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Arusha Hotel/Camp Sites/Ngorongoro Crater Lodge

A 10 day safari for those who enjoy the combination of adventure and luxury. Spend 7 days walking the Machame route, the most beautiful and scenic route up Mount Kilimanjaro and have the opportunity to conquer Uhuru, the highest mountain peak in Africa. Your safari ends with 2 nights at Ngorongoro Crater lodge with its' magnificent views and spectacular wildlife at the Ngorongoro Crater.

Day 1: Arusha

This adventure begins and ends at Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania. On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport you will be met and transferred you to the Arusha Hotel for your first night.  Accommodation is in a standard room and your stay includes breakfast.

This attractive little town is situated beneath the towering peaks of Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro. Arusha, renowned as the safari capital of Tanzania, offers a plethora of attractions and adventures. The town has numerous first-class restaurants, bars and markets to browse, and is the ideal place to spend a few relaxing days before embarking on a safari or attempting to scale Kili. Not-to-be-missed is the Arusha National Park (in Ngurdoto Crater), the National Natural History Museum, the Laetoli Footprints (set in volcanic ash, dating back 3 500 000 years) and the beautiful coffee plantations that dot the landscape.

The rest of the afternoon is spent with your mountain guide, preparing for the climb.

Day 2: Machame Route – Mt Kilimanjaro

After breakfast, a morning drive will take you to the Machame climb, where the track begins. The day is spent walking to Machame Hut through the mountain's lush lower rain forest. Depending upon weather conditions, this can be a moderate to a demanding day's hike. Camp is pitched at an altitude of around 3 000 m (9 845 feet).

Day 3: Shira Plateau

Rising early, you cross a valley and a stream, and then climb up a steep ridge for 3 to 4 hours. The path then drops into a river gorge before ascending more gently onto the moorland of the Shira Plateau, one of the most fascinating areas of the mountain. Tonight the camp is located near the Shira Hut at 3 840 m (12 600 feet).

Day 4: Baranco Valley

Today you will walk for 5 to 6 hours, enjoying the typical Kilimanjaro mountain vegetation (senecios, lobelia, helichrysum) and reaching a high point of around 4 600 m (15 090 feet) before descending for the rest of the day. On clear days, you will be able to see the Lava Tower, as well as some distant glaciers. These glaciers are shrinking as world temperatures increase and it is speculated that in a mere 15 years many of them will disappear forever. The path down to the Barranco Valley can be particularly rewarding and the view of Kibo peak is truly spectacular. In the evening the blanket of cloud often hangs just below the valley, pulsating in the dying light. Camp is pitched in the Barranco Valley at an altitude of around 3950 m (12 969 feet).

Day 5: Karanga Valley

Today you will ascend the Barranco wall, then walk across scree and ridges into the Karanga Valley (4 100m or 13 450 feet)), with breathtaking views of the Western Breach and the southern glacier. You will arrive in camp in time for lunch and then have plenty of time to relax and even go for a short acclimatisation walk.

Day 6: Karanga Valley 2

From Karanga you will head up a morraine ridge, taking your time and going slowly. The views here can be spectacular, with vistas of the southern glaciers and the glacial valleys that snake their way down the mountain. The final stage to Barafu is quite steep and, as always, we will take it very slowly. As on the day before, you will reach camp around lunch time, leaving plenty of time to prepare and relax. In the evening, your guide will brief you for the final ascent.

Day 7: The Summit

The attempt on the summit occurs in the very early morning hours. Each climber is assigned a summit guide to ensure that everyone makes it to the top or returns in complete safety, as required. The going is slow and often quite frustrating on the scree, but persistence and patience ensure steady progress. Near the summit, you will pass through the gap between the Ratzel and Rebmann glaciers. At Stella Point you can choose to return - after all, you are already higher than any other point in Africa! Otherwise, continue to Uhuru peak (5 896 m or 19 345 feet). Despite the distance being relatively short, progress is slow - there is less than half the oxygen than at sea level! Uhuru Peak provides a unique satisfaction and usually releases a plethora of emotions. If progress is good, you can watch the sunrise from the roof of Africa. Most people begin the descent quite soon after sunrise, as the return journey is quite long. Camp is pitched at Mweka at around 3 100 m (10 170 feet).

Day 8-9: Ngorongoro

The final descent will take you through the lower heath section, which quickly turns into rainforest.

Your time on Kilimanjaro will end at Mweka Gate, where a vehicle will be waiting to take you back to the Arusha Airport. Here you will board a scheduled flight to Manyara airstrip. On landing you, will be met and transferred by road to Ngorongoro Crater Lodge where you will spend the final two nights.

Accommodation is in a sumptuous suite, discreetly tended by a personal butler. Your stay includes three meals daily, scheduled activities, laundry, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits, park and crater fees.  Activities include game drives on the crater floor. Additional activities to the Olduvai Gorge or Shifting Sands, a visit to a traditional Maasai village and walks around the Empakai Crater may be booked directly at the lodge (subject to additional cost and availability of vehicles).

The Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area within the Serengeti is home to more than 30 000 protected animals. It is an area of spectacular beauty and excellent game viewing, a truly unique safari destination in Africa. The Ngorongoro Crater, once a gigantic volcano, is the largest intact caldera in the world. Some maintain that, before it erupted, it would have been higher than Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. Today, long since having collapsed and eroded, it is an extensive highland area with the famous 600 metre (1 970 foot) deep Ngorongoro Crater as its focal point. Nearly three million years old, the ancient caldera shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens on earth. Fresh springs and a large soda lake quench the thirst of all the inhabitants. Black rhino are protected within its rim, giant tusked elephants wander the forests, black-maned lions stalk the grasslands and flamingos crowd the soda lakes.

Day 10: Depart

After breakfast you will be transferred back to Manyara Airstrip for your scheduled flight to Arusha Airport.  On landing you will be met and transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flight.