in the late afternoon is possible in the surrounding Lent Hills, which makes this an excellent acclimatization opportunity. Overnight at Moir Hut.

  Accommodations: Kilimanjaro Camping

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 4
  
  TREK DAY 4

  Moir Hut Camp to Barranco Camp

  13,800 ft to 15,223 ft (Lava Tower), down to 13,044 ft, 7km, 4-6 hours

  From Moir you traverse the slopes of Kibo. Here relatively little flora or fauna can survive the extreme temperature ranges and conditions that typify this zone. Lunch is normally taken close to a volcanic rock formation known as the Lava Tower. If you feel very strong there is an optional ascent of the 300-foot-tall Lava Tower before descending down to Barranco camp in the afternoon, passing through the strange yet beautiful ‘Garden of the Senecios’ (giant groundsel) which also features many giant lobelias. The Barranco Valley is one of the prettiest areas of the entire trail. Overnight at Barranco Camp.

  Accommodations: Kilimanjaro Camping

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 5
  
  TREK DAY 5

  Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

  13,044 ft to 13,123 ft, 3 miles, 4-5 hours

  You now have a relatively short day to reach Karanga Camp, after conquering the intimidating Barranco Wall. Be prepared to use all four limbs as you traverse the wall to the top of the Karanga Valley. From here, follow a path that sojourns through many inclines and declines to Karanga Camp, arriving in the late afternoon. Our selection of Karanga Camp is strategic – significant time at altitude is essential for safe acclimatization. Sunsets here are particularly spectacular with views of the southern glacial valleys and ice fields towering over 3000 feet above you. Overnight at Karanga Camp.

  Accommodations: Kilimanjaro Camping

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 6
  
  TREK DAY 6

  Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

  15,288 ft to 19,341 ft to 12,467 ft, 3 miles ascent, 7 miles descent, 7-8 hours ascent, 4-6 hours descent

  Today is another half day ascending to Barafu Camp. Once again lunch is taken in this high camp, allowing plenty of time to relax before the summit bid. Desolate alpine desert and, at times, strong winds rip over this camp, yet in the evenings splendid views of Mawenzi peak are the norm. A relatively early dinner is taken before resting for the evening. Overnight at Barafu Camp.

  Accommodations: Kilimanjaro Camping

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 7
  
  TREK DAY 7

  Barafu to the Summit to Mweka Camp

  12,467 ft to 5,380 ft, 6 miles, 3-4 hours

  Depart just before midnight for the final summit bid. Patience and persistence is the name of game to reach the summit, and this is the coldest, windiest section of your adventure. Most likely by dawn, as the first rays of light start to appear across the Tanzanian landscape, you arrive near the rim at Stella Point, at an altitude of 18,652ft. Here, you are rewarded with the most glorious sunrise you are ever likely to see, appearing over Mawenzi Peak. Ascending via Stella Point affords a relatively short final section to Uhuru Peak, the Roof of Africa! Take as many pictures as you can! After a short celebration at the summit, begin the ebullient trek down. Go slowly and enjoy the wonderful rainforest scenery as you head towards Mweka Camp, arriving before dusk. With every step the air has more and more oxygen so although your legs will be jelly your heart will be light. Overnight Mweka Camp.

  Accommodations: Kilimanjaro Camping

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 8
  
  TREK DAY 8

  Mweka Camp to Arusha

  After breakfast you descend once again through montane forest and at around midday, after saying farewell to your mountain crew, you are picked up and transferred back to your hotel for a well-deserved hot shower and a celebratory dinner. Rest up tonight – tomorrow the wildlife adventure begins!

  Accommodations: Mount Meru Hotel

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

• 9
  
  SAFARI DAY 1

  Arusha to Tarangire National Park

  Approx. 140 km drive, 2-3 hours game viewing

  After breakfast your private safari guide collects you in your own 4×4 Land Cruiser and you head off towards Tarangire National Park for your first game drive, with a picnic lunch in the park. Tarangire is famous for its huge herds of elephants and its ancient, iconic baobab trees, and forms the centre of an annual migratory cycle that includes thousands of elephants, wildebeest and zebra. Dinner and overnight at a tented camp.

  Accommodations: Maramboi Tented Camp or similar

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 10
  
  SAFARI DAY 2

  Lake Manyara National Park

  Approx. 50 km drive, full day game viewing

  After breakfast you head to Lake Manyara National Park, which offers breathtaking views and a remarkable variety of habitats – acacia woodlands, groundwater forest, baobab-strewn cliffs, algae-streaked hot springs and the alkaline lake itself, alive with flamingos and hundreds of bird species. Manyara is home to the largest concentration of baboons anywhere in the world and its famous tree-climbing lions. Dinner and overnight near the crater.

  Accommodations: Ngorongoro Farm House or similar

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 11
  
  SAFARI DAY 3

  Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha / Airport

  Approx. 210 km drive, 3-4 hours game viewing

  After an early breakfast you descend more than 600 metres into the Ngorongoro Crater – often called Africa’s Eden and the 8th Natural Wonder of the World. Supported by a year-round water supply, the crater floor teems with wildlife: herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, hippo and elephant, alongside one of the densest predator populations in Africa – lions, hyenas, cheetahs and the elusive black rhino, completing your Big Five. In the late afternoon you are transferred back to Arusha or dropped at Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flight.

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

• 12
  
  DEPARTURE

  Departure

  If you are not flying out on the final safari day, enjoy a relaxed morning before your transfer to the airport – or let us extend your trip with more days in the Serengeti, a hot-air balloon safari or a beach finale in Zanzibar.