Kilimanjaro (5895 m) with safari

We are traveling towards Tanzania. The itinerary will vary based on where you are coming from. Group tours from Norway meet at Oslo Airport, and have a stopover before arriving at Kilimanjaro Airport. For other departures, airfare and tickets will not be included in the program, unless otherwise agreed. For groups without tickets included you will begin your program on Day 2.

We arrive at Kilimanjaro airport, where we are met by our African friends. We arrange our visas and make our way through the lines until we step out into Africa's warmth. After a couple of hours on the bus, we arrive at the cozy hotel in Moshi. Here we can gather our strength for the big day tomorrow! If time permits, we can take a trip into Moshi.

We will hike the Rongai Route to the summit, which approaches from the north side. On this route, there are slightly fewer people than many of the other routes up Kilimanjaro, and it is a beautiful and varied nature experience. After breakfast, we drive to Rongai Gate (approx. 3-4 hours) for registration and lunch. Today's stage goes to Simba Camp, which is located at 2670 m. The route starts on narrow trails through jungle and rainforest. When we reach the camp, we get a fantastic view of Kilimanjaro and across the plains below Kilimanjaro.

After being woken up with tea and coffee in the tent, we eat breakfast and start today's stage - quickly noticing that this stage is different from the previous one. The vegetation changes all the way up toward Kilimanjaro - and eventually, you will get a great view of Kibo and the crater rim. We hike steadily uphill before arriving at the camp. Here we relax, and those who feel energetic can take a short trip in the area after lunch, which is recommended to acclimatize even better.

This is also a relatively calm day. We eat breakfast and start today's stage quite steeply, up narrow trails, and now the vegetation is no longer as tall and dense. Once at the camp, we get a fantastic view of the crater and the glaciers on the east side of the summit. The air is starting to get thinner, the trails gradually narrower, and tonight we spend the night in a camp by Kikelewa Caves, at approximately 3600 m.

Once again, we are woken up with tea and coffee in the tent – a luxury we have gotten used to. After breakfast, we start hiking up grassy slopes while the vegetation gradually becomes more sparse. Today's stage is a bit steeper than the previous two, but we do not go as far. To adapt to the altitude in the best possible way, we constantly remind each other to walk slowly and drink plenty of water along the way. Today, we spend the night at the route's finest camp; Mawenzi Tarn Camp (4300 m) – and have another nice dinner in the mess tent. Before dinner, we go on a short acclimatization trip up toward Mount Mawenzi. In clear weather, we have a panoramic view of Kilimanjaro almost all day.

Now the lunar landscape begins, and across the saddle between Mawenzi Camp and Kibo (4700 m), we arrive at Kibo Camp where we pitch our tents. We are heading up in altitude on today's stage, but we keep a slow pace and the terrain is easy to move in. The camp has a spectacular location at the base of the Kibo crater wall. Here we make sure to doze, gather strength, and prepare for tonight's summit push – interrupted only by another delicious dinner from the chef!

This is the longest and toughest stage of the whole trip. We start during the night; it can be cold, and it can be starry and bright with moonlight. Most people feel an extra sense of excitement as we hike slowly upward. It eventually starts to lighten, and we take a break at Gilman's Point (5700 m) and enjoy the magical sunrise over the jagged Mawenzi ridge. The sun gives us extra strength, and from Gilman's Point, the trip to Uhuru Peak (5895 m) – the main summit of Kilimanjaro – takes about two hours. We pass Stella Point, the glacier, and the ice formations that still make up large parts of the summit plateau. It feels incredible to reach the sign showing that we are on the roof of Africa! At Uhuru Peak, we pull out our cameras and quickly forget all the hard work! After the summit session, the descent begins. It is a long way downhill to Kibo (4700 m), where we take a break and eat a bit of lunch before continuing nearly six miles down to Horombo Camp Site (3720 m), where we spend the night and rest after a tiring but great day!

The last day on the mountain. We enjoy the rainforest on the way down to Marangu Gate (1860 m), where we have earned a local Kilimanjaro beer! Everyone who reached the summit receives a certificate, and here we also say goodbye to our faithful porters and guides. We are driven back to the hotel – where a shower, a dip in the pool, and a delicious dinner taste amazing!

After an early breakfast, we continue to Tarangire, where we will spend the next two days on safari. It is easy to get swept up in the fantastic wildlife we now find ourselves in the middle of. We will spend two days at this intimate camp that gives us the true "Karen Blixen" feel! There are fantastic views of the river, gourmet food, and luxury tents that will take your breath away. It is a small camp, so there are not many people here other than us, our local friends, and plenty of four-legged animals. We enjoy good food and have time for even more safari viewing before the sun goes down. We drive 4-wheel-drive vehicles with open tops, and it is a fascinating world we are driving into, quite unaffected by our presence.

This will be a full day in Tarangire with safari; we bring a lunch box with us and stop along the way to eat. Here we get safari from morning to night and will hopefully meet lots of animals. Tarangire Park is especially known for its baobab trees and large herds of elephants, but there are plenty of big cats, antelopes, and giraffes as well. A lovely dinner is prepared by the chef and served with a view of the river. A unique atmosphere! In the evening, we enjoy the African wilderness around the campfire, a wonderful experience where you let the impressions of the day sink in.

After breakfast, we have time for even more safari, and once again, we bring a lunch box to enjoy along the way. After the safari, we continue to the airport for the journey home that same evening. If the flight leaves at night or early the next morning, we spend an extra night at a hotel in Moshi.

Today the program is finished and you will be traveling home or onto other adventures.

Many people want to extend their stay with a safari and/or end with a beach holiday in Zanzibar. Contact us for suggestions and prices.