Safari to Kilimanjaro - Machame Route

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Has very high quality customer experiences and demonstrated commitment to responsible travel practices. read more
4.6 . Excellent
94%
Travel Style: Array Full on
Physical Level: Very Hard
Lodging Level: You'll stay in no-frills, but clean and comfortable, hotels or guesthouses. A 'Basic' trip might also involve a few nights of camping. Basic (2*)
16 days
From: $ 5,312 $ 332 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • Do Mt Kilimanjaro via the incredible scenic Machame route, passing through cloud forest and moorland zones to the glaciated precipices of Kibo’s south face. 
  • You'll be in great hands during your trek – with one guide for every two passengers – so all you’ll have to worry about is soaking up the scenery and keeping your footing!
  • Explore the Serengeti National Park in depth with four game drives – two early-morning and two late-afternoon – through this spectacular wildlife arena.
  • Take a mind-blowing safari across the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater in an open-roof 4WD for a chance to see the endangered black rhinoceros.
  • We’re an official partner with the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project. Hike easier knowing that while our porters are taking care of you, someone is looking out for them.

Short Description

Experience some of Kenya and Tanzania's most famous natural wonders on a 16-day adventure that will see you tackling the most challenging and scenic way to the roof of Africa on a trek along the Machame route to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. Once you descend, embark on an overland journey across the Serengeti plains and enjoy multiple game drives to seek out Africa's iconic animals. Descend to the floor of the gigantic Ngorongoro Crater in pursuit of elephants, lions, and elusive rhinos. This tour is a non-stop active action that's perfect for independent travellers who love a challenge.

Style Small group tour
Spend most of the time outdoors. Common trip themes and activities include cycling, hiking, kayaking, whitewater rafting.
Itinerary Focus Active
You'll stay in no-frills, but clean and comfortable, hotels or guesthouses. A 'Basic' trip might also involve a few nights of camping.
Lodging Level Basic (2*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal ground transport
Start City Nairobi
End City Moshi

Itinerary

Day 1 Nairobi

Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm, and you can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important briefing. If you arrive early, perhaps head out and explore the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum or the highly recommended Bomas of Kenya, where traditional homesteads of several Kenyan tribes are displayed in an outdoor village.

Day 2 Amboseli National Park

Today, you'll board your overland vehicle bound for Amboseli National Park. The park covers an area of about 392 square kilometres and is home to the largest population of African elephants in Kenya, and is known for large tuskers. If you're lucky to visit on a clear day, you'll be treated to exquisite views of Mt Kilimanjaro. When you arrive, you'll set off on a game drive to explore the park and discover the wildlife that call this place home.

Day 3 Mto Wa Mbu

This morning, depart early for Mto wa Mbu in your overland truck. Today includes a border crossing from Kenya into Tanzania, so be sure to have your passport handy. While you're on the road, there will be a stop at an ATM and a market or shop to stock up on any supplies you might need for the coming days. Arrive in Mto wa Mbu and acquaint yourself with this delightful small village – it's a fascinating snapshot of small-town African life, situated well off the tourist trail. Later, join the local community for a guided afternoon stroll around the farming areas, milling machine and local homes before enjoying a traditional meal for dinner. Your campsite this evening is located in Mto wa Mbu.

Day 4 Serengeti National Park

Rise and shine early, and head out to the wide-open plains of the Serengeti. The Serengeti landscapes see myriad colours during the year – green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season – but one thing is a constant: this never-ending landscape is home to thousands upon thousands of animals travelling as herds across the plains. This region gets its name from the local Maasai word ‘siringet’, meaning the place where the land moves on forever, and you’ll begin to understand why on your game drive today. Enjoy a picnic lunch, then head to your campsite, which is right in the action – located within the park itself! At night, listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep.

Day 5 Serengeti National Park

Start the day nice and early with a game drive at dawn. You will head out while the animals are at their most active, then head back to camp for brunch at around 11 am. This morning, there’s also the option of a balloon ride over the park. If you have pre-booked this activity, you will be picked up before dawn and driven to the launch site. After a safety briefing, glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height, where you’ll get some amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you will ascend, getting an overview of the vastness of the plains and the early morning movements of the herds. After landing, dig into a delicious bush breakfast, then return to your camp. After spending the warmer part of the day relaxing with your herd – just as the animals do – depart again at dusk for another adventure through the wild, returning in time for dinner.

Day 6 Karatu (Ngorongoro Crater)

Enjoy a leisurely game drive and picnic lunch on your way out of Serengeti National Park today. Soak up final views of this incredible spot, before entering the Ngorongoro Conservation area. On arrival at the crater, swap our overland vehicle for open roof 4x4's. Take in the spectacular views from the crater's rim as you make your way to the bottom, where animals roam the lakes, rivers, woodlands and hills. The animals here are less wary of humans and vehicles, and as a result, it's easier to watch them up close. Keep an eye out for wildebeest, lion, zebra, cheetah, buffalo, gazelle and the endangered black rhino. Later on, we'll leave the Ngorongoro Crater and drive to Karatu, a small town nearby and your base for the next two nights.

Day 7 Karatu

Today is a free day to relax or explore as you please. You might like to head to a local coffee plantation or take an optional game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. Perhaps opt for a hike through the Ngorongoro Reserve Forest to the Elephant Caves - a great way to stretch your legs after a few days of overland travel. You'll hike through the Ngorongoro rainforest as your local guide explains the ins and outs of the area and points out interesting animal tracks and footprints. Marvel at the wild landscape and spot beautiful birdlife as you walk.

Day 8 Marangu

Bidding farewell to your truck and crew, this morning we make our way back to Arusha where will catch a morning shuttle bus from Arusha to Moshi in the foothills (1300 metres / 4500 ft) of Mt Kilimanjaro (approximately 4 hours). This section of the trip is unaccompanied by a leader. The shuttle departs from the Impala hotel at around 9 am once your group drops you off. In the early evening there is a full briefing and kit inspection by an experienced Kilimanjaro climber.

Day 9 Machame Camp

Meet your guides and porters after breakfast and take the opportunity to organise your gear before setting off on a 1-hour transfer by road to the Machame Gate – the south western entrance to the Mt Kilimanjaro National Park. On the way, stop into one of the clothes lending offices of Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Projects and learn how their program, supported by the Intrepid Foundation, is assisting porters. Begin your hike around lunch time, starting with a pleasant stroll through the rainforest, where many species of brightly coloured birds can be seen. Set up camp at Machame in the mid-afternoon ready for your first night on Kilimanjaro. The huts fell into disrepair some years ago, so with the help of the porters you will set up tents for the night. Enjoy an evening meal prepared by the porters and savour the first night of sleeping outdoors.

Day 10 Shira Camp

Your second day on the mountain takes you out of the rainforest and up a steep ridge into moor land. Watch as the vegetation grows sparser as you ascend along the path to the Shira Plateau – soon, several distinct species, including the giant groundsel and lobelia, will be the only plants dominating the harsh landscape. Spend the night camping on the edge of the plateau and be treated to a golden sunset over the snow-dusted peaks of Kibo.

Day 11 Barranco Camp

Enjoy a fantastic walk as you continue through the rolling landscape and deep river valleys. The undulating landscape offers a great chance to acclimatise and as you ascend to the more rugged areas of the mountain, there are great views of the Kibo Massif and its magnificent surrounds. Tonight is spent at Barranco Camp.

Day 12 Karanga Valley

Today is an important acclimatisation day as you’re only going to be walking during the morning. First, climb the Barranco Wall (not a technical climb) and then follow the Kibo South Circuit. If the weather is clear, you can expect to have some magnificent views of Kibo's southern glaciers. Arrive at your camp around lunchtime and rest your legs as you enjoy great views by the river in the Karanga Valley.

Day 13 Barafu Camp / Uhuru Peak

From Karanga, head up to the intersection of the South Circuit and the Mweka route where you’ll start climbing up a ridge to Barafu Hut. Barafu is Swahili for ‘ice’ – it can be very cold here at night! You should arrive at Barafu around late lunchtime, allowing plenty of time to rest before the final summit attempt very early tomorrow morning.

Day 14 Uhuru Peak / Millennium Camp or Mweka Camp

At around midnight you’ll be woken by the guides with some hot tea and biscuits to give you energy before the long, difficult ascent up scree, and sometimes snow, to Stella Point (5780 metres). Pass the giant Rebmann Glacier en route and hopefully arrive at Stella Point in time for sunrise and superb views of the crater, the glacier glistening in the morning sun. From Stella it’s a further 1-hour hike along the rim of the crater to Uhuru Peak (5896 metres), the highest point in Africa. From the summit, take in unforgettable views of the crater, the ice fields and the vast and distant East African plains below. After photos and back-patting, begin your descent. Back at Barafu Camp, enjoy a well-earned lunch and much thicker air! After lunch, continue on to Mweka Camp for the night and have a well-deserved rest.

Day 15 Moshi

Today you’ll continue to descend the mountain, traversing alpine meadows and rainforest to the Mweka park gate. From Mweka Camp to the Mweka gate, trek for 10 kilometres (approximately 3–4 hours) descending a total of 1300 metres (4300 feet). Enjoy some lunch after checking out of the park and then transport back to the hotel for a relaxing shower – a real treat after the physical exertions of the last few days! Tonight, gather with your trekking companions for a meal, sharing your experiences of the past six days on the mountain.

Day 16 Moshi

With no activities or trekking planned for today, you are free to depart at any time. Transfers to Kilimanjaro Airport or a shuttle to Nairobi can be arranged locally – please speak to your leader at your welcome meeting if you wish to organise this.

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 5,312
Price Per Day: $ 332 per day
Checking price
Start DateFinish DateBase PriceAvailability 
Feb-03-2024Feb-18-2024$ 5,4683 spots left Reserve
Jun-08-2024Jun-23-2024$ 5,3124 spots left Reserve
Jul-06-2024Jul-21-2024$ 5,5801 spots left Reserve
Jul-27-2024Aug-11-2024$ 5,5802 spots left Reserve
Aug-17-2024Sep-01-2024$ 5,52410 spots left Reserve
Aug-31-2024Sep-15-2024$ 5,52411 spots left Reserve
Sep-14-2024Sep-29-2024$ 5,31210 spots left Reserve
Sep-28-2024Oct-13-2024$ 5,31210 spots left Reserve

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4,408 Intrepid Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings

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4.6 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
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Value
4.6
Guide
4.6
Activities
4.6
Lodging
4.6
Transportation
4.6
Meals
4.6

Safari to Kilimanjaro - Machame Route

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Went on Highlights of Japan Tour, 8 days on19/11/23. Tour Leader was Yuki Saida, she was marvellous. Helpful, knowledgeable and patient.I suggest you keep her as she is an amazing asset to your Company. The group jelled together well but there is one point that needs examining. We travelled to the countryside a spent a night at a homestay on 21/11/23 at a stay called Voketto. The young man who owned it was charming but the place was a mess, cold, damp and basically a building site. He admitted he couldn't cook and he was right. i definitely advise a host course or a revamp of property if he is to remain on your books There was a trainee guide on the tour Junko she was very good too. Thank you Lesley Webb
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Many recent reviews are pointing to a sharp decline in quality and service with Intrepid. My recent experience echoes all that has been mentioned. They are appalling at responding to serious concerns. I have countless auto responses from its laughingly useless and lazy customer service department. Their financial management is a joke. They couldn't find my payment despite my twice providing traces from my bank. They are pathetic liars about not just the money. They lied about their failure to send me any information about my upcoming trip, how they omitted me from the group email circulation. They lied about anyone including a 'senior manager' trying to phone me.
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Details

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal ground transport Overland vehicle,minibus,4x4 Safari Vehicle

Group Size

Small Group - 24 max

Maximum Number of People in Group: 22

Accommodations

Camping (with facilities) (3 nights),Camping (with basic facilities) (8 nights),Cottage (1 night),Hotel (3 nights)

Guides

On this trip you will be accompanied by three crew members - Group Leader, Cook and Driver who will usually be Kenyan. Your Group Leader’s role involves organizing the overall operation and smooth-running of the trip, managing trip logistics, coordinating the tipping kitty (where applicable) and will form work groups to take turns cooking, cleaning and shopping. (From time to time your leader may drive as well) Your Group Leader will work towards making the trip as safe and enjoyable as possible for all travellers. Intrepid trips are built around the co–operation and participation of all the group members under the supervision of the group leader. The group leader will show the group how to set up and use the equipment. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting, especially when tracking and identifying game - we think it's the best of both worlds. Regardless of the country of origin, our Group Leaders are chosen for their leadership skills and are wonderful ambassadors for our company and our beautiful continent and its people. Your Cook is responsible for the cooking and will help to coordinate the work groups for preparing the meals and washing up! Cooks are also responsible for organizing food shopping (they are always happy to have you on board) and most importantly, they make sure high hygiene standards are kept at all times while camping. Your Driver’s main responsibility is to get you to your destination safely; they are also responsible for the maintenance of the vehicles along the way. Everyone is expected to participate and carry their share of the workload/duties, making camp chores easier. The duties Rota system is adopted where all members share in general camp duties – cooking, shopping, washing up etc. If the whole group participates it will be quicker, easier, and more fun. We endeavour to provide the services of an experienced leader and crew; however, situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. KILIMANJARO CLIMB: This trip is led by experienced guides, with a minimum of 1 guide to every 2 climbers. Sufficient porters are employed to carry the group’s equipment.

Age Notes :

Min. Age: 15

Max Age: 99

Additional Information

Finish point

  • Chanya Lodge
  • Plot 298, Kiboriloni (off Arusha-Himo Road)
  • Moshi
  • 8176
  • TANZANIA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF
  • Phone: +255 (0) 768 128 686

Trip ID#:

intrepid-YKXCC

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