2025 Mt. Kilimanjaro Hike, Race and Serengeti Safari

Machame Gate (1490m) to Machame Camp (2980m)
Hiking time: +/- 7 hours
18KM
Habitat: Mountain Forest

The Machame Route is arguably the best route as it has the best scenery and maximizes the time and options available for hiking while allowing for a more leisurely pace.

The nights are spent camping and we provide top mountain guides, porters and cooks to look after you. Camping equipment is provided and is carried by the porters. There are no shower/bath facilities while doing the hike, however we will have private, sit down flush toilets!

After a hearty breakfast your guides will come to collect you and you will drive from the lodge to Machame village gate (although you may have to walk to the gate depending on the road conditions). After registering at the gate, you will begin by entering the rain forest.

You will have a welcome packed lunch stop about halfway and will reach the Machame camping area in the late afternoon. The crew will set everything out at your campsite and all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the great outdoors.

All meals included today but you may want to bring your own snacks.

Machame Camp (2980m) to Shira Camp (3840m)
Hiking time: +/- 6 hours
9KM
Habitat: Moorland

After an early breakfast you will climb for an hour or so to the top of the forest and then for 2 hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone. After a short lunch and rest, you will continue up a rocky ridge onto the stunning Shira plateau, due west of Kibo, from which you will be able to see
the breathtaking glaciers. After a short hike you will reach the Shira campsite at 3,840m. The climbing crew will provide you with a tasty meal and you will then have plenty of time to sit back and relax.

All meals included today but you may want to bring your own snacks.

Shira Camp (2980m) to Lava Tower (4630m) to Barranco Camp (3950m)
Hiking time: +/- 7 hours
15KM
Habitat: Semi-Desert

The route now turns east into a semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower. After lunch you will climb a rocky scree path to the Lava Tower (4630m). This five hour walk will probably be your hardest day so far and some climbers may begin to feel the altitude. However our experienced team will coach you through the symptoms and provide you with all the advice and
support you need.

After lunch you descend again by almost 680m to the Barranco camping area, whilst it may seem illogical to be going down at this point, you will quickly appreciate its true acclimatization benefit.

This descent to Barranco camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is situated in a valley
below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your dinner.

All meals included today but you may want to bring your own snacks.

Barranco Camp (3950m) to Barafu Camp (4550m)
Hiking time: +/- 9 hours
13KM
Habitat: Alpine Desert

Your day begins by tackling the awesome obstacle of the Great Barranco Wall. Whilst initially an imposing site, its climb is invariably easier than anticipated. You will quickly appreciate how beautiful the mighty Kilimanjaro is when you reach the bottom of the Heim Glacier. You will then head down to the Karanga Valley. From there you will make your way over the ridges and valleys, and join up with the Mweka route. After another hour or so, you reach Barafu (Swahili for Ice) Hut.

This camp gives you a real experience of the icy elements. The camp is exposed to the ever-present gales the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony ridge. You will appreciate your warm and cozy sleeping bags on this night! The summit is now only a further 1,345m up and you will make the final
ascent the same night. The team will help you to prepare your equipment and clothing for your summit attempt. You will go to bed at about 19h00 and try to get some precious rest and sleep.

All meals included today but you may want to bring your own snacks.

Barafu Camp (4550m) to Uhuru Peak (5895m) to Mweka (3100m)
Hiking time: +/- 16 hours
30KM
Habitat: Stone Scree and Ice-Capped Summit

At about 23h30 you will be awoken to some tea and biscuits and will make a move into the night. You will head in a north-westerly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. Many climbers find this 6-hour walk to Stella point the most mentally and physically
challenging aspect of the climb. At Stella Point (5,685m) your efforts will be rewarded with a short rest and the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point you will normally encounter snow all the way on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak, the
highest point in Africa and achievement you will remember for the rest of your life.

The walk back to Barafu from the summit, takes about 3 hours. Here you will have a well earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear, before heading down to Mweka hut (3,100m). The route is not difficult and will take you down the rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest. Here you will rest and feel proud of your achievement.

All meals included today but you may want to bring your own snacks.

Barafu Camp (4550m) to Uhuru Peak (5895m) to Mweka (3100m)
Hiking time: +/- 16 hours
30KM
Habitat: Stone Scree and Ice-Capped Summit

After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short 3-hour and scenic hike back to the Park gate where you will receive your certificates; those climbers who reached Stella Point (5,685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5,895m) receive gold certificates. You will be picked up and brought back to the Lodge for a warm welcome, a cold
celebratory drink and a hearty meal.

All meals included today but you may want to bring your own snacks.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

If you interrupt your climb, for whatever reason (illness, through choice, bad weather etc) and return from the mountain early, then you will be liable for extra transport and additional hotel nights, meals etc. No climbing fees and related costs will be refunded. These additional amounts must be settled with the hotel prior to departing Moshi.

Prior to departure, you will need to pack the bulk of your clothing and gear into a large rucksack or duffel bag which will be carried by the crew. Note, no bag on Kilimanjaro (irrespective of who carries it) should weigh more than 15 kg and will be weighed at the gate). Clients will carry a smaller backpack or day-pack with key items of clothing and personal effects.

Today is a day of rest and recovery to sit poolside with a cold drink, or if you’re up for it, head into Moshi for some souvenir shopping and lunch.

OPTIONAL INCLUDED TOUR
Dream Travel has donated a year’s worth of meals to an entire school of 370 children. just down the street from our host hotel. Join us in visiting the school, meeting the children and getting a glimpse of real life for the youth of Tanzania. We will not ask for any donations from you, but if you are wanting to bring school supplies to help out, or donate meals, let us know and we’ll let you know how.

Breakfast is included today.

For those of you running the 5K, Half Marathon or Full Marathon, you will be boarded a bus that will depart at 4:30AM sharp as roads will be closed by 5AM. Transport will take you to the race start and also back to the Honey Badger Lodge after the event.

Breakfast is included today.

All races start at Moshi Stadium. Both the Half and the Full marathon have a 10K hill that will offer views of Kilimanjaro and there are plenty of well-wishers along the road. The uphill climb is gradual, but with Kilimanjaro towering above and all the local villagers out to cheer you on, the time passes quickly. The turnaround point marks approximately 10KM and the last section is a fast-downhill run back towards the stadium. Regular water tables as well as “sponging points” and the odd “shower” keep you refreshed and cool along the entire route.

After breakfast, your Guide will collect you at Honey Badger Lodge and your safari will commence. You will drive from Moshi to Manyara National Park. This takes approximately 4 hours. After enjoying a picnic lunch, you will go on the first game drive of your safari and in this park; the afternoon is the best time to view animals. Frequently seen in Lake Manyara National Park are zebras, impalas, monkeys, giraffes, buffalos, hippos, warthogs among many others. Before dark you shall return to the Lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

All meals are included today.

Lake Manyara National Park is famous for its tree-climbing lions, which spend most of the day spread out along the branches of Acacia trees six to seven meters above the ground. Nestling at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, the park is noted for its incredible beauty. As visitors enter the gate they pass into the lush forest, home to troops of baboons and both blue and velvet monkeys. Further along, the forest opens up into woodlands, grassland, swamps and, beyond, the soda lake itself covering, 200 square kilometers and sanctuary to over 400 species of bird including flamingo, pelican, stork, sacred ibis, cormorant, and Egyptian goose. The park is particularly noted for its huge herds of buffalo and elephant, as well as giraffe, hippo, reedbuck, warthog, wildebeest, zebra and a great variety of smaller animals.

After breakfast, drive down into Ngorongoro Crater and enjoy a half day game drive. This is undoubtedly one of the best places to see the rare black rhino in Africa, not to mention the prides of lion and the magnificent
black-mane lions. There are lots of colorful flamingos and the variety of water birds. In the crater you are also likely to see leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, many members of the antelope family, and small mammals of all sorts. After the game drive you will transit to central Serengeti where you will spend the night.

All meals are included today.

The Ngorongoro Crater, at 2,286 metres above sea level, is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. Surrounded by very steep walls rising 610 metres from the crater floor, this natural amphitheatre measures 19.2 kilometres in diameter and 304²km in area. It is home to up to 30,000 animals, almost half being wildebeest and zebra. Buffalo, elephant, hippo, hyena, jackal, lion, ostrich, several, warthog, bushbuck, eland, hartebeest, reedbuck, waterbuck and huge herds of both Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle are easily seen on the crater floor. Thanks to anti-poaching patrols, the crater is now one of the few places in East Africa where visitors can be certain of seeing black rhino, with the number now approaching 25. Leopard may occasionally be seen in the trees of the forest surrounding the crater while cheetahs are also present. Countless flamingo form a pink blanket over the soda lakes while more than 100 species of birds not found in the Serengeti have been spotted. The crater, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which covers more than 8,300²km.

On this day you will enjoy a game drive within central Serengeti. The park has the amazing landscape that earned it the Maasai name Serengeti – Endless Plains. In the evening, enjoy a game drive in the Serengeti. Again this is a great time to view game – particularly the carnivores as this is their favorite time to hunt. Before dark you shall return to the Lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

All meals are included today.

The Serengeti National Park is arguably the best known wildlife sanctuary in the world. Serengeti means “endless plains” in the Masai language, and within its boundaries are more than three million large mammals. About 35 species of plains animals may be seen here, including the so-called “big seven” – buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard, rhino, cheetah and African hunting dog. The black rhino population of the Serengeti has developed well in recent years thanks to constant surveillance. Other animals frequently seen in the Serengeti include baboon, caracal, civet, bat-eared fox, genet, giraffe, hippo, honey badger, hyrax, mongoose, ostrich, several, both Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelle, velvet monkey and some 20 types of antelope including hartebeest, impala, kudu, reedbuck, roan, topi, waterbuck and the much smaller dik dik, duiker, klipspringer and oribi. There is, of course, also a profusion of birdlife. Over 500 species including bustards, cranes, eagles, herons, owls, storks, vultures and the bizarre, long-legged secretary birds.

After breakfast you will drive to Tarangire National Park. The transit will take approximately 2 hours. Tarangire National Park is spectacular in any season and many of the migratory wildlife species can be found at the permanent waters of Tarangire River. Huge herds of wildebeest, zebras, elephants, elands and Oryx gather until the onset of the rain, when they migrate again to good grazing areas. In the evening before dark you will be driven back to Honey Badger Lodge for a farewell group dinner and overnight stay.

All meals are included today.

Today is the day that you either head back to Canada, or hopefully head over to Zanzibar for some beach time!

Breakfast is included today.

*IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT THE SAFARI: The itinerary may change due to weather and animal migration patterns. If we change the itinerary, it’s so that we see more animals and create a better experience for you!