(919) 696-5133 Best of Durham
Best of Durham

back to Kilimanjaro main page

Kilimanjaro Itinerary

Day 1: Depart Home

Day 2: Arrive in Moshi, Tanzania. Airport pick up and transfer to hotel. Welcome dinner at hotel.

Day 3: Free day to rest from your long international flights and explore Moshi. If interested we can arrange a day excursion to Lake Chala, Mkomazi game reserve or Arusha National Park. In the evening there will be a thorough orientation, Meet the Guides, climb briefing, and final equipment check.

Day 4: After breakfast we transfer to the Machame Gate and trailhead. After registering with the park service we meet our porters. The day’s gentle hike will take roughly 5-7 hours and leads through the natural rain forest and giant heather between River Wern and Makoa to the Machame Hut camp. (10,000ft/3000m)

Day 5: Today’s hike takes 5-6 hours and leaves the forest and enters into the Moor lands. The trail leads down a gorge and crosses several dry riverbeds before ascending a rocky cliff onto the Shira Plateau. Overnight at Shira Camp. (12,000ft/3800m)

Day 6: After an early start we’ll have an exciting day of 7-8 hours of hiking. This is an important day in our acclimatization process because we climb high, at one point reaching nearly 16,000 feet as we pass the famous Lava Tower, before dropping down to sleep low at the Barranco Hut camp. (13,000ft.4000m)

Day 7: A short 4-5 hours hike through alpine desert day helps to further our acclimatization process. After breakfast we leave Barranco camp and continue on a steep ridge climbing over the Great Barranco Wall. We’ll traverse below the amazing southern glaciers and stop overnight at the Karanga Valley camp. (12,700ft/3900m)

Day 8: We leave the Karanga River behind and hike 5-7 hours to our high camp at Barafu (15,331ft/4674m) At Barafu camp we have an inspiring view of Kilimanjaro, Mawenzi, and the plains below.

Day 9: Summit Day! After a short night of resting and eating, the final ascent of Kilimanjaro begins between midnight and 1:00 a.m. This section gets gradually steeper as we zigzag for 5-7 hours on frozen scree or snow before reaching Stella point on the crater rim. After a short break to enjoy the sunrise and view the crater's magnificent ice fields, we then proceed another hour along the crater rim to the top of Africa at Uhuru Peak. (19,340ft/5895m) After taking our summit photographs, we descend back to our Barafu camp for a short break and lunch before descending several hours further down the mountain to Mweka Hut camp. A time for celebration!

Day 10: Our final day on the mountain. A four hour descend takes us through a deep rain forest to the Mweka Gate. Here you will be awarded your summit certificates of achievement before proceeding to your hotel for a well-deserved hot shower, dinner celebration, and a good night's rest.

Day 11: Start Safari: The drive from Moshi to Lake Manyara National Park takes about 4 hours. After having a picnic lunch in Manyara, you start a late afternoon game drive, which is the best time to view animals in this park. When you approach it from the east, the Rift Valley escarpment looms on the horizon, forming an impressive backdrop to the lake. In the tall trees of the ground water forest, monkeys leap from branch to branch, and on the escarpment, elephants stand in the shade. Other animals frequently seen are zebras, impalas, monkeys, giraffes, buffalos, hippos, and others. Overnight at the Lodge - Full board

Day 12: Safari: The drive to Serengeti National Park via Olduvai Gorge takes 3 to 4 hours. Olduvai Gorge is an archaeological site located in the eastern Serengeti plains, in which early human fossils were first discovered. It has an amazing landscape that resulted from the same tectonic forces that created the Great Rift Valley millions of years ago. Then, in the late evening drive to the park and overnight tent camping- Full board. (Optional Balloon Ride)

Day 13: After breakfast, venture into the Serengeti’s wilderness corners for a full day of game viewing in the park. With a picnic lunch beside you, take your leisure while exploring this world heritage site, where earth’s largest concentration of plain game still roams free! In the late evening, go to the tent camping or similar for rest, dinner, and overnight. Visit Masai Village.

Day14: After breakfast, drive to Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive inside the crater. This is the best place in Tanzania to see black rhino as well as prides of lion that include the magnificent black-manned males. There are lots of colorful flamingoes and a variety of water birds. Other game that you can see includes leopard, cheetah, hyena, other members of the antelope family, and small mammals. In the late afternoon drive to Lodge for rest and overnight:

Day 15: The drive to Tarangire National Park takes two hours. This park is spectacular in the dry season when many of the migratory wildlife species come back to the permanent waters of the Tarangire River. Huge herds of wildebeest, zebras, elephants, elands and oryx gather to stay in Tarangire until the onset of the rain when they migrate again to good grazing areas. Transfer to hotel for overnight.

Day 16: Transfer to Kilimanjaro airport for flights home.

Price Includes

  • All Tanzania transportation on scheduled dates - airport transfers
  • All Hotel accommodations in Tanzania during listed itinerary. (double occupancy)
  • All group equipment, such as tents, stoves, closed cell foam pads etc.
  • All meals (B,L,D) during the climb and safari
  • Purified water during the climb & private group toilet
  • Safety Equipment - oxygen, pulse oximeter, first aid kit, radio and satellite communications
  • Wilderness First Responder Certified Guide
  • Porters, drivers, guides, National Park Fees and climbing permits
  • Trip preparation consultation on gear, packing, and important helpful tips.

Price Does Not Include

  • International round-trip airfare Tanzania
  • Optional Serengeti Balloon Ride ($550.00)
  • Tanzanian and/or Kenyan visas
  • Meals, transport, and lodging outside the regular itinerary.
  • Alcoholic beverages and bottled drinks (However, we often buy everyone a celebration drink or two)
  • Excess baggage charges and airport taxes
  • All expenses incurred in the event of early departure (evac fees, transport, extra hotel nights, etc)
  • Personal gear (see gear list)
  • International vaccinations
  • Optional Single Room Supplement
  • Charges incurred as a result of delays beyond the control of Worldwide Adventure Guides
  • Tips and Gratuities

Price: Please Contact Us