10 Days Machame Kilimanjaro Climb & Wildlife Safari : This 10 days Tanzania Safari includes 7 days Kilimanjaro-Machame route and 3-day Serengeti wildlife safari for unforgettable safari tour experiences
DAY 00: ARRIVAL
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where you will be met by our driver and tour representative and transferred to your hotel in Moshi. Evening briefing at the hotel to prepare you for the climb ahead, followed by dinner. If you have no hiking equipment, this will also be a good time to rent it before going to bed.
DAY 01: PICK UP AND DRIVE TO MACHAME GATE TO MACHAME CAMP
You will be picked up at your hotel in Arusha early in the morning and driven to Machame Gate, where the Machame route of Mount Kilimanjaro trekking starts. You will be briefed about your 7-day Kilimanjaro climb through the Machame route before embarking on a trek. After a short briefing, we now leave the park gate and walk through the rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters and trekking poles are a good idea here. We continue a short distance until we reach the Machame Camp.
- Elevation (ft): 5,400ft to 9,400ft
- Distance covered: 11 km.
- Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
- Habitat: Rain Forest
DAY 02: MACHAME CAMP TO SHIRA CAMP
After breakfast, we leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the little valley and walking along a steep rocky ridge, covered with heather, until the ridge ends. The route now turns west onto a river gorge. Time for rest, dinner, and overnight at the Shira campsite.
- Elevation (ft): 9,400ft to 12,500ft
- Distance covered: 5 km.
- Hiking Time: 4-6 hours
- Habitat: Moorland
DAY 03: SHIRA CAMP TO LAVA TOWER TO BARRANCO CAMP
From the Shira Plateau, we continue to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As we continue, our direction changes to the south-east towards the Lava Tower, called “Shark’s Tooth.”
Shortly after the tower, we come to the second junction, which brings us up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 16,000 feet. We now continue down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 13,000 feet. Here we rest, enjoy dinner, and stay overnight. Although you end the day at the same elevation as when you started, this day is very important for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for summit day.
- Elevation (ft): 12,500ft to 13,000ft
- Distance: 10 km.
- Hiking Time: 6–8 hours
- Habitat: Semi-Desert
DAY 04: BARRANCO CAMP TO KARANGA CAMP
After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge, passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga Valley campsite. This is a short day meant for acclimatization.
- Elevation (ft): 13,000ft to 13,100ft
- Distance: 5 km.
- Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
- Habitat: Alpine Desert
DAY 5: KARANGA CAMP TO BARAFU CAMP
After breakfast, we leave Karanga and hit the junction that connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position.
- Elevation (ft): 13,100ft to 15,300ft
- Distance: 4 km.
- Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
- Habitat: Alpine Desert
DAY 06: BARAFU CAMP TO SUMMIT TO MWEKA HUT
Very early in the morning (midnight to 2 a.m.), we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek.
At Stella Point (18,600 ft), you will stop for a short rest and be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit.
From the summit, we now make our descent, continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest, and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
- Elevation (ft): 15,300ft to 19,345ft (and down to 10,000ft)
- Distance: 5 km ascent or 12 km descent
- Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ascent/4-6 hours descent
- Habitat: Arctic
DAY 07: MWEKA CAMP TO MOSHI TO ARUSHA
After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and T-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy). From the gate, you continue another hour to Mweka Village. Upon your arrival at Mweka Gate from your Mount Kilimanjaro descent, you will meet up with your safari driver guide, who will congratulate you on your summit success, and thereafter, you will be driven to your accommodation in Arusha for some relaxation and unwinding while getting ready for the second adventure, which is the Serengeti wildlife safari the next day.
- Elevation (ft): 10,000ft to 5,400ft
- Distance: 10 km.
- Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
- Habitat: Rain Forest
- Accommodation: Masai Land Safari Lodge
DAY 08: DRIVE TO SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
Wake up early in the morning, have breakfast, then drive to Serengeti National Park. The drive from Arusha will take almost 6 hours, and along the way, you will have a stop at Karatu town for local shopping and the Ngorongoro Crater viewpoint. So expect to see the beautiful scenery of the Ngorongoro crater, the largest crater in the world.
You will also enjoy en-route game viewing as you pass past the Ngorongoro conservation area toward Serengeti National Park. After arriving in Serengeti, you will check in to your accommodation, have lunch, take a little rest, and then go on an evening game drive. After the evening game drive, you will return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
- Accommodation: Central Serengeti bush camp
- Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Activities: evening game drive
DAY 09: FULL-DAY SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, go on a full-day game drive around the central area of this wonderful park, enjoying the flora and fauna. This will be another spectacular day, with a picnic lunch held in the wild. The Seronera area is a year-round destination for great game viewing and is home to literally hundreds of thousands of hoofed animals. The Serengeti ecosystem is the oldest on the planet. It has a unique diversity of plants and animals that are not found anywhere else on the planet. The Great Migration is the world’s largest overland migration. The animals travel 800 kilometers or more per cycle, with over a million wildebeests and thousands of zebras and gazelles forming one super herd.
Your guide will select the best wildlife viewing locations for the time of year. Spend time at the Hippo Pool, watching these massive animals relax in the cool water beside the crocodiles, watching a lion stalk its prey, or being amazed by the scale of the Great Wildebeest Migration. The journey from the wide, open plains to the Kopjes—volcanic rocky outcrops that provide protection and shelter for a diverse range of animals—will provide you with the best in-game viewing experience.
- Accommodation: Central Serengeti bush camp
- Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Activities: Full-day game drive
DAY 10: DEPARTURE
This is the final day of your 10-day Tanzania safari. Get up early from your accommodation and go on a morning wildlife drive to view nocturnal species active in the early morning, such as leopards. After enjoying a wildlife drive, you will return to your accommodation in time for breakfast and check-out. Following that, you will depart for Arusha, taking a game drive via the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Areas to see as many animals as possible.
Your first stop will be at the Ngorongoro Crater Viewpoint, often known as “the Garden of Eden,” where you can enjoy a stunning perspective of the world’s largest intact caldera, which is home to practically all known animal species. You will also stop in Karatu Town or Mto Wa Mbu Village, where you can participate in a cultural tour and purchase local handicrafts. You can also purchase local items to send home to friends and family. Your ten-day Tanzania safari will end when you arrive in Arusha, where your guide will transport you to the place of your choice (the airport or your hotel). Welcome back again!
- Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch
- Activities: morning and en-route game drive
PRICE INCLUDES
- All parks have entry fees.
- Camping fees during Kilimanjaro climbing
- Guide, porters, and cooker during Kilimanjaro climbing
- Rescuer fees during Kilimanjaro climbing
- Three meals per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and mineral water)
- Tent, foam, cooking equipment, and eating utensils for Kilimanjaro climbing
- Oxygen Cylinder and Oxymeter for Kilimanjaro Climbing
- All government taxes (Vat)
- Professional safari and tour guide/driver for wildlife safaris
- All accommodations
- All national park fees
- All meals on the safari
- Crater and concession fees
- Transit fee
- Drinking water in the safari vehicle
- Pick-up and drop-off
PRICE EXCLUDES
- Flights
- Visas
- Tips for Crews (Guide, Porters, and Cook)
- Some equipment that will be available for hire
- Hotel accommodation before and after the safari
- Items of personal nature (laundry, telephone, beverages, etc.)
- Anything else not included in the itinerary
