9-Days Kilimanjaro Tanzania Safari Tour
Kilimanjaro Tanzania Safari Tour is certainly Africa’s tallest mountain and for centuries most mountaineers’ dream climb. On this 9-day expedition (including acclimatization days) you and a group of up to 10 people will eventually be led by professional guides and support staff on a spectacular journey to the summit (5,895m).
Briefed Itinerary Kilimanjaro Tanzania Safari Tour
Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, Tanzania
Transfer to Machame Camp
To Shira Camp
Proceed to Barranco Camp
Acclimatization day – Karanga Camp
To Barafu Camp
Summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro
Descent and return to Arusha
End of tour or tour
Detail Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Tanzania!
Your tour starts straightaway at Planet Lodge in Arusha, located a 45-minute drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport. However, should you require an airport transfer today, please let your Travel Consultant at Paradise Adventure Vacations know as this can be arranged for you at an extra cost.
Secondly, in the evening you will meet your expedition guides for a briefing of your upcoming adventure. Together with the guides you will check all equipment needed for the trek.
Location: Tanzania
Accommodation: Planet Lodge
Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Drinking Water Throughout
Day 2: To Machame Camp
After an early breakfast at the lodge you will then depart for Machame Gate with the rest of the group and your guides. Machame Gate is specifically located on the western side of Mt. Kilimanjaro. After some paperwork at the gate, you are surely ready to hit the trails. While, you make your way up the foothills you will hike through tropical rainforest where you are likely to spot some black and white colobus monkeys as well as plenty of tropical bird species. Finally a steady 5-hour climb will lead you to Machame Camp where your tent will already be pitched and ready for you.
Dinner is served in the mess tent. Every evening you will start your meal with a hot bowl of soup and energy packed food. Before you retire your tired legs, you will have a briefing for the coming day. However, your oxygen level and heart rate will be measured to make sure you are healthy and prepared for tomorrow’s climb.
Level of difficulty Average
Altitude gain Machame gate at 1800m to Machame Camp at 3000m
Meal Plan Breakfast, Local Lunch & Dinner
Day 3: To Shira Camp
After a hot breakfast it is time to climb through the last part of the rainforest of the Kilimanjaro slopes. Once you pass the treeline the landscape changes to moorland where a lot of endemic plants and tree species are found.
Today you will need to remember to go “pole pole” (slowly slowly) as this part of the hike involves a 3-4 hour steep climb. After a break at lunch you will continue on the final 1, 5 hours of moderate ascending and descending trail until you arrive at Shira Camp. The views from Shira Camp are definitely considered one of the most impressive of the Machame route, offering glimpses of the summits of both Mt. Meru and Mt. Kilimanjaro. If you still have a bit of energy left in you, you can also explore Shira cave, which is located only 15 minutes from the camp. Be prepared for a cold night tonight, as temperatures frequently drop below 0 degrees Celsius at these elevations.
Level of difficulty Semi-difficult to Average
Altitude gain Machame camp at 3000m to Shira Camp at 3900m
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4: To Barranco camp
Today you will need your energy for a long and tough day. To start you will ascend steadily from the moorlands to Alpine desert landscape. Since the vegetation is low to the ground in this part, there are many stones on the trail and it can get quite dusty. The challenge today is both the long distance that you are covering, and the ascent to a higher altitude. At this stage you may certainly experience some altitude sickness symptoms like severe headache, nausea and/or dizziness. Your first goal of the day is to reach the Lava Tower at 4630 meters. This stretch will take between 4 to 5 hours.
On arrival you will need to take at least half an hour to rest and let your body acclimatize to the high altitude. After acclimatization and some lunch, you will hike for another 2-3 hours to Barranco Camp at 3840 meters. Since you are descending to lower altitudes, any potential symptoms of altitude sickness will now fade.
Level of difficulty: Difficult to Semi-difficult Altitude gain
Shira Camp at 3900m via Lava Tower to Barranco Camp at 3840m
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 5: Acclimatization day – Karanga Camp
After a good night’s rest, you will feel ready to conquer the great Barranco Wall! This steep 260-meter-high wall may look a bit terrifying, but making your way over the wall with your hands and feet is quite fun, and the view at the top over Karanga Valley is more than worth the effort. The acclimatization process of climbing the Barranco Wall at 4100 meters is an important factor in succeeding in completing the Kilimanjaro expedition. After only 1.5 hours you will reach Karanga Camp where the guides have already pitched your tent so you can spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing.
Level of difficulty Semi-difficult to average
Altitude gain Barranco Camp at 3840m to Karanga camp at 3995m
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 6: To Barafu Camp
From Karanga Camp it is a 3 hour steady hike to Barafu Camp, your last stretch before summit day! Today is surely all about resting up for the big day tomorrow. Finally dinner will be served at 5:30 PM and you should get some sleep after this. Then around midnight you will be woken up to hike to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Level of difficulty Semi-difficult to average, Altitude gain Karanga Camp at 3995m to Barafu Camp at 4550m
Meal Plan: Breakfast and Packed Lunch as well asDinner
Day 7: To the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro!
You will be woken up just before mid-night and after some tea and biscuits you will set of on your summit bid of Mt. Kilimanjaro. For the best chance of reaching the summit today, you will need to hike very slowly and steadily. After 6-7 hours on a steep ascending trail you will reach Stella Point at 5685 meters, just in time for the sun to rise slowly over Mawenzi peak. Kilimanjaro Tanzania Safari Tour
Another hour of hiking over a glacier and caldera you will reach Uhuru Peak which is the highest point of Africa at 5895 meters above sea level. Sit and enjoy the views for a while and congratulate yourself on a job well done. You will soon descend on a 3-4 hour hike back to Barafu Camp for a well-deserved lunch and rest. You will continue on for another 3-4 hours today, following the Mweka route to the last camp on your Kilimanjaro expedition; Mweka Camp at 3100 meters. After this unique and highly memorable day you will have a nice hot meal and some well-deserved sleep!
Level of difficulty Very difficult to Semi-difficult to average
Altitude gain Barafu Camp at 4550m, via the summit 5895m to Mweka camp 3100m
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Packed Lunch & Dinner
Day 8: To Arusha
Your last day on the trails will be very enjoyable and relaxed, through lush tropical rainforest. After 3 hours of descent you will reach Mweka Gate where you will have your final meal with your expedition crew and fellow hikers. After a well-earned tip for the crew (information about tipping can be found in practical information sheet that your Travel Consultant will share with you) you will return to Arusha. Kilimanjaro Tanzania Safari Tour, After a week on the mountains a hot shower awaits you at Planet Lodge. From the comfort of the lodge, you can relax and reminisce about the impressive climb you just completed to the roof of Africa!
Level of difficulty Very difficult to Semi-difficult to average
Altitude gain Mweka camp 3100m to Mweka gate at 1800m
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Packed Lunch & Dinner
Day 9: End of tour or extension!
Depending on the time your flight departs today, there may surely be some time to enjoy the pool, have a massage or take a yoga class. All activities you plan for today are at your own expense. If you need an airport transfer please let your Travel Consultant know at the time of your booking. So this can be arranged for you at an additional cost. Thus the end of our Safari. We hope you have enjoyed your journey to the Roof of Africa with us!
Thank you for specifically choosing Paradise Adventure Vacations and we hope to see you again.
Journey Time 1 hour to the airport
Accommodation: No
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Tour Includes:
Park fees
All activities (unless labeled as optional)
All accommodation as stated in the itinerary
A professional driver/guide
All transportation (unless labeled as optional)
All Taxes/VAT
Roundtrip airport transfer
All Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
Drinking water on all days
Tour Excludes:
International flights (from/to home)
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
Tips (tipping guideline US$20.00 pp per day)
Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Alcohol drinks
Best of Kilimanjaro Tanzania Safari Tour
We believe in value for money. Every guest would like to have the most reliable and comfortable vehicles on safari. In response to the clients’ needs, we have a very strict vehicle replacement policy that ensures a young fleet at all times. We have a total fleet of 225 well-maintained motor vehicles, predominantly 4-wheel drives. This does away with the problem of sub-contracting vehicles and driver-guides, which may compromise the quality of services. Our safari vehicles are specifically converted for maximum space and comfort. All of them have hatched roof and sliding windows to facilitate good viewing and convenient photography during game drives and sight seeing.
