11 Days Kilimanjaro Marangu Route & Best Northern Tanzania Safari

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Moshi- Pre-trek Briefing

If you have opted for the optional airport transfers, we will pick you up from Kilimanjaro Airport and transfer you to your hotel in Moshi/Arusha. You will meet your Guide for Pre- trek briefing at your hotel in Moshi. You should be planning to arrive at least one day before the start of the trek. Today we will spend the day having a pre-trek briefing. We will also review your equipment and rent any equipment which is needed at our store.

Day 2: Moshi To Marangu Gate To Mandara Hut

• Elevation: 1200 m to 1,750m to 2,750m
• Distance: 9km.
• Hiking Time: 3 hours
• Habitat: Montane Forest to moorland and heath vegetation.

You will be transferred to Marangu gate from the hotel and do a registration at the gate. Afterwards, you will begins trekking through the rainforest to Mandara hut. Here you will have an acclimatization opportunity of visiting Maundi Crater. Dinner and overnight at Mandara Hut.

Meals: Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 3: Mandara Hut To Horombo Hut

• Elevation: 2750 m to 3,807m
• Distance: 13km.
• Trekking Time: 5-6 hours
• Habitat: Moorlands

After breakfast, you will outclimb the rainforest and continue trekking to Horombo hut where you will trek through rolling moorlands and get your first clear view of towering Kilimanjaro. Stop halfway for lunch, where you can enjoy amazing views of Mawenzi. Arrive at the Horombo Huts by 3 PM, where you can see Kibo’s summit. Rest, unpack, and prepare for dinner. Bathrooms with running water are available. You may start to feel the effects of altitude here and to aid your acclimatization, you can choose to spend an extra day resting at Horombo or climbing to a basecamp below Kibo’s sub-peak Mawenzi.

Day 4: Horombo Hut To Kibo Hut

• Elevation: 3807m to 4725m
• Distance: 10km.
• Hiking Time: 5-6 hours
• Habitat: Desert

Wake to breakfast as usual, but if you wake early you can get some great photos of the sunrise. The first part of the day’s hike climbs through the dwindling heathland that blends into a moonscape as you enter the sweeping saddle connecting Mawenzi and Kibo. When you stop for lunch, and later when you cross this surprisingly large saddle, you can examine the summit climb up Kibo that you will be starting in just a few hours. Be careful to notice any signs of altitude sickness. There is no running water at the Kibo Huts.

Meals: Dinner, Breakfast & Lunch Included

Day 5: Summit Day! Kibo Huts camp to Uhuru Peak to Horombo Huts camp.

• Elevation: 4,695 m to 5,895m to 3,690m
• Distance: 4km up, 14km down.
• Hiking Time: 10-15 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert

Wake at midnight to a light breakfast and then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly before or after sunrise. Leave to the peak at 12; 00AM, switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Gilman’s Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft between 4 and 6 AM. At this point, you will have views of the fabled crater and its icecaps facing you. Then after 2 hours of hiking along the Kibo crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to Kilimanjaro’s true summit, Uhuru Peak here you will spend some times for taking photo’s but it will depend on how you feel. After your summit activities done, descend back to the Kibo Huts, have lunch, rest, collect your equipment, and continue on down, re-crossing the saddle to the Horombo Huts. Have dinner and overnight at Horombo camp.

Meals: Dinner, Breakfast & Lunch Included

Day 6: Horombo Huts camp to Marangu Gate to Moshi

• Elevation: 3,690 m to 1,830m to 1,387m
• Distance: 18km.
• Hiking Time: 5-7 hours

After a long and enjoyable sleep, you will be awaked for breakfast and pack up, start descend through the moorland to Mandara Huts. Here you will have lunch then proceed with your triumphant recessional down through lush forest to Marangu park gate. Here you will sign out then after a vehicle will take you to back to the hotel where it is definitely time for certificate presentation and celebration!

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 7: Moshi/Arusha to Tarangire National Park.

• Distance & Drive Time:  Arusha to Tarangire takes about 2.5 to 3 hours (104 km) Tarangire to Lake Manyara Village takes about 1hour (69 km)

After a breakfast, your drive will be at your hotel ready to drive to Tarangire National Park. Giant baobab trees, bush savannah and the seasonal marshes add to the wonder of this nature reserve. The Tarangire National Park is considered as one of the best places to view elephants up close. The park is also home to buffaloes, zebras and wildebeests which are always closely followed by a range of predators such as lions. Leopards are seen now and then but cheetahs are rarely spotted. From the open roof of the safari vehicle you will be able to absorb the landscape and watch the animals. In the evening you reach your lodge inside the park.

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 8: Lake Manyara Village to Serengeti National Park.

• Distance& Drive Time: Lake Manyara Village to Central Serengeti takes about 4.5 to 5 hours (196 km)

After breakfast, you will travel via the cooler highlands towards the southern Serengeti and at midday you will reach the plains of the Serengeti National Park. This park is the largest in Tanzania and has a diversity of habitats and landscapes – short grass plains, savannah, thick bush, swamps, and lakes. Bizarre rock formations called kopjes dot the grassy landscape where predators are often seen. The Serengeti is famous for the yearly migration when hundreds of thousands of wildebeests and zebras trek to find fresh grass and water. You will overnight at lodge/Campsite located central Serengeti at Seronera area.

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 9:  Serengeti National Park.

• Distance & Drive Time: Full day game viewing.

After breakfast enter into the corners of plains Serengeti for a full day to explore the Serengeti with both morning and afternoon game drives. The Serengeti National Park is the jewel in the crown of Tanzania’s game parks and offers arguably the best game viewing in Africa. The setting is perfect – a sea of endless plains that stretches to the horizon, dotted with the occasional acacia tree and termite mound. This Savannah is home to huge herds of buffalo that every year make the mass migration north, through crocodile infested rivers, in a frenzied mixture of mating and galloping that is driven by instinct. Prides of lion rule here, their hungry gaze sweeping the Savannah for a chance to attack the thousands of eland, impala and gazelle. Solitary leopard stakes out their place in the high branches of the acacia tree and herds of elephant’s roam at will. This is the Africa that you have always dreamed about. You will overnight at lodge/Campsite located central Serengeti at Seronera area.

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

Day 10:  Serengeti National Park to Ngorongoro Crater.

• Distance& Drive time: Central Serengeti to NCA takes about 3 to 3.5 hours (153 km)

After breakfast, morning game drives at Serengeti National Park.On your outward journey to the park gate, you will enjoy some more game viewing before you leave the Serengeti National Park in the early afternoon to continue your journey to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for dinner and overnight. You will overnight at lodge located on the ridge of Ngorongoro rim.

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 11- Ngorongoro Crater to Arusha.

• Distance &Drive Time:  NCA to Arusha takes about 3.5 to 4 hours (158 km)

On the last day of your safari, you will have an early start. Finishing up with a quick breakfast you will make an early descent at around 6:30 AM into the crater floor. The Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. It has a massive floor of about 260 sq. kms with a depth of over 2000 feet. The 5-hour game drive on the crater floor will show you a lot of animal action. Keeping the camera ready is definitely recommended. The African elephant, buffalo, Black rhino, Hippos, Hyenas, Cheetahs and Lions are found in plenty. Post the picnic lunch at the beautiful Hippo pool, you will begin a steep ascend to the top exit of the crater. This is the last leg of your safari, with a 4hr drive left to Arusha. You will be dropped off at JRO Airport or to your hotel in Arusha by 6:00 PM in the evening, where your safari will end. With an incredible experience and loads of memories to cherish, this is the time you say goodbye to your safari crew.

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch. As today is the end of the safari, please note that Accommodation and dinner tonight is not included in the tour.

Departure Instructions

Please note that the Kilimanjaro Marangu Route & Best Northern Tanzania Safari Tour -11 Days ends at Kilimanjaro International Airport at 17.00 hours. Your departure can only take place today if you have pre-booked a domestic flight which leaves from Kilimanjaro International Airport at 19.00 hours or after, or an international flight which leaves at 21.00 hours or after. Otherwise, you will need to book an extra night’s accommodation (not included in the tour price) and take a flight the following day.