Climb to the summit of the  legendary Mount Kilimanjaro & visit all 5 north Tanzanian wildlife parks on this thrilling 12-day expedition!

We have created this Kilimanjaro - Safari combination package for those who don't want to leave Tanzania without having seen its most famous and sought after natural attractions on their once-in-a-lifetime journey.

On this twelve-day adventure you can combine the thrill of climbing Africa's highest peak via the shortest and most comfortable route to the summit, with the excitement of visiting all 5 of Tanzania's most famous wildlife parks : Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park -voted Africa's most beautiful park 3 years in a row- and last but not least, Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a wildlife reserve not to be missed !

Itinerary

On the day before the start of your adventure with Safari John Tours, you will be picked up at Kilimanjaro Airport and taken to your hotel in Moshi (hotel not included in package price, although it can be added if you wish)

Days 1 to 5 : Mount Kilimanjaro Marangu Route

The Marangu Route is perhaps the easiest, shortest and most comfortable route to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. The route is well developed and the climb is constant and moderate making it more accessible than other routes. Only the approach to the summit is more demanding, albeit shorter than the other routes. Marangu Route is the itinerary that allows you to see animals along the way, as well as waterfalls and rich flora with fruit trees, ferns and much more.

Our standard Marangu Route itinerary is 5 days and 4 nights. However, most of our departures being private, we are very flexible and can adapt the itinerary to your endurance by making it one day longer for your comfort.

Marangu Route is 20 kilometres long and you will walk approximately 6 hours per day, except on the second to last day where you will continue for 10 hours. The difference in altitude goes from + 720 meters to + 1020 meters per day.

It should be noted that the ascent trail is exactly the same as the descent trail. This means that the scenery does not change much on the way down as compared to other routes. It also means that the route can get very crowded in the peak season as the climbers going up cross paths with those going.

Day 1 :Transfer from Moshi to Marangu Gate / Climb to Mandara Hut (2700 m)

Early morning transfer from your hotel in Moshi Town to the Kilimanjaro National Park entrance which passes through the village of Marangu, located on the lower slopes of the mountain. Once at the park entrance, all hikers will be asked to register at the park office and make final preparations for the climb. Our guides will give you a briefing before departure and will always be available to answer any questions you may have. We will then leave the park gate and and begin our journey on a trail that crosses the rainforest in direction of Mandara Hut. This hut is located in a clearing in the forest and is your first stop for the night.

Day 2 : Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut (3720m)

From Mandara Hut, the trail passes through a short section of forest, then skirts the base of Maundi Crater and then transitions from rainforest to moorland. It is worth taking a short detour to climb the rim of Maundi Crater to get your first good view of Kibo Crater. On a clear day, the majestic glacier of Kibo will sparkle in the morning sun. Once you are on open moorland, you will see some of Kilimanjaro's most spectacular plants such as the endemic giant lobelia, which grows up to 3m high, and the giant ragwort, which can grow up to 5m high. After a trek of about 6 hours, we will reach Horombo Hut, where we will have access to hot water to wash ourselves before a meal and a good night's rest.

Day 3 : Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut (4700 m)

After breakfast, we will start our ascent to Kibo Hut. The ascent becomes more and more difficult as the oxygen at these altitudes starts to become more and more scarce. We will have a choice between two different paths to the "Saddle", located between the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo. We typically like to choose the lower path, which is much easier and has the advantage of taking us to the last waterhole. It is advisable to stock up on water here, as the next waterhole will be at Horombo Hut when we return there on our descent the following night. It will take us between 5 and 7 hours to reach Kibo Hut where we will rest and have dinner. This is an arid area with extreme conditions where the night-time temperatures can sometimes drop below zero. The Kibo hut is a large stone house that can comfortably accommodate 60 hikers in bunk beds - remember that there is no water in this hut. Spend some time this afternoon preparing your gear as we will be making our final ascent tonight - you will need your walking sticks and thermal clothing. Also make sure your headlamp and camera batteries are in good condition and make sure you have spare batteries. Carry your water in a thermal flask, otherwise it will freeze during the climb.

Day 4 : Kibo Hut to the summit (5895 m) then down to Horombo Hut (3720 m)

You wake up at around midnight and after a quick breakfast, you will head out into the dark and cold night. This is where the climb gets really difficult... We will set off on a rocky path to Hans Meyer Cave at 5150 meters – we will rest here for a short while before continuing our climb to Gillman's point at 5680 meters. This is probably the most challenging section of the entire route as it is very steep and rocky - take it slow and careful. From Gillman's Point onwards, it’s more than likely that we will be walking in the snow for the following 2 hours, until we finally reach Uhuru Point at 5895 meters.

Once you have reached the summit, the cold and fatigue will set in quickly and you may find it difficult to get moving again. So take a little time to enjoy your victory, take in the view and don’t forget to take some pictures! After this short stop, we will start our descent towards Kibo Hut which will take around 3 hours. After a short stop for a well-deserved breakfast, we will start the second part of our descent to Horombo Hut arriving in the afternoon after 3 additional hours of walking. Here we will have a hot lunch and spend the rest of the evening and night getting our strength back for the last leg of our journey.

Day 5 : Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate then transfer to your hotel in Moshi

After breakfast, we will continue our descent passing by Mandara Hut once again and then onwards to Marangu Gate. This will take approximately six hours. Once at Marangu Gate you will sign the register to mark the end of your adventure; and to make your achievement official, you will receive a certificate. You will then be transferred back to your hotel in Moshi for free time and rest before heading out on your safari tomorrow.

Day 6 : Moshi - Arusha National Park

Activities: Travel (1.5 hours) to Arusha National Park / Game drive and walking safari
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast

You will be picked up by your guide at your hotel in Moshi after breakfast and receive a short briefing about your safari before hitting the road in direction of Arusha National Park. We will arrive at around 10:00 a.m. and head directly out on our first game drive.

With an area of 137 km², Arusha National Park is the smallest park in Tanzania. It is divided into three zones. To the west, the Meru Crater embraces the Jekukumia River. To the southeast, you will get a glimpse of the Ngurdoto Crater, and to the northeast, you will see the Momella Lakes which are home to a number of water bird species.

Known as the "little Serengeti", Arusha Park offers you the opportunity to spot a number of animal species such as warthogs, zebras, giraffes, bushbucks and large herds of buffalo. When we head towards the Ngurdoto Crater, we will find ourselves in a lush rainforest where we will be able to see black and white colobus monkeys. It is quite rare to see elephants and lions in this park but with a little luck, we may see a leopard or a spotted hyena.

After lunch inside the park, we will spend the afternoon on a walking safari accompanied by an armed ranger. Our walk will take us from Momella gate to the refreshing Tululusia Falls and back. The most common sightings on a walking safari are buffaloes, warthogs, giraffes and a variety of birds.

We will leave the park in the late afternoon and head to our hotel in Arusha for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day  7 : Arusha – Tarangire National Park - Mto wa Mbu

Activities: Travel (2 hours) to Tarangire National Park / Game drive in Tarangire / Travel (1 hour) to Mto wa Mbu

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Accommodation: Camping

After breakfast at the hotel we will head out on a 2-hour drive to Tarangire National Park, arriving at around 10:00 a.m.

Tarangire runs along the Tarangire River and is made up of low-lying hills on the Great Rift Valley floor. The park is defined by lush grasslands studded with giant baobab trees and sun-baked termite hills, and is a key staging ground of the annual Great Migration. Tourists who prefer to visit its more famous neighbours often ignore this lesser-known game reserve; yet during the dry season, it has a greater concentration of wildlife per square kilometre than any other park in Tanzania. The huge swamp areas in the south attract large numbers of animals such as zebras, wildebeest, buffalos and giraffes, to name just a few. Moreover, the reserve is not only notorious for having some of the largest elephant herds in Africa, but also for being home to three very rare species that are almost impossible to find in other Tanzanian parks – the Oryx, the Elk and the Greater Kudu.

After an extensive game drive, we will head to our campsite situated in the town of Mto wa Mbu.

Day 8 : Mto wa Mbu – Lake Manyara National Park

Activities: Travel (10 minutes) to Lake Manyara National Park / Full day game drive

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Accommodation: Camping

After breakfast, we head out towards Lake Manyara National Park situated only a few minutes drive from our campsite. Lake Manyara is a relatively small but diverse park, known for its massive but shallow soda lake that covers two-thirds of its surface, flooding and drying with the seasons and home to thousands of flamingos and 500 other bird species. Located at the foot of the Great Rift Valley’s western escarpment, the park’s varied habitat attracts a wide variety of animals, including one of Africa’s largest concentrations of elephants, as well as monkeys, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffaloes and the famous tree-climbing lions, although they are a rare sight.

After our great day, we will head back to the same campsite as the night before for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 9 : Mto wa Mbu - Serengeti National Park

Activities: Travel (4 hours) to Serengeti National Park with en-route game drive / Game drive in Serengeti

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Accommodation: Camping

After an early breakfast we will head to Serengeti National Park via the beautiful high lying farmlands of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. As we leave the highlands behind us, we descend into the heart of wild Africa with endless plains rolling in the distance as far as the eye can see, as well as diverse landscapes such as swamps, lakes, savannah, and mountains. These sublime landscapes are home to the Maasai herdsmen who live in relative harmony alongside the region’s abundant wildlife. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to an incredible abundance of animals, including Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, giraffes, wildebeest, zebra and large herds of buffalo.

Upon arrival at the entry gate to Serengeti National Park, we will stop for lunch before heading out to the central park area known as Seronera, one of the richest wildlife habitats in the park. Here, the Seronera River provides a valuable water source to the area and therefore attracts an abundance of wildlife, well representative of most of the species common to Serengeti.

If you are lucky enough to be here during the great wildebeest migration, your driver will be sure to follow the herds so you can experience this extraordinary event first hand!

Our first Serengeti game drive will end after sunset as we travel to our campsite for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 10 : Serengeti - Ngorongoro

Activities: Morning game drive in Serengeti / Travel (4 hours) to Ngorongoro with en-route game drive

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Accommodation: Camping

This morning we will wake up very early in order to get a taste of Serengeti at sunrise. Capturing the sun rising over the endless plains and the acacia trees is an extraordinary sight and one not to be missed while on safari. After all, Africa is famous for her spectacular sunrises and sunsets so get your camera ready, sit back, relax and enjoy! The early morning is also a time when many big cats go hunting, so with a little luck, we could witness some action in the bush…

After the early morning excitement, we will stop for a bush breakfast inside the park before continuing on our journey through the beautiful and diverse landscapes of Serengeti until lunchtime, after which we will leave the park and head towards Ngorongoro Crater. Along the way we will again pass through the beautiful Ngorongoro Conservation Area, spotting game along the way.

In the early evening, we will arrive at our campsite situated on the Ngorongoro Crater rim for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 11 : Ngorongoro Crater - Mto wa Mbu

Activities: Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater / Travel (2 hours) to Mto wa Mbu

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Accommodation: Camping

After breakfast at the camp we will head to Ngorongoro Crater for an amazing game drive.

Upon arrival at the gate, we will enter the misty rainforest and drive on the rim of the crater for approximately 45 minutes. Here, we may already get a chance to see some wildlife, depending on the season, as well as have great views of the crater from above. We then enter the majestic Ngorongoro Crater - the world’s largest intact and unfilled caldera - for an incredible adventure!

The crater alone is home to approximately 25,000 game animals, all of which live together in this natural enclosure including some of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhinos. Here you will spot the Big Five (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhinoceros) as well as a multitude of other wild animals, from the pink flamingos of Lake Makat, to large herds of wildebeest, zebras, buffaloes, elands, and warthogs. Another big attraction in this picturesque national park is its dense population of predators, which include hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and leopards, although the latter often requires a trained eye to spot.

After an event-filled day, we will head to our campsite situated in the town of Mto wa Mbu for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 12 : Mto wa Mbu - Moshi

Activities: Travel back to Moshi (6 hours) or to Arusha (4 hours)

Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Today we will be able to sleep a little longer and have a late breakfast, as our last day together will be spent on the road driving back to Moshi (or to Arusha for those who are continuing their travels from there).

Lunch will be served on the way.

Included in package

• Professional English-speaking mountain guides
• Team of porters to carry your luggage and other supplies for the group
• All park fees
• Rescue fees
• All camping equipment
• Government taxes, VAT and all related service charges
• Emergency oxygen
• Professional English speaking driver/guide while an safari and other day trips
• Pick-up at your hotel in Moshi on Day 1
• Drop-off at your hotel in Moshi on Day 12
• All meals except breakfast on Day 1 & dinner on Day 12
• Bottled water
• Camping accommodation throughout your tour except for the nights spent in Moshi and in Arusha (Days 5 & 6)

Not included in package

• Flight tickets
• Visa fees for entry into Tanzania
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses (laundry, telephone, beverages or any other items of a personal nature)
• Portable toilets while trekking on Kilimanjaro
• Your personal clothing, footwear and climbing gear while trekking on Kilimanjaro (warm clothing and other mountain gear can be rented in Moshi the day before your departure)
• Additional nights requested by traveller for acclimatisation purposes while trekking on Kilimanjaro
• Tips for your climbing crew - Suggested amount: Guide: $25/day,  Assistant Guide: $15/day, Cook: $15/day, Porters $10/day
• Tips for your safari crew - Suggested amount : Safari guide  $30 per day per vehicle / Cook $15 per day per vehicle
• Your hotel accommodation in Moshi on the day before the start of your Kilimanjaro trek and on Day 12