18 Days Best of Tanzania

You will be met at the International Airport of Kilimanjaro by our Driver -Guide. We will take you to the Kaliwa Lodge in Machame. This charming lodge is in the middle of coffee plantations and provides a breathtaking view towards Mt. Kilimanjaro. Our Kilimanjaro expert will come to meet you and to provide you with a safari briefing.

In the morning we’ll transfer to the Machame Park Gate (5,950 ft./ 1,815 mt.). After registering with the park authority, we will begin our climb through the lush forest. Trekkers will likely hear the many exotic birds in the canopy above, and many even see black & white colobus monkeys and sykes monkeys as they hike along the knotted roots. We’ll continue on to some heath land before reaching our overnight camp at Machame Camp (9,850 feet, 6-7 hours of walking), just above the forest zone. The trek is quite long, but not steep.

Today’s segment of the ascent will continue across beautiful heath land and alpine moorland with magnificent views of Kilimanjaro Peak. We begin up the steep track through a savannah of tall grasses, and trees of Giant Heather and Erica. Scramble around large boulders as you enter the moorland zone, marked by lobelia and senecio plants, and volcanic rocks draped with lichen beards, which protect wild alpine flowers growing at their bases. We’ll overnight at Shira Camp (12,600 feet, 5-6 hours of walking).

We’ll draw nearer the peak as we get closer to the Lava Tower. The trek becomes a bit more strenuous as the trail steepens on the approach to the lava Tower, a 300 foot tall volcanic plug which marks an exposed pass at 15,000 feet In the afternoon, descend the steep track into the Great Barranco Valley. Barranco Camp is set on a col (flat area) enclosed on three sides with steep valley walls and the Kibo massif itself. Hanging glaciers glint in the sunshine above, amidst the eerie landscape of plants such as the giant groundsels (Senecio Kilimanjari), and the uniquely endemic Giant Lobelia. Then we slowly ascent to our overnight stop at Barranco Camp (12,950 feet, 5-6 hours of walking). This day and the following day will be your acclimatization day.

The day will begin with a descent into the Gorge, before we climb its eastern wall where we will enjoy views of Kilimanjaro’s ice fields, an equatorial anomaly. We will continue trekking until we reach our camp in Karanga Valley (13,900 feet, 4-5 hours of walking). All meals included.

We’ll trek up through the Karanga Valley, the trail turns steadily uphill, following the lava ridge to the Barafu camp. The temperature will grow colder and the landscape more sparse as we near Barafu Camp. Barafu Camp is set on a small, exposed flat area on a ridge, acting as a base camp from which you will make your summit attempt at midnight tonight (15,200 feet, 6-7 hours of walking). All meals included.

Just after midnight we start of a challenging trek (12-17 hours of trekking). You begin trekking at 12:30 to 1 am, passing between the Rebmann and Tarzel glaciers to the rim at Stella Point. The temperatures range from just below freezing at midnight, to between 10 deg. F (-12 deg. C) to –10 F. (-23 deg. C) just before dawn at the summit. As dawn nears, we’ll summit at Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa at 19,340 feet. Uhuru will be the culmination of – and the reward for 6-7 hours of strenuous hiking. We’ll then descend back to Barafu Camp, resting for a while before continuing our descent to Mweka Camp (9,840 feet, 3-4 hours of walking on the descent).

We’ll make our final descent to the park gate, a walk of about 3 or 4 hours. After bidding our farewells to our guide and porters, we’ll drive to Blues & Chutney Country B&B. This charming country home is situated in the foothills of Mt. Meru in a lush green surrounding. Spend a restful afternoon and recover from your strenuous climb. Breakfast and lunch included.

After breakfast we depart for to Lake Manyara National Park. Nestling at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, the park is recognized for its incredible beauty. You can see many game animals such as Buffalo, Elephant, Giraffe, Impala, hippo and others.
Driving time without game viewing 2 – 2,5 hours.
Overnight at Rift Valley Lodge overlooking Lake Manyara. All meals included.

After breakfast you start on your way to Serengeti National Park. After stopping for your picnic lunch on a kopje (rock outcropping) in Serengeti you will continue further into the park and go on a game drive.
Driving time without game viewing 4 – 4,5 hours.
Overnight at Mapito Tented Camp at Ikoma, North Central Serengeti. All meals included.

A full day of game drives around Serengeti. Depending on the time of year and the migration of the herds you can expect to see wildebeest, lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, monkeys, baboons, hippos, rhinos, antelopes and many birds and other species.
Overnight at Mapito Tented Camp at Ikoma, North Central Serengeti. All meals included.

After breakfast you travel through Serengeti again and drive towards Ngorongoro. Around 11:00 hrs you reach Ngorongoro Conservation Area home of the world famous Ngorongoro Crater. It is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and a natural sanctuary for some of Africa’s densest animal populations and one of the few places where the rare black rhino can be observed in its natural habitat.

There are various options to spend the rest of the day (at additional cost):
• Visit of a Masai Village (extra cost of 30 USD per vehicle)
• Game drive at the Ngorongoro Crater Floor (295 USD Ngorongoro Crater Fee per vehicle)
• Ranger guided Nature Walk along the Crater Rim (25 USD per person)
Alternatively you settle in at your beautiful country home style lodge and enjoy a restful afternoon. An interesting coffee plantation walk is offered by the lodge at 16:30 free of charge including coffee roasting and grinding ceremony.

Driving time without game viewing 3 – 3,5 hours.
Overnight at Ngorongoro Farmhouse. All meals included.

After breakfast you return to Arusha (transfer time 3 hours) for your flight to Zanzibar. Transfer to beach resort of your (The Zanzibari Hotel, Ngalawa Beach Village, Kichanga Lodge or similar).

Relax and enjoy the beaches of Zanzibar. Breakfast and dinner included.

After breakfast transfer to Stone town. On the way we will do the famous Spice Tour. We have developed a special Spice Tour with in depth information not only about spices, but also organically grown herbs and a detailed description about their traditional uses in medicine cosmetics and cooking. After the tour we invite for an opulent lunch, where you can taste the spices and fruits.
In the afternoon we will show you Stone Town on our Historical Stone Town Tour. This tour takes you through fabled Stone Town, where history appears to stand still. With visits to the Anglican Church and the Arab Fort amongst others, it is a fascinating look at the essence of Zanzibar. You will see Zanzibar’s bustling market, winding alleyways, ornately carved and studded doors, two cathedrals and countless mosques!
Overnight at Tembo Hotel or Dhow Palace Hotel. Breakfast and lunch included.

Transfer to Zanzibar Airport for departure.