Your Safari starts! Your private driver with private safari vehicle is waiting for you! The driver is well educated and has a lot of knowledge about the country, animals and nature and even more, he is very passionate about it. He will show you the beauty of his country the coming days! He will discuss with you the day-to-day programme. The safari vehicle has 6 or 8 window seats, including the driver’s one. If you are inside the parks the rooftop will go up so you can see the animals close by. Inside the vehicle you can charge your phone or batteries. It is a 2-hour drive to Tarangire National Park, on your way to the park you pass through the Maasai steppes, pass Maasai villages and see the Maasai herding their cattle. Tarangire National Park is a famous park and it has a lot to offer! With 550 different bird species, it is a birders paradise. Nowhere in East Africa will you find so many bird species in one area! The Park is also well known for their big herds of elephants.

Defined by its two parallel rivers: the Mbalageti and the Grumeti, the Serengeti’s remote Western Corridor is home to a dazzling array of animal, bird and floral species. This region becomes a hive of activity around July, when it offers front row seats to the Great Migration, with hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and other migratory species thundering through the area’s woodlands and across its plains. While this is undoubtedly the annual wildlife highlight, the Western Corridor offers good game viewing throughout the year, with guided walks, horse riding safaris and balloon trips offered as an alternative to drives.

Defined by its two parallel rivers: the Mbalageti and the Grumeti, the Serengeti’s remote Western Corridor is home to a dazzling array of animal, bird and floral species. This region becomes a hive of activity around July, when it offers front row seats to the Great Migration, with hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and other migratory species thundering through the area’s woodlands and across its plains. While this is undoubtedly the annual wildlife highlight, the Western Corridor offers good game viewing throughout the year, with guided walks, horse riding safaris and balloon trips offered as an alternative to drives.

After breakfast we will have a game drive en route to the center of the Serengeti with lunchboxes. The name Serengeti is derived from the Maasai word Siringiti: endless plains. When entering the Serengeti, it becomes clear quite soon that this is a very fitting name. As far as the eye reaches you find the plains, only interrupted by an occasional tree, kopje (rock formation) or wildlife. During the Great Migration these planes are literally covered in animals, wildebeests and zebras, in search of grazing and water and participating in one of the largest annual movements of mammals on earth. At the end of the afternoon, you will arrive the central part of the Serengeti called Seronera. Your next overnight accommodation is Mbugani Seronera Camp  Overnight: Mbugani Camps

Today you have to rise early! Your driver will take you to one of the most special places on this planet: The Ngorongoro Crater. The Crater is the largest intact caldera in the world, and before you descent in the crater you have a beautiful view from the crater rim. The crater is a non-active volcano, to reach the crater floor you have to make quite a descent. In the Ngorongoro crater the diversity in animals and flora is immense. All the animals of the “Big Five” (elephant, black rhino, buffel, leopard and the lion) can be found in the crater. Today it is your chance to see the rare black rhino. In Lake Magadi, the alkaline lake in the crater, flamingos look for their food while hippos cool down in the sweet water pools after their grazing outing at night. In the Lerai Forest elephant with giant tusks pull leaves and branches from the trees while on the plains wildebeests, zebras and antelopes are grazing. Lions often look for the shade, sometimes even the shade of a car.

After breakfast it is time to visit Lake Manyara National Park. You drive there via a beautiful route. Situated at the foot of the Great Rift Valley Escarpment, you see the Lake already on your drive towards the park. Lake Manyara National Park is famous for its tree climbing lions, the large (migrating) flamingo population, and the different monkeys (sykes, colobus, vervet monkeys and olive baboons can be found in the forest area). Buffels roll in the mud of the alkaline Lake Manyara, a good treatment against ticks and other insects in their fur, while giraffes walk past the lake. Elephants walk seemingly effortless up and down the Great Rift Valley Escarpment and pelicans land in the lake, again a picture not easy to forget! The charm of Lake Manyara is that although it is small it is diverse and surprising!

After breakfast or lunch your driver will transfer you to Tulia Hotel in Arusha for dinner and overnight stay. Overnight: Tulia Hotel

After an early breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up from Arusha (1400m) and driven to the Marangu Gate (1980m). At the gate, the porters will organize and pack the belongings for the hike while you and your guide register with the Tanzania National Park (TANAPA). You will then be transferred by vehicle to the Rongai trailhead, which is 2.5 hours away from the Marangu Gate. The trail begins in the tall cornfields then leads into the pine forest. This trail has a gradual ascent and allows hikers to enjoy their surroundings. About halfway up the trail you will have a lunch break and you will reach the 1st Caves Camp (2600m) in the late afternoon or early evening. After washing up, a hot dinner will be served. For overnight, mountain temperatures may drop to freezing so be prepared! Hiking time: 5 hours Distance: Approximately 8 kilometers Habitat: Montane Forest

Following a hot breakfast, hikers will continue their ascent to Kikelewa Cave (3600m). The trail passes Second Cave (3450m) and this is a good spot to take a lunch break. Similar to the first night, your tents will be set up prior to arriving at camp and the porters will prepare drinking and washing water for you. You will enjoy evening snacks then dinner prepared by our chef. Be prepared for a cold night as temperatures drop below freezing at this exposed camp. Hiking time: 6-7 hours Habitat: Moorlands Overnight: Kikelewa Camp The Kikelewa Camp is part of the Rongai Route which approaches Kilimanjaro from the North, near the Kenya- Tanzania border. At the camp, adventurers can enjoy the surrounding grassy slopes. The camp is near the Tsavo River which runs from Tsavo West National Park into Tanzania.

On this day, hikers will enjoy a short, yet steep trail to Mawenzi Tarn Camp (4330m). In the moorland, you will spot exotic plants, including giant lobelia and groundsel. At camp, hikers will enjoy spectacular views and allow their bodies to acclimate. Hot dinner and washing water will be prepared for hikers as they enjoy the magnificent sunset. Hiking time: 3-4 hours Habitat: Moorlands Overnight: Mawenzi Tarn Camp The Mawenzi Tarn Camp is located near the base of Mawenzi, which is one of the 3 peaks of Mount. Kilimanjaro and is mostly used by ascending climbers on the Rongai route. The accommodation comprises of tents as well as shared pit latrines and a nearby tarn provides undrinkable water to campers.

After breakfast, hikers will continue ascending east for a half-day hike to Kibo Hut. Kibo is located in the “Saddle,” which refers to the area located between the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo in an alpine desert. There is no water at this camp, but hikers can buy mineral water and soft drinks at the camp office. An early dinner will be served so hikers can rest before attempting the summit the same night. Your guide will brief you in detail on how to prepare for summit night. Get to sleep by 19:00! Hiking time: 4-5 hours Habitat: Alpine desert Overnight: Kibo Hut Kibo is a little basecamp set in the Kilimanjaro National Park. Climbers set camp here before leaving for Uhuru Peak. Accommodation at Kibo is provided in dormitory rooms that caters to 60 people in a stone house.

Your guide will wake you around 23:30 for tea and biscuits. You will then begin your summit attempt. The trail is rocky up to Hans Meyer Cave (5150m). You continue your ascent to Gillman’s point (5681m). Reaching this section is an impressive achievement as the trail is steep, rocky, and at high altitude. Gillman’s is located on the crater rim. From this point, you will usually experience a snow-covered trail. Summiting and taking photographs and drinking tea before the descent to Barafu begins. The hike down to Kibo Hut takes about 3 hours. At Kibo Hut, you will rest and enjoy a hot lunch in the sun. After eating, you will continue descending down to Horombo Hut (3720m). You will have a dinner, wash, and rest soundly at the hut after a strenuous day. Kibo Hut (4700m) – Uhuru Peak (5895m) – Horombo Hut (3720m) Hiking time: 8 hours to Uhuru and 6 hours to Horombo Habitat: Stone scree / ice-cap summit Distance: Approximately 6 kilometers ascent and 21 kilometers descent

Following a well-deserved breakfast, your staff will have a big celebration full of dancing and singing. It is here on the mountain that you will present your tips to the guide, assistant guides, chef(s), and porters. After celebrating, you will descend for 6 hours back to Marangu Gate (1980m). The National Park requires all hikers to sign their names to receive certificates of completion. Hikers who reached Gillman’s Point (5681m) receive green certificates and hikers who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. After receiving certificates, you will drive back to Arusha for long overdue showers and more celebrations. Hiking time: 6 hours Distance: Approximately 27 kilometers