Trekking to the highest peaks of Tanzania – Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro- Machame (Kopie)

Day 1: Kilimanjaro Airport – Arusha – Briefing and welcome dinner
You will be met by our driver at Kilimanjaro Airport and then driven to your reserved hotel in Arusha. The drive takes about an hour and with a little luck you will get a glimpse of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru. After checking in, your guide will give you a brief briefing about your booked trip and then look through your equipment. You have the rest of the day at leisure. In the evening you will be invited by your guide to the welcome dinner. Overnight at Mtoni River Lodge or similar category (D).

Day 2: Arusha – Machame Gate (1,790 m) – Machame Camp (2,835 m) 2 hours drive and approx. 6 hours hike
After breakfast we will be driven together with the crew to the entrance gate of Kilimanjaro National Park, to the Machame Gate. While our guide is busy with the registration forms, we can watch our mountain team / crew prepare for the ascent and pack their bags. As soon as the registration is done and the team is prepared, our Kilimanjaro adventure begins. In a very short time we are deep in the beautiful rainforest with old trees, ancient ferns, lianas, lichens and mosses that gently cover the ground and hang down from the trees. With a bit of luck you will even be able to admire the beautiful black and white Colobus monkeys in the treetops. After 5 to 6 hours we reach today’s destination – the Machame Camp, which is located just above the tree line at 2,835 m. Here, at the foot of Kilimanjaro, we have our first dinner, followed by an overnight stay in tents. Overnight at Machame Camp (B|L|D).

Day 3: Machame Camp (3,010 m) to New Shira Camp (3,845 m) – approx. 6 hour hike
We continue our hike in the early morning, the path becomes steeper and the landscape turns into moorland and heatherland. The open landscape allows us to see the impressive mountain ridge of Kilimanjaro. Today’s hike is shorter than the day before and we will arrive at New Shira Camp in the late afternoon. The camp offers a breathtaking view of the mountains and during sunset the evening sun illuminates the rock face and the glacier of the Kibo. Kilimanjaro was formed as a result of the active continental rifts and consists of three volcanic cones, the Shira / Shira Ridge (3,962 m), the Mawenzi (5,148 m) and the Kibo (5,895 m). It is believed that the first volcanic activity began around 1 million years ago. Overnight at Shira Camp (B|L|D).

Day 4: New Shira Camp (3,845 m) – Lava Tower (4,640 m) – Barranco Camp (3,960 m) – approx. 7 hours
Today we will ascend about 800 meters, but camp at an altitude that is only slightly higher than last night. This allows the body to acclimate better. The hike begins with a long ascent over the Shira plateau towards the lava tower (4,640 m). The vegetation becomes sparse, the landscape turns into an Afro-Alpine desert. The route takes us through the extensive Barranco Valley with its enchanting lobelia and huge Senecio plants. After 6 to 7 hours we reach the most beautiful camp on the mountain – the Barranco Camp with its dreamy backdrop down into the plains and up to the summit of Kibo (5,895 m). Overnight at Barranco Camp (B|L|D).

Day 5: Barranco Camp (3,960 m) to Karanga Camp (4,035 m) – approx. 4 hour hike
Today’s route begins with the climb to the “Barranco Wall”. Attention and sure-footedness are the top priority and your guides will help you if necessary. We follow the ridge with several ascents and descents and can enjoy the wonderful view of the southern glacier of Kibo. As we hike along the ridge we can admire the beautiful landscape with its breathtaking contrasts of desert and vegetation before finally reaching the cloudy Karanga Camp. Overnight stay at Karanga Camp, (B|L|D).

Day 6: Karanga Camp (4,035 m) – Barafu Camp (4,640 m) – approx. 4 hours hike
The vegetation becomes sparser as we approach the lunar terrain of the Kibo Saddle, a fascinating high desert landscape. In the afternoon we have the opportunity to explore the first 200 meters of the ascent route, while the Mawenzi peak at 5,149 meters shines in full light. This is an important step towards acclimatization. Tonight we will have to go to bed early because the night will be short. The climb to the summit begins at midnight, so it is important that we have a good rest beforehand. Overnight stay at Barafu Camp (B|L|D).

Day 7: Barafu Camp (4,640 m) – Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) – Millenium Camp (3,820 m) – approx. 12 to 14 hours
After a hot tea/porridge and a light snack, the climb begins around midnight. Warmly dressed and with the light of our headlamps, we climb the scree slopes of the Kibo. It’s steep and uphill in serpentines. After a 5 to 7 hour ascent in the dark we reach Stella Point (5,756 m), the crater rim of Kilimanjaro. From here strong wind and cold can be expected. Another 1 to 2 hours ascent along the crater ridge leads us to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m). Here we see Kilimanjaro in all its glory and enjoy the 360 ° view over the landscape at sunrise. You are now on the “roof of Africa”. The comparatively easy but long descent is almost on the same route. The temperatures now change from minus degrees to high plus degrees. Shortly before noon we should arrive at the Barafu Camp, where the cook is waiting for us with tasty dishes. After a warm meal and a well-deserved break of about 1 to 2 hours, we make our way to Millenium Camp (3,820 m), where dinner await us. Overnight at Millenium Camp (B|L|D).

Day 8: Millenium Camp (3,820 m) – Mweka Gate (1,630 m) – Arusha – approx. 3 hours hike and 2 hours drive
The last stage of our impressive adventure begins after breakfast with a traditional farewell ceremony from our mountain team. Then it goes gently downhill for 2 to 3 hours through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where our driver is waiting for us. He brings us back to our hotel in Arusha. After a wonderfully warm shower, you can relax by the hotel pool for the rest of the day. Overnight at the Hotel Mtoni River Lodge or similar, (B).

Day 9: Departure Drive to Arusha-Kilimanjaro International Airport or connecting module Safari / Zanzibar
Free time until departure. Our driver will pick you up from the hotel according to your flight details and drive you to the airport (B).

We reserve the right to make changes to the program due to special events, force majeure or weather reasons.

Legends: B = breakfast | L = lunch | D = dinner

Visa
For your trip to Tanzania you will need a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the entire duration of your trip, as well as a visa. The visa can be applied for electronically via the website https://visa.immigration.go.tz/. Visa processing usually takes around two weeks. It is recommended that you begin the visa application process as soon as you have received the final travel documents from us online approximately four weeks before the start of your trip..

Vaccinations
No compulsory vaccinations, in particular no yellow fever vaccination, are required for direct entry from Germany / Switzerland, Austria to the mainland of Tanzania and Zanzibar. This also applies when entering a yellow fever endemic area in transit; as long as the airport is not left during the stopover and the stay is less than 12 hours. However, you should be vaccinated against tetanus, hepatitis A, diphtheria and polio. Hepatitis B and typhoid vaccinations are recommended for long stays.
We recommend that you consult your doctor in good time. Further information can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.

Insurance
A travel health insurance (with rescue costs) is essential for your own safety and a prerequisite for booking our trips. In the event of an accident in the mountains or on safari that requires a helicopter, the helicopter will not take off until full coverage of the costs has been clarified.
We strongly recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance. Flights at bargain prices in particular cannot usually be rebooked or cancelled free of charge. In Tanzania there could also be complications with the weather, your health, etc., which would force you to abandon your trip.
We asked ERGO Reiseversicherung to put together different service packages for you. You can book the right travel health insurance for you at https://www.reiseversicherung.de.

It should be noted that geoDiscovery Tours only recommends that its guests book travel insurance through ERGO and assumes no responsibility for the contractual content between the travel guest and the insurance provider. It is up to each guest to book their travel insurance through ERGO or another provider.

Standard of hotels and accommodations
In Tanzania, the hotels we have booked are good and correspond to mid-western standards. The sanitary facilities are clean and functional. The hotel kitchen is adapted to Western eating habits and the food is safe to enjoy. Sometimes there can be power cuts or sometimes no hot water is available. The hotel staff is generally very friendly and makes every effort to ensure the well-being of each guest. The hotels we have booked are as follows:

Arusha: Mtoni Lodge, Mount Meru Game Lodge, Karama Lodge
Moshi / Kilimanjaro: Chanya Lodge, Weru Weru, Kaliwa Lodge, Salinero

Tour program
The travel program is optimally coordinated for all of the trips we recommend. However, it can happen that roads are closed or impassable without prior notice, that waiting times of several hours arise due to traffic jams or fuel shortages, that access to sites can be closed for various reasons, or other restrictions such as flight delays or even cancellations due to bad weather, strikes, Health of the participants, a pandemic or unfavourable conditions during trekking make the implementation of the travel program difficult or, in the worst case, impossible. However, our local guides are prepared for such situations and will endeavour to carry out all program points to your satisfaction. The inconvenience is usually limited. Nevertheless, it must be pointed out at this point that, for the reasons mentioned, program changes are possible at any time and are not the responsibility of the organizer. Any resulting costs are borne by the traveller. We ask for your understanding.

Flying in Tanzania
Domestic flights in Tanzania may be postponed for days due to limited airspace or weather conditions, or for technical or other reasons. Under these exceptional circumstances, our team will try – in cooperation with you – to relocate the tour to other regions or to organize road transport. The risk of delay and cancellation of these flights is borne by all participants.
In the event of a delay of several days, all participants are personally responsible for changing their flight home at least 48 hours in advance. We are of course happy to help you.

The domestic flights booked by us are:

• Air Tanzania
• Precision Air
• Flightlink
• Coastal Aviation
• Auric air

Please note that our trips are not suitable for people with limited mobility.