Kilimanjaro Safari

Day 1: Kilimanjaro Airport to Moshi

Our driver will meet you at the airport and transport you to your accommodation in Moshi. Our guides will emphasise all of the crucial points during your orientation to your Kilimanjaro Safari package at the hotel. Your trekking equipment will be scrutinised.

Day 2: Mt Kilimanjaro: Moshi – Machame Camp

In the morning, we will travel to the Machame Gate, where you will meet your porters, guides, and chefs. The trip to the gate takes around 45 minutes and passes past coffee estates and charming local communities. Registration will occur at the gate, followed by our trek to Africa's rooftop. Every day, your porters and chefs will trek ahead of the guide to ensure that the campsite is ready for you when you arrive. We will spend the night in the Machame Camp. The first trek takes you into Kilimanjaro's magnificent cloud forest. Branches form an ember tunnel above, with delicate clouds drifting overhead. As we get closer to the campground, the view will change: tall grasses, dry heather plants, and vivid wildflowers will take over. Kibo's frosted cone will be visible thanks to clear blue skies.

Day 3: Mt Kilimanjaro: Machame Camp to Shira Camp

Today's terrain has several steep inclines, although it is considered the easiest hike on the itinerary. Because the terrain is open, we recommend packing plenty of drinking water and staying hydrated. There are several places to admire the forest's emerald canopy, the panoramas of Kibo, and the jagged-toothed serpent.  As we gain height, the wildlife and flora become less abundant, and the notorious high-altitude plants, such as the massive Lobelia and the stunning Scenecio Kilimanjari, begin to grow. We'll take a pause and then serve your delicious meal. We'll arrive at Shira Camp after climbing the ashen, etched walls of the Shira Plateau. During your downtime, you may gaze out over Kibo, which towers over the lush slopes of Mount Meru.

Day 4: Mt Kilimanjaro: Shira Camp to Barranco Camp

Every step toward the Lava Tower enlarges the magnitude of Kibo's stunning sight. The slope steepens as we approach the Lava Tower, increasing the hike's difficulty significantly. The Tower pylons reached a height of 300 feet and were constructed thousands of years ago when a massive volcano erupted. A difficult route will bring us to the amazing Barranco Valley panorama and the Barranco Camp, located on a col (a level place) surrounded by three sheer valley walls and the stunning Kibo mountain. The dangling icicles glitter and reflect the natural beauty. Heather plants dominate the landscape and produce flamboyant areas. By rising to the Barranco campsite (12,950 feet / 5-6 hours of walking), we will follow the mountaineering rule of trekking high and sleeping low. You will be served a great lunch.

Day 5: Mt Kilimanjaro: Barranco Camp to Karanga Valley Camp

Your second acclimatisation day will begin with a descent into the mysterious Gorge. Climbing the eastern wall will provide us with views of the glitter-lined ice fields. We'll keep going until we reach the Karanga Valley Camp (13,900 feet / 4-5 hours of walking), where we'll be treated to a delicious lunch.

Day 6: Mt Kilimanjaro: Karanga Valley Camp to Barafu Camp

We'll go up the Karanga Valley trek to the Barafu Camp (15,200 feet / 6-7 hours). As we travel closer to the campground, the temperature will drop, and the terrain will become more sparse. Barafu Camp is located on a ridge in a tiny, uncovered region. It will serve as an unofficial base camp from which to climb the summit. We will provide a delicious meal and recommend that you relax before the midnight trek.

Day 7: Mt Kilimanjaro: Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Camp

The difficult ascent to the peak will begin just after midnight (12-17 hours of trekking). Before arriving at Stella's Point, we'll go through the topaz glow of the Rebmann and Tarzel glaciers. Temperatures can freeze before the sun's rays begin warming the land (freezing temperature: -23°C to 10°C). Achieving your objectives and reaching Africa's rooftop will show the magnificent scenery (6 – 7 hours of hiking) Peach-colored rays colour the snowy fields, while clouds try to consume everything on the mountain. Before descending to the Barafu Camp, you can take photographs and marvel at the beauty. Once we get to the camp, we will take a brief break. We will travel to Mweka Camp (9,840 feet / 3-4 hours of walking on the descent), where a delicious supper and comfortable resting await your arrival.

Day 8: Mt Kilimanjaro: Mweka Camp to Park Gate

The remaining journey is a pleasant stroll to the park's entrance (3-4 hours). We will travel to your accommodation in Moshi after saying our final goodbyes to your staff.

Day 9: Safari: Moshi to Lake Manyara

Following a delicious breakfast, we will depart for Lake Manyara, the second leg of your Kilimanjaro Safari package. Colorful birds glide across the picturesque plains, and their harmonies fill the air. Baboons can be seen in vast numbers in the verdant jungle. Many amazing species may be seen, including elephants, buffalo, giraffes, impalas, and hippos. We will explore the park's varied ecosystems and have a picnic lunch.

Day 10: Safari: Lake Manyara to Serengeti

Soon after breakfast, we will head for the Serengeti National Park. Serengeti means "land that goes on forever," which appropriately describes the wide fields of golden brown grassland that appear to fade into the horizon. Wildebeest, lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, monkeys, baboons, hippos, rhinos, antelopes, and other bird species call the unspoilt area home. We'll have a picnic lunch on a koppie (a small hill in a generally flat area). Our game drive will travel farther into the park for the remainder of the day.

Day 11: Safari: Serengeti

Our morning game drive is an exciting adventure. The cackles of hyena packs reverberate over the plains, and fresh track prints might take us to a predator's nest. As the herds make their way to the watering hole, magnificent rays of orange, pink, and purple appear across the horizon. Your guide's skill in tracking down the game will astonish you. We'll eat a nice picnic lunch in the park.

Day 12: Safari: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Crater

Today is our final wildlife drive in the Serengeti before heading to the famed Ngorongoro Crater. We will camp in Simba Camp, positioned on the crater rim and an excellent location for watching the sunset across the grasslands within the caldera. The friendly cook at Viva Africa Tours will prepare a delightful meal for you.

Day 13: Safari: Ngorongoro Crater – Moshi

We will descend into the Ngorongoro Crater early in the morning since early mornings are ideal for spotting wildlife, particularly inside the "Big 5". The group includes some of Africa's hardest species, including the savage lion, the majestic elephant, the elusive leopard, the charging rhino, and the powerful water buffalo. In the morning, you will go on an exhilarating wildlife drive and then have a picnic lunch by a pond full of hippos inside the crater. Visitors visiting the Ngorongoro Crater may expect to see zebra, hippo, wildebeest, and cackling hyenas. The crater is home to hundreds of beautiful flamingos resting in Soda Lake and vultures and hawks circling the horizon searching for a hardy diet of abandoned carcasses. Common aquatic birds are the crater storks, ibises, and cranes. Your game drive will end after lunch when we begin our return journey to Moshi. You will arrive at your Moshi lodging in the late afternoon.

Day 14: Moshi to Kilimanjaro Airport

Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport, where your flight will connect.

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