11-Day Kilimanjaro Trekking & Wildlife Safari

Karibu Tanzania! On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, or any other arrival point, your safari driver guide greets you and transfers you comfortably by road to your lodge in Arusha.

In the evening you are briefed on the adventure ahead. Stroll through the peaceful grounds, catch a glimpse of the rugged peaks of Mount Meru and enjoy a warm dinner and a good night's rest.

After breakfast at around 08:00 your driver transfers you to Machame Gate (1,800 m) for registration formalities, and your expedition begins.

Today's trek covers about 11 km in 5–6 hours through beautiful rainforest, rich in remarkable plants and wildlife.

Dinner and the night are at Machame Camp.

You rise early at Machame Camp and after breakfast continue through the heath and moorland zone, stopping for lunch on the trail.

After a short break you carry on across the Shira Plateau to Shira Camp, enjoying magnificent views of Kilimanjaro's two great peaks, Kibo and Mawenzi. The trek covers about 5 km in 4–5 hours.

Dinner and the night are at Shira Camp.

After breakfast the route turns east into a semi-desert, rocky landscape around the Lava Tower, which you reach at 4,600 m after about seven hours' walking. This is the toughest day of the trek so far, and lunch is served on the trail.

Many climbers begin to feel the effects of altitude here – headache, irritability, breathlessness, nausea or dizziness – which is why you climb high and then sleep lower. From the Lava Tower you descend to Barranco Camp (3,900 m); the day covers about 10 km in 6–7 hours of trekking.

Barranco offers wonderful photographs of the scenery and spectacular sunsets before dinner and the night at camp.

After breakfast at around 08:00 you continue to Karanga Camp, a short stage of about 6 km and 2–3 hours through moorland.

Along the way you enjoy marvellous views of the whole mountain, including its glaciers, and of the plains far below.

Dinner and the night are at Karanga Camp.

After breakfast you trek south-east to a junction, then turn north to reach Barafu Camp around midday – a distance of about 4 km in 3–4 hours.

The afternoon is for rest, acclimatisation and checking your gear as you prepare for the final climb to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m).

Have an early dinner and try to sleep before the summit attempt.

You rise at around 23:00 and, after hot tea or coffee and biscuits, set off into the night towards Stella Point on the crater rim. Here you can rest and are rewarded with a breathtaking sunrise over the snow before continuing to the summit.

How long you stay at Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) depends on the weather; we advise not lingering too long, as the extreme cold quickly adds to fatigue. Celebrate the achievement of a lifetime on the roof of Africa, then descend to Mweka Camp – about 17.5 km and up to 13 hours of trekking in total.

Enjoy a hearty, energising dinner and a well-earned night at Mweka Camp.

After breakfast at around 08:00 you continue the descent to Mweka Gate, where you receive your summit certificate – please keep all your gear with you until we leave the park.

Your driver guide then transfers you comfortably by road to your lodge in Arusha to relax on full board.

After breakfast at around 08:00 the morning is yours to relax at the lodge, enjoying its peaceful surroundings and views of Mount Meru – in your room or beside the swimming pool. Lunch is served at the lodge.

In the afternoon your safari guide collects you for the drive to Karatu, stopping at a Maasai boma for an authentic taste of Maasai culture.

Continue to your lodge in Karatu for a hearty dinner and the night.

After breakfast at around 08:00 your safari guide drives you to the Ngorongoro Crater for a splendid game drive, descending 610 m into this magnificent natural wildlife sanctuary.

Admire the breathtaking views of its walls and mirror-like soda lakes, its healthy population of carnivores and herbivores and a vibrant array of birdlife as you explore the 260 km² crater floor, with a picnic lunch along the way.

In the late afternoon you drive back to your lodge in Karatu for dinner and the night.

After breakfast at around 08:00 your safari driver guide takes you to Lake Manyara National Park, home to a vibrant variety of birdlife, including pink flamingos, and to the lake Ernest Hemingway called the loveliest in Africa.

Enjoy the dramatic views of the Rift Valley walls, the hot springs and swampy forest, and look out for the park's famous tree-climbing lions among its other wildlife. Lunch is a picnic in the park, followed by a short game drive.

Afterwards you drive back via Arusha to Kilimanjaro International Airport in time for your international flight home (transfer timing depends on your flight schedule).

We wish you a safe journey, full of lasting memories of Kilimanjaro, the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara.