13 Days Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route & Best Northern Tanzania Safari
Overview
Duration: 13 Days
Kilimanjaro the Lemosho Route & Best Northern Tanzania Wilderness safari Combine trekking the world’s highest freestanding mountain on the Lemosho Route with an exceptional 4-day Wildlife safari that takes you through the highlights of renowned parks of northern Tanzania. Tarangire, famous for its dense wildlife population then to Ngorongoro crater, which supports a year-round resident population of mammals, A visit to Serengeti follows, a big game haven that hosts over 3 million large mammals.
At a Glance:
- This tour starts and ends in Moshi/Arusha at Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport.
- It is 8 days/7-nights Lemosho route climb.
- It is 4 days/3-nights safari – the perfect short safari add-on to your Kilimanjaro climb.
- This tour offers any choice of your accommodation style.
- This tour is a private safari and run exclusively for you and can depart any day.
- However, the package can still be customized to meet your budget and ideas.
- This tour accepts children of all ages and discounts apply for children 5 -15 years old with further discounts available for families sharing triple and quad rooms.
Highlights:
- Kilimanjaro Mountain- 7 Days Lemosho Route Trekking
- Tarangire National Park – Game drive
- Serengeti National Park – Game Drive
- Ngorongoro Crater – Game Drive
Optional Safari Activities:
- Materuni Waterfalls/Coffee tour Day trip
- Night Game Drive Lake Manyara
- Maasai Village Visit
- Mto Wa Ambu Village tour
- Ngorongoro Crater Rim walking 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 Londorosi gate to Big tree campsite
- Elevation: 1,200m to 1,950 m to 2,850 m
- Distance: 9km.
- Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
- Habitat: Montane Forest to moorland and heath vegetation.
We will pick you up from your hotel your hotel and transport you to Londorosi gate for registration. After this formality, you board the vehicle and drive again to Lemoho glade. From this point you will start the trek across undisturbed Montane forest decorated with Black and White Colobus Monkey to the camp where dinner and overnight will take place.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 3: Big tree campsite to Shira 1 campsite
- Elevation: 3500m to 3800m
- Distance: 7km.
- Hiking Time: 5-6 hours
- Habitat: Moorland and Rocky
This is an acclimatization trek because you will gain over 650m by starting walking across a beautiful valley outside Shira caldera rim (3600m). After few hours you will reach into Shira caldera. A high-altitude desert, Shira is the one among the three peaks which erupted in Kilimanjaro ecosystem. The peak later collapsed and formed a crater which eventually became filled with the lava flow from Kibo peak. Its rim is eroded and blasted away by weather and volcanic action. Camp and overnight at the Shira 1 campsite.
Day 4: Shira 1 campsite to Shira Two Campsite
- Elevation: 3500m to 3800m
- Distance: 7km.
- Hiking time: 3-4 hours
- Habitat: Moorland
This day you will trek to east across Shira plateau visiting (Cathedral peak 3850m) for acclimatization. Reaching at this peak you will find spectacular views of Mt. Meru and Kibo Peak. We then continue trekking to Shira two camp where we will stay for dinner and overnight place.
Meals: Dinner, Breakfast & Lunch Included
Day 4: Shira two Campsite to Barranco campsite
- Elevation: 3800m to 3950m
- Distance: 13km.
- Hiking Time: 7-8 hours
- Habitat: Moorland
This is long acclimatization day. You will have an early breakfast then trek east to a junction leading to Lava tower rock 4600m for acclimatization. Afterwards, you will descend down to Barranco campsite for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Dinner, Breakfast & Lunch Included
Day 6: Barranco campsite to Karanga campsite
- Elevation: 3950m to 3900m
- Distance: 6km.
- Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
- Habitat: Moorland
Today is short day of trekking. In the morning you will start climbing Barranco wall and reach 4200m for acclimatization and continue crossing ridges and valleys to Karanga campsite for hot lunch. After lunch you will have a bit of rest and get another acclimatization of trekking up the scree slopes towards the Southern ice field. You will then return to the camp for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Dinner, Breakfast & Lunch Included
Day 7: Karanga campsite to Barafu campsite
- Elevation: 3900m to 4620m
- Distance: 8km.
- Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
- Habitat: Alpine Desert
Today the trek up to the Barafu ridge campsite is difficult because of altitude. The walk take few hours because of short distance but is steep which required a slow pace to avoid fatigue. You will walk across an alpine desert with strong, cold winds blowing down from Kibo peak and its glaciers. You will have an early dinner at 1700hrs then rest until midnight when we you commence your push for the summit.
Meals: Dinner, Breakfast & Lunch Included
Day 8: Barafu hut campsite to Uhuru peak to Mweka hut campsite
- Elevation: 4620m to 5895m to 3100m
- Distance: 15km.
- Hiking Time: 10 – 12 hours
- Habitat: Desert and ice
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. Departure for the summit is at 12:00AM. Switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Stella Point on the crater rim (5,861 m/18,640 ft) between 4 and 5 AM. At this point you will be having the views of the fabled crater and its icecaps facing you. Then after 1 hour of hiking along the Kibo crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to Kilimanjaro true summit, Uhuru Peak here you will spend time for taking photos. After your summit activities, you will descend back to the Barafu Huts campsite, for lunch, rest, collect your gear, and continue down through moorland and heath zone to Mweka Huts campsite. Dinner and overnight at Mweka hut campsite.
Meals: Dinner, Breakfast & Lunch Included
Day 9: Mweka hut campsite to Mweka gate
- Elevation: 3100m to 1700m
- Distance: 9km.
- Hiking Time: 3 – 4 hours
- Habitat: Montane Forest
Today is your last day on the mountain. After breakfast, you will descend down to Mweka park gate walking across montane forest. This descent will take 3-4 hours. At the gate you will sign out and board the vehicle, ready for the transfer back to your hotel for your certificate presentation celebration.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Included
Accommodation: Park View Inn Moshi
Day 10: 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 11: 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 12: 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.
Accommodation: Simba Public Campsite
Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Day 13- 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 Lemosho Route & Best Northern Tanzania Safari Tour – 13 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.
Included while on Trekking
- Private transport to & from Kilimanjaro International airport to the hotel in Moshi/Arusha.
- 2 nights of accommodation in Moshi/Arusha (before and after the climb bed and breakfast)
- Return transportation from Moshi or Arusha/from the starting/finishing point on the mountain.
- Qualified guides with mountain crew
- All national park fees
- Hut/camping fees
- 4 Season mountain tents
- Double layered Sleeping Mats
- Mess tent (for dining) Mini camping chairs/Tables/Candles
- Rescue fees
- Pulse oximeters & Portable oxygen tanks
- First aid kit
- 3 hot meals daily while on the mountain
- Enough treated &filtered drinking water throughout the trek
- Fair wages for the mountain crew as approved by the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA), Kilimanjaro Association of Tour Operators (KIATO)
- Government taxes
- Guides, porters, waiter, cook accommodation and entry fees on the mountain.
Included while on Safari
- Professional and experienced English-speaking safari driver/guide.
- Park entrance fees.
- Concession/ Camping Fees.
- 4×4 Toyota land cruiser with a pop-up roof.
- All sightseeing and excursions as mentioned in the itinerary (unless labeled as optional).
- All accommodation as stated in the itinerary.
- Food/Meals as outlined in the itinerary.
- Drinking water while on safari (1.5 litres per person per day).
- Government Taxes & VAT
Excluded
- Gear for your climb
- Items of personal nature
- Additional nights beyond the two standard hotel nights included
- Portable flush toilet with a toilet tent is available for extra charge $90$ for entire trek.
- Meals and drinks not specified
- Additional nights beyond the two standard hotel nights included
- International flight or Domestic flight (Unless mentioned otherwise)
- Visa to Tanzania
- Any Private Expenses (Souvenirs, travel insurance, etc.)
- Additional accommodation at the end of tour (Unless mentioned otherwise)
- Any activities not mentioned in the itinerary
- Tips for guides, porters and cook (this is a guide to tipping on the mountain htt://www.kiliporters.org/ tipping_recommendations.php
- Tipping on Kilimanjaro from the trekking group (not per climber)
- Guides: 20$-30$ /day/guide
- Cook: 15$-20$/ day
- Porter: 7$-10$/day/porter
