12 Days Maasai Mara and Kilimanjaro Hiking
Duration
Overview
12 days Maasai Mara and Kilimanjaro safari will take you to Maasai Mara National reserve in Kenya where you will encounter Africa’s big five in their natural habitat. While in Maasai Mara, you will be able to experience one of the world’s largest animal migration popularly known as the wildebeest migration that involves millions of animals crossing from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to Maasai Mara in Kenya. Wait to enjoy a wildlife drama as wildebeests, zebras and many other animals cross River Mara while predators patiently wait to grab a feast on them. With this safari, you will enjoy your hiking experience on Mountain Kilimanjaro to the summit known as the Uhuru peak that stands at an elevation of 5,895 meters above sea level.
Included/Exclude
Tour Itinerary
Upon your arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, wait to be received by our professional driver guide who will then brief you through this 12 days itinerary. You will then be driven for around 4 hours to Maasai Mara National reserve arriving to check in your reserved lodge to check-in and have lunch. After lunch, you will hit the savannah plains of Maasai Mara to have a wildlife encounter in their natural habitat. You will spot the African big five as well as other animals like cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, aardwolf, antelopes, African hare, mongoose, bat eared fox and many more. A variety of bird types will be spotted such as African Darter, fish eagle, Harrier Hawk, Openbill stork, African spoonbill and many more. Return back to the lodge to have dinner and an overnight.
Wakeup to a hefty breakfast after which you will return to the Maasai Mara jungle to experience the wildebeest migration. Enjoy the magic at the Mara River while predators like crocodiles, lions, wild dogs and many more patiently wait to feast on helpless new born wildebeests, zebras and many more. You will spot various animals on your game drive such as jackals, wildebeest, impalas, hartebeests, bushbucks and many more. It’s at this moment that you will have everlasting memories as you have a picnic lunch in the jungle after which you will retire off back to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and an overnight.
Have an early morning breakfast and proceed for a cultural tour to the Maasai people who live amicably with the wildlife in the Maasai Mara National reserve. You will get to learn about their unchanged traditions, norms and customs for years for example how they milk their indigenous cattle, processes undertaken to make their local houses, how to get fresh blood from animals and may more. You will enjoy their cultural dances before you return back to the lodge for lunch. After lunch you will check-out to be driven to Nairobi to catch your flight to Kilimanjaro international airport in Tanzania. Arrival will be in the late afternoon to be driven to a hotel in Moshi town in Tanzania for dinner and an overnight.
Grab yourself a cup of coffee in the early morning and later be driven to Chemka hot springs also known as the Kikuletwa hot springs. You will enjoy its natural beauty as you closely watch over the bubbling water come from underground while your guide narrates all its geographical and historical attachment. You will have amazing views of Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro as you have the opportunity of either swimming in the spring’s waters or proceed for primates viewing in the forests around. You will return bac to your lodge for your late lunch, relaxation have diner and an overnight as you wait to experience your hike to Mountain Kilimanjaro.
You will have breakfast served in the early morning and be driven to Mountain Kilimanjaro National Park at Machame gate to be briefed about the mount hiking rules where you will make a checklist of your hiking materials for example hiking shoes, sticks, gloves and many more. You will have the opportunity to hire a few that may be lacking. An experienced hiker or ranger guide will lead you as you hike through the lower rainforests as you spot various primates and bird types proceeding to arrive at the Machame camp to relax, have dinner and an overnight. A hike to this camp lasts to about 6 hours though so much rewarding.
Have your delicious breakfast served, proceed with your hike upward while you cross the valley to encounter rugged terrain where white waters will be seen flowing as you spot a river gorge which will create everlasting memories. This hike to Shira camp lasts for about 5 to 6 hours arriving at the camp to have dinner and your second overnight at the mountain.
Get off your tent to have breakfast after which you will proceed with you Kilimanjaro hike as you will now experience a new climate while you cross through the Shira plateau. You will proceed eastwards to a ridge where you will take off a junction that will lead you upwards as you start experiencing glaciers with your final stop-over at the Barranco camp which lasts for about 5 to 6 hours to have dinner and an overnight.
Greet your intestines with an early morning breakfast and proceed with your hike to Karanga camp that stands at an elevation of about 4,034 meters above the sea level. You will have an experience of the alpine area while you proceed with a steep ridge to Barranco wall. Your hiking ability will be tested here while you cross the Karanga valley to connect to Mweka trail. You will have your other adventurous day here as you spend your night at the Karanga camp.
This day starts with breakfast after which you will proceed to a more freezing point referred to as the Barafu which is a Swahili word that means ice. You will enjoy the scenic beauty of its surroundings viewed from a high elevation as you now get prepared to have an early dinner as you get prepared to conquer the summit in the night.
You will have to wake up as early as midnight to embark on your hike to Uhuru summit which stands at an elevation of 5895 meters above sea level. At this point, you will render your hike successful as you will experience the real adventure compelling you to take lots of pictures while in glaciers at the summit. You will descend back with a stop-over at Barafu camp to rest a bit as you have lunch after which you will continue down to Mweka camp where you will spend your last night at Mountain Kilimanjaro.
Wakeup to have a hefty breakfast and further descend to Mweka gate where you will have your hiking certificate issued to you. It is at this point that you will have to hand over whatever you could have hired if any and then meet your driver guide to be transported to Moshi town for relaxation at a hotel as you wait to have dinner and an overnight.
Unlock your day with breakfast, checkout to catch your 2 hours’ drive Arusha to have an insight into Tanzania’s culture by visiting museums such as Arusha National History Museum and Arusha Declaration Museum where you will also be able to buy some souvenirs back home. Have lunch after which you will proceed to be dropped off at the airport to catch your outbound flight back home.