Itinerary
- Day 1
Nairobi
Your Kenya adventure begins with a 6 pm welcome meeting in Nairobi. If you're arriving earlier in the day, check out the National Museum of Kenya, Karen Blixen Museum, or Bomas of Kenya to see traditional tribal homesteads before the group gathers. You'll get to know your fellow travelers over dinner at a local restaurant.
Optional Activities
- Visit National Museum of Kenya
- Visit Karen Blixen Museum
- Visit Bomas of Kenya (traditional tribal homesteads)
Landmarks/POIs National Museum of Kenya Karen Blixen Museum Bomas of Kenya 
- Day 2
Nairobi to Amboseli National Park
Board your overland vehicle headed to Amboseli National Park. The park covers about 392 square kilometers and has Kenya's largest population of African elephants, including many with large tusks. On clear days you'll see Mt Kilimanjaro in the distance. Once you arrive, get on a game drive to see the wildlife and get a feel for the park.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Amboseli National Park overland vehicle game drive
Landmarks/POIs Amboseli National Park Mount Kilimanjaro - Day 3
Amboseli to Mto wa Mbu
Start at the Kimana Ranger Project where you'll meet the rangers protecting Kimana Sanctuary, an important area for migrating elephants. They'll talk about conservation efforts and the difficulties of protecting the Greater Amboseli ecosystem. Then drive toward the Kenya-Tanzania border to Mto wa Mbu, a charming village. A guided walk takes you through farms and homes to see local life. End the day with a traditional dinner and settle into your campsite.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Traditional dinner with local community)
Included Activities
- Kimana Ranger Project visit
- Mto wa Mbu village guided walk
- Traditional dinner with local community
Landmarks/POIs Kimana Sanctuary Mto wa Mbu 
- Day 4
Mto wa Mbu to Serengeti National Park
Wake early to enter the Ngorongoro Conservation area. You'll trade your overland vehicle for open roof 4WDs at the crater rim, taking in the views before heading down to the crater floor. Watch for wildebeest, lions, zebras, cheetahs, buffalo, and endangered black rhinos. Later you'll drive to Serengeti's vast plains with their seasonal color shifts. Grab a picnic lunch and settle into your campsite within the park, listening to nocturnal sounds as you rest.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Picnic lunch), Dinner
Included Activities
- Ngorongoro Crater 4x4 game drive
Landmarks/POIs Ngorongoro Crater Serengeti National Park 
- Day 5
Serengeti National Park
Head out early on a dawn game drive while animals are most active, then return to camp around 11 am for brunch. If you pre-booked the hot air balloon ride, you'll have a dawn pickup to the launch site, a scenic flight over the plains, and bush breakfast included. During the warmer afternoon hours, relax at camp. At dusk, board your overland vehicle for another game drive, returning in time for dinner.
- Meals
- Brunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Serengeti National Park morning overland vehicle game drive
Optional Activities
- Hot air balloon ride over Serengeti with bush breakfast (must be pre-booked)
Landmarks/POIs Serengeti National Park 
- Day 6
Serengeti to Karatu
Take a leisurely game drive and have a picnic lunch as you leave Serengeti National Park, soaking in the final views of this landscape. The drive to Karatu is long, but this small town will be your base for the next two nights.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Picnic lunch), Dinner
Included Activities
- Serengeti National Park afternoon overland vehicle game drive
Landmarks/POIs Serengeti National Park 
- Day 7
Karatu
This is your free day to relax or do things on your own. You could visit a local coffee plantation, take an optional game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, or hike through the Ngorongoro Reserve Forest to the Elephant Caves with a local guide. If you hike, you'll learn about the rainforest and might spot wildlife and birds.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Visit local coffee plantation
- Optional game drive in Lake Manyara National Park
- Guided hike through Ngorongoro Reserve Forest to the Elephant Caves
Landmarks/POIs Lake Manyara National Park Ngorongoro Reserve Forest Elephant Caves - Day 8
Karatu to Marangu
After breakfast, board your overland truck one last time and head to Arusha. You'll be dropped at the Impala Shuttle Office to say goodbye to your truck and crew. Then take an unescorted shuttle bus to Marangu in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro (1300 m), departing around 9 am. At 6 pm there's a welcome meeting for a full briefing and kit inspection with an experienced Kilimanjaro climber. Have a hearty dinner with fellow trekkers and rest before the climb.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Hearty dinner)
Included Activities
- Mount Kilimanjaro trek briefing
Landmarks/POIs Mount Kilimanjaro - Day 9
Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut
After a hearty breakfast, head to Marangu Gate (1860 m), the entrance to Mt Kilimanjaro National Park. You'll meet your guides and porters, do introductions, and sort out porter load assignments. Begin your trek on the Marangu Route, commonly called the Coca Cola route and the oldest track on the mountain. Watch for resident wildlife as you hike through the landscape.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Mount Kilimanjaro trek on Marangu Route
Landmarks/POIs Marangu Gate Mount Kilimanjaro National Park - Day 10
Mandara to Horombo Hut
This is a long hike covering 12 kilometers over 5 to 7 hours from Mandara to Horombo hut. The terrain gets slightly steeper along the way. Watch the rainforest transition into open alpine meadows dotted with giant heather trees. Ahead you'll see the twin snow-tipped peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. You'll cross several ravines before reaching Horombo Hut at 3780 meters. You'll spend the next two nights here.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Mount Kilimanjaro trek from Mandara to Horombo
Landmarks/POIs Kibo Peak Mawenzi Peak - Day 11
Horombo Hut (acclimatization day)
After breakfast, walk toward Mawenzi Hut, passing unusual Zebra Rocks along the way. Climb a steep grassy slope for views of Kibo that can't be matched from other spots. Return to Horombo for lunch. Spend your afternoon relaxing and letting your body adjust to the altitude, or ask the guides about short walks nearby. Drink plenty of water and rest well since the next couple of days will be pretty intense.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Mount Kilimanjaro acclimatization walk to Mawenzi Hut
Optional Activities
- Short walks around Horombo area (guide available)
Landmarks/POIs Mawenzi Hut Zebra Rocks - Day 12
Horombo to Kibo Hut
Walk approximately 10 kilometers from Horombo to Kibo Hut over 5-7 hours. As you go higher, notice the landscape turning increasingly rugged and rocky with noticeably thinner air. The pace slows down to handle these environmental changes. You'll see giant groundsels and lobelias scattered across sparse moorland. After skirting Mawenzi Peak and crossing the stark lunar landscape of the Saddle, you'll reach Kibo Hut at 4740 meters. Get an early night to prepare for a very early wake-up call.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Mount Kilimanjaro trek from Horombo to Kibo Hut
Landmarks/POIs The Saddle - Day 13
Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak to Horombo Hut
Guides wake you at 11 pm with hot tea for the final trek to the summit. The six-kilometer hike from Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak takes 6-8 hours, then you descend back to Horombo Hut in about the same time. Trek under stars, zigzagging up a scree slope with torchlight to Gilman's Point at 5685 meters, hopefully arriving at sunrise behind Mawenzi Peak. Expect extreme cold on this hardest stretch. The dramatic sunrise over the crater's ice fields makes the early start worth it. If you've got energy left, walk another 2 hours along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak at 5895 meters, Africa's highest point, for views of the crater, ice fields, and plains. After photos, descend to Horombo Hut for well-earned rest.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Mount Kilimanjaro trek to Uhuru Peak and descent to Horombo Hut
Landmarks/POIs Gilman's Point Uhuru Peak 
- Day 14
Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate
Continue your descent through alpine meadows and rainforest to the park gate. The 20-kilometer trek from Horombo to Marangu Gate takes 5-6 hours. Your transport waits at the gate to drive you back to the hotel for a relaxing shower, a real treat after five physically demanding days on the mountain. Over a celebratory meal, you'll relive and share your experiences from the past five days.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Celebratory meal)
Included Activities
- Mount Kilimanjaro descent to Marangu Gate
- Mount Kilimanjaro return transfers from hotel to park gate
Landmarks/POIs Marangu Gate - Day 15
Marangu (departure day)
No activities or trekking planned today. A transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport or a shuttle to Nairobi can be arranged locally. Check with your group leader about transportation options at the welcome meeting.
Optional Activities
- Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport
- Shuttle to Nairobi
