11 Days Kilimanjaro Rongai Route & Taste of Tanzania Wilderness 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.

Meal Plan: Bed

Day 2: Moshi to Rongai gate to Simba Camp

• Elevation: 1,387/915 m to 1,950 m to 2,750 m
• Distance: 9km.
• Hiking Time: 4 hours
• Habitat: Montane

Forest You will have an early breakfast. Transfer by our vehicles through many villages and coffee and plantations for 2-3-hour drive to Rongai gate (1,950 m/6,398 ft). After signing in and preparing the porters, you will start hiking on a wide path winding through fields of maize and potatoes, and then enter into montane forest. You will then start to climb gently but consistently through attractive forest that shelters a variety of wildlife. The forest begins to thin as you arrive at Simba Camp (2,600 m/8,530ft) with fantastic views over the Kenyan plains.

Meals: Dinner & Lunch Included

Day 3: Simba Camp to Kikelewa Camp

• Elevation: 2,750 m to 3,600 m
• Distance: 17km.
• Hiking Time: 7 hours
• Habitat: Moorland

After an early breakfast you will have a steady ascent to the second cave where you will stop for lunch. You leave the direct trail at this point and strike out across the moorland on a smaller path toward Mawenzi side peak.to Kikelewa Camp in a sheltered valley. At the Kikelewa Camp you will settle for your dinner and overnight rest.

Meals: Dinner, Breakfast & Lunch Included

Day 4: Kikelewa camp to Mawenzi turn hut

• Elevation: 3,600m to 4,330m
• Distance: 7km.
• Hiking Time: 4 hours
• Habitat: Semi-Desert

After breakfast you will face a short, steep climb up grassy slopes; rewarded by superb all-round views, immersed in the vast surrounding wilderness. Soon after, you leave the vegetation behind and arrive at the Mawenzi Tarn Camp, which is situated in a spectacular cirque directly beneath the towering spires of Mawenzi Peak. After this hike, you will reach to the Mawenzi turn hut camp where you will also see the amazing undried Lake with no inlat as well as outlet here you will have lunch and rest then dinner and overnight at this camp.

Day 5: Acclimatization day (6-day itinerary skips this day)

This is your extra day on the mountain, and you will spend two nights at Mawenzi Tarn. You will hike up towards Mawenzi for a splendid acclimatization hike. Then after return back to the camp for lunch the dinner and overnight.

Meals: Dinner, Breakfast & Lunch Included

Day 6: Mawenzi Tarn hut to Kibo Huts Camp

• Elevation: 4,330m to 4,695m
• Distance: 8km.
• Hiking Time: 5 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert

After an early breakfast you will cross the lunar desert of the saddle between Kibo peak and Mawenzi peak to Kibo Huts at the bottom of Kibo’s crater wall. You should spend the remainder of the day resting and preparing for your summit climb.

Meals: Dinner, Breakfast & Lunch Included

Day 7: 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 8: 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 Included

Day 9: Moshi/Arusha To Tarangire National Park:

• Distance & Drive Time: Moshi to Tarangire takes about 4 to 4.5 hours (239 km)

You will be picked up at your hotel in Moshi/Arusha at 07:00hrs and transferred to the Tarangire National Park to start off your game viewing experience in this magnificent park which is famous for its large collection of baobab trees, spectacular large mammal population, and variety of bird species, not to mention one of the largest concentration of elephants in the country. After your tour around the park, we will have a drive of about an hour to reach Karatu Village with an approximation of 67kms to your lodge where you will be spending the night

 Meals: Dinner, Breakfast & Lunch Included

Day 10: Karatu Village – Ngorongoro Crater – Karatu Village

•  Distance & Drive Time: Karatu to crater floor takes about 30 Minutes 29 km

After breakfast, we descend 600m into this magnificent crater for a morning, half-day game drive. The Ngorongoro Crater is one of the most densely crowded African wildlife areas in the world and is home to an estimated 30,000 animals including some of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhinos. Supported by a year-round water supply and fodder, the Ngorongoro National Park supports a vast variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, eland, warthog, hippo, and giant African elephants. another big draw card to this picturesque national park is the dense population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and the ever-elusive leopard, which sometimes requires a trained eye to spot. We will enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater, after a picnic lunch in the crater and some more game viewing, you will leave the crater in the afternoon and travel back to our Lodge at Karatu village.

Meals: Dinner, Breakfast & Lunch Included

Day 11: Lake Manyara National Park – Moshi

•  Distance & Time: Lake Manyara to Moshi takes about 4 hours (214 km)

After breakfast, you will pack your things and check out from your lodge as continue to Lake Manyara National Park. We will have a drive of about half an hour (30-Minutes) journey travel to reach Lake Manyara National Park, one of the smallest but most diverse parks in Tanzania. The shallow and alkaline Lake Manyara covers a large area of the park and it is the seasonal home to thousands of flamingos – an awesome (pink) sight. However, more than 400 other bird species are also found here as well as some wonderful mammals. Troops of monkeys live in the forests, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, and wildebeests on the grassy plains, and elephants and lions in the acacia woodlands. From the adventure open roof of the vehicle, you will be able to watch the animals and absorb the stunning landscape of the park and its Great Rift valley. After an extensive game drive, you will exit the park and drive back to Moshi town/ off Airport at around 1800hours.

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

Departure Instructions

Please note that the Kilimanjaro Rongai Route & Taste of Tanzania Wilderness 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.