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

  13,123 ft to 15,288 ft, 2 miles, 4-5 hours

  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

  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

  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 you fly into the Serengeti!

  Accommodations: Mount Meru Hotel

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

• 9
  
  SAFARI DAY 1

  Fly Arusha to the Serengeti

  Scenic light-aircraft flight, afternoon game drive

  After a relaxed breakfast you are transferred to Arusha Airport for a scenic light-aircraft flight over the Great Rift Valley and out across the plains to a Serengeti airstrip – a journey that would take most of a day by road, done in about an hour by air. Your private guide meets you on landing and you begin game viewing immediately, enjoying an afternoon drive through the wildlife-rich Seronera area on the way to your camp. Dinner and overnight at a Serengeti tented camp.

  Accommodations: Serengeti Tented Camp

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 10
  
  SAFARI DAY 2

  Full Day in the Serengeti

  Full day game viewing

  A full day to explore the Serengeti at your own pace with morning and afternoon game drives, returning to camp for lunch or taking a picnic into the bush. The Serengeti supports the greatest concentration of large mammals on the planet – lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, giraffe and endless herds of wildebeest and zebra. Depending on the season, your guide will position you close to the great migration and the drama of the river crossings. Dinner and overnight at your Serengeti camp.

  Accommodations: Serengeti Tented Camp

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 11
  
  SAFARI DAY 3

  Serengeti – Optional Balloon Safari

  Full day game viewing, optional dawn balloon flight

  Rise before dawn for an optional hot-air balloon safari, drifting silently over the waking plains as the sun comes up, followed by a champagne bush breakfast – one of the most unforgettable experiences in Africa. The rest of the day is spent on game drives, seeking out big cats on the hunt and tracking the herds. With three nights in the Serengeti you have the time to truly explore rather than rush through. Dinner and overnight at your Serengeti camp.

  Accommodations: Serengeti Tented Camp

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 12
  
  SAFARI DAY 4

  Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater

  Morning game drive, scenic drive to the crater rim

  Enjoy a final morning game drive in the Serengeti before a scenic drive carries you out of the park, across the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and up to a lodge perched on the crater rim. Settle in with sweeping views over the caldera and watch the light change across the crater floor far below. Dinner and overnight on the Ngorongoro rim.

  Accommodations: Ngorongoro Crater-Rim Lodge

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• 13
  
  SAFARI DAY 5

  Ngorongoro Crater & Depart

  Morning crater game drive, drive to Kilimanjaro

  After an early breakfast you descend more than 600 metres onto the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater – often called Africa’s Eden. This self-contained world 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. After a morning of game viewing you are driven back to Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport in time for your onward departure.

  Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

• 14
  
  DEPARTURE

  Departure

  If you are not flying out on the final safari day, we can add an extra night in Arusha, more time in the Serengeti, or a beach finale in Zanzibar. Just ask and we will tailor the ending to suit you.