11 Days Mount Kilimanjaro Marangu Route & Tanzania Wildlife Safari
Combine the thrill of standing on the “Roof of Africa” with the magic of a quintessential East African safari. This handcrafted 11-day Mount Kilimanjaro Marangu Route and Tanzania Wildlife Safari pairs a classic 6-day Kilimanjaro trek with game drives through northern Tanzania’s most celebrated wildlife parks: Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and the UNESCO-listed Ngorongoro Crater.
Ascend to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) along the well-established Marangu Route—the only trail offering the comfort of A-frame alpine sleeping huts and an essential acclimatization day at Horombo Hut (3,720m). After descending, transition from mountain gear to open-top 4×4 safari vehicles to track Africa’s iconic Big Five, witness Lake Manyara’s tree-climbing lions, and marvel at Tarangire’s ancient baobabs and massive elephant herds.
11-Day Expedition Highlights
- Duration: 11 Days / 10 Nights (Kilimanjaro Mountain Trek + Tanzania Wildlife Safari)
- Mountain Route: 6-Day Marangu Route (communal solar-powered hut accommodation)
- Summit Goal: Uhuru Peak (5,895m / 19,341ft) via Stella Point and Gilman’s Point
- Big Five Safari Destinations: Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area
- Safari Transport: Custom 4×4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof for 360-degree photography
- Acclimatization Strategy: Full rest and active day hike at Horombo Hut to maximize summit success
Detailed Day-by-Day Expedition Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Tanzania – Transfer to Moshi (Kilimanjaro Base)
Your adventure begins upon landing at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). Meet your private transfer driver at the arrivals gate and enjoy a 45-minute scenic drive through coffee-growing countryside to your base hotel in Moshi, set right at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro.
In the late afternoon, gather with your lead certified mountain guide for a pre-climb briefing, health assessment, and gear check. Take this time to rent any cold-weather mountain gear, pack your 15 kg porter duffel bag, and enjoy a restful evening before the ascent begins.
- Accommodation: Base Hotel in Moshi (Bed, Breakfast & Dinner)
- Elevation: ~800 meters (2,625 feet)
Day 2: Moshi to Marangu Gate (1,870m) – Hike to Mandara Hut (2,700m)
- Trekking Distance: ~8 km (5 miles) | Hiking Time: 4–5 hours
- Elevation Gain: 830 meters (2,723 feet)
- Vegetation Zone: Montane Rainforest
Following an early breakfast, take a 45-minute drive through Chagga villages and banana groves to Marangu Gate (1,870m). While your guides register with the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA), meet your dedicated team of porters and mountain cooks.
Step onto the trail through a lush, moss-draped rainforest canopy. Walk at a steady, slow pace—practicing the mountaineer’s golden mantra, “pole pole” (slowly, slowly). Keep watch for blue monkeys and black-and-white colobus monkeys in the canopy. Reach Mandara Hut (2,700m) by mid-afternoon for hot tea, wash basins, and a warm dinner in the dining hall.
- Overnight: Mandara Hut
Day 3: Mandara Hut (2,700m) to Horombo Hut (3,720m)
- Trekking Distance: ~12 km (7.5 miles) | Hiking Time: 5–6 hours
- Elevation Gain: 1,020 meters (3,346 feet)
- Vegetation Zone: Heather and Moorland
Depart the rainforest belt early as the trail steepens and opens into sweeping heather and moorland hills. Walk past towering lobelias and otherworldly giant groundsels (Dendrosenecio).
As you ascend, the trail reveals unobstructed views of the jagged Mawenzi Peak to the east and the snow-capped Kibo dome ahead. Arrive at Horombo Hut (3,720m), the largest camp on the mountain. Relax, rehydrate, and allow your body to adapt as the ambient temperature drops and the air grows noticeably thinner.
- Overnight: Horombo Hut
Day 4: Dedicated Acclimatization Day at Horombo Hut (3,720m)
- Trekking Distance: ~5 km (3 miles) active acclimatization hike
- Hiking Time: 2–3 hours
- Elevation Profile: Climb to 4,020m and descend to 3,720m
- Strategy: “Climb high, sleep low”
This dedicated buffer day is the primary reason the 6-day Marangu trek boasts higher summit success than shorter options. Rushing past 3,700 meters without adaptation sharply increases the risk of altitude sickness.
After breakfast, join your guide for an active day hike up to Zebra Rocks (4,020m), named for their distinctive black-and-white striped volcanic mineral patterns. This hike stimulates red blood cell production without depleting your reserves. Return to Horombo Hut for a warm lunch, an afternoon nap, and plenty of fluids before an early dinner.
- Overnight: Horombo Hut
Day 5: Horombo Hut (3,720m) across the Saddle to Kibo Hut (4,700m)
- Trekking Distance: ~9.5 km (5.9 miles) | Hiking Time: 5–6 hours
- Elevation Gain: 980 meters (3,215 feet)
- Vegetation Zone: High Alpine Desert (“The Saddle”)
Pass the last running water stream as you ascend into the stark alpine desert. Traverse the Saddle—a vast, dry lunar plateau bridging the volcanic peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo.
The route across this barren landscape is wide and gradual, but thin air requires measured breathing. Reach Kibo Hut (4,700m) by early afternoon. Settle into your bunks, drink warm fluids, and eat an early, carbohydrate-dense dinner around 5:00 PM. Organize your thermal layers, insulated water bottles, and headlamp, then get into your sleeping bag by 7:00 PM for rest before the midnight summit bid.
- Overnight: Kibo Hut
Day 6: Summit Night! Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) – Descent to Horombo Hut
- Trekking Distance: 6 km ascent / 15.5 km descent | Hiking Time: 6–8 hrs up / 5–6 hrs down
- Elevation Profile: Ascend 1,195m to 5,895m; descend 2,175m to 3,720m
- Vegetation Zone: Arctic Summit Zone to Alpine Moorland
Wake up at 11:30 PM for hot tea and biscuits. Step out into the sub-zero night by midnight, following the switchbacking scree trail up toward Hans Meyer Cave under the glow of your headlamp.
- Gilman’s Point (5,685m): Reach the crater rim just as dawn casts brilliant orange and purple light over Mawenzi and the savannah below. Climbers reaching this point earn an official green climbing certificate.
- Uhuru Peak (5,895m / 19,341ft): Continue along the snowy crater rim past glacier walls for another 1.5 to 2 hours. Stand atop the Roof of Africa! Celebrate at the world-famous wooden summit sign, take your summit photos, and take in the panoramic views of the glaciers and vast caldera floor.
Begin the loose scree descent back to Kibo Hut for a hot meal and two hours of rest. Pack your gear and continue downward across the Saddle to Horombo Hut (3,720m). Sleep deeply in the oxygen-rich moorland air after an exhilarating 12- to 14-hour mountain day.
- Overnight: Horombo Hut
Day 7: Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate (1,870m) – Transfer to Arusha
- Trekking Distance: ~20 km (12.4 miles) | Hiking Time: 5–6 hours
- Elevation Loss: 1,850 meters (6,070 feet)
- Vegetation Zone: Moorland down to Montane Rainforest
Enjoy your final breakfast on the mountain before descending past Mandara Hut back into the lush rainforest belt.
Arrive at Marangu Gate (1,870m) to complete the official exit register:
- Climbers reaching Gilman’s Point receive a Green Certificate.
- Climbers summiting Uhuru Peak receive the prestigious Gold Certificate.
Gather with your guide, cook, and porter team for the customary tipping ceremony and the celebratory Kilimanjaro Hakuna Matata mountain song. Board your private vehicle for the transfer to your safari lodge in Arusha for hot showers, a celebratory dinner, and deep rest.
- Accommodation: Safari Lodge / Hotel in Arusha (Half Board)
Day 8: Arusha to Tarangire National Park (Elephant Country)
- Drive Time: ~2.5 hours from Arusha
- Safari Focus: Massive elephant herds, giant baobabs, and predator tracking
Trade your trekking boots for a custom 4×4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up photographic roof. Depart Arusha and head southwest to Tarangire National Park, named after the Tarangire River, the sole permanent water source in the region during the dry season.
Embark on extensive game drives across open savannahs dotted with ancient baobab trees. Tarangire is famous for hosting northern Tanzania’s highest density of African elephants, often seen in herds exceeding 50 to 100 individuals. Spot tree-climbing lions, leopards resting on tree limbs, giraffes, zebras, and vast herds of Cape buffalo. In the late afternoon, head to your lodge for dinner and sunset drinks over the bush.
- Accommodation: Budget Campsite OR Mid-range Camp / Lodge OR Luxury Lodge (Full Board)
Day 9: Tarangire / Karatu to Central Serengeti National Park
- Drive Time: ~4–5 hours via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area rim
- Safari Focus: Big cat tracking, endless savannah horizons, and Great Migration herds
Following an early breakfast, ascend through the lush highland forests along the outer rim of the Ngorongoro Crater before dropping down into the sweeping, golden plains of the Central Serengeti (Seronera Valley).
Enjoy an en-route game drive as you cross into Africa’s most famous national park. The Seronera river network provides year-round water, supporting large concentrations of resident wildlife. Track prides of lions lounging on smooth granite kopjes (rocky outcrops), spot cheetahs scanning the plains from termite mounds, and observe herds of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles. Arrive at your authentic safari camp for dinner around the campfire under starlit African skies.
- Accommodation: Budget Campsite OR Mid-range Camp / Lodge OR Luxury Lodge (Full Board)
Day 10: Central Serengeti Game Drive – Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater Rim
- Safari Focus: Morning predator action, riverine birdlife, and crater rim views
Set out at dawn for an early morning game drive when big cats—lions, leopards, and cheetahs—are at their most active. Watch the sunrise illuminate the savannah while scanning riverbanks for hippos and Nile crocodiles.
Return to camp for a full hot brunch, pack your bags, and begin a slow game-drive exit across the short-grass plains toward the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Ascend the scenic, forested outer slopes of the volcanic caldera to reach your lodge perched high along the crater rim. Savor panoramic sunset views extending across the 260-square-kilometer crater floor below.
- Accommodation: Budget Campsite OR Mid-range Camp / Lodge OR Luxury Lodge (Full Board)
Day 11: Ngorongoro Crater Floor Tour (Big Five Haven) – Transfer to JRO / Departure
- Drive Time: ~3.5 hours from crater floor to JRO Airport
- Safari Focus: Black rhinos, high-density lion prides, and soda lake flamingos
After an early breakfast, descend 600 meters down the steep crater walls to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater—the world’s largest unbroken, unflooded volcanic caldera and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Spend the morning tracking the iconic Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and the critically endangered black rhino) within this natural wildlife sanctuary. Stop for a picnic lunch beside the hippo pool at Ngoitoktok Springs, watching giant bulls bathe alongside water birds.
In the early afternoon, ascend the crater walls and begin your comfortable drive back through Arusha to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for your evening international flight home, or take a short flight onward to Zanzibar for post-safari beach relaxation.
Tour Prices : US$3,100 per person staying in a campsite while on safari
Tour Prices from : US$4,035 per person staying in a mid-range lodge while on safari
Tour Prices from : US$4,500 per person staying in a Luxury lodge while on safari
11 days Kilimanjaro Marangu route and Tanzania safari Price includes
-Transfer to and from the base of the mountain
-Marangu Route trek as per the itinerary
-Full board accommodation whilst on the trek.
-2 nights hotel accommodations in Arusha on BB and huts on the mountain as per the itinerary
-All park entrance fees to include government taxes
-Service of an English speaking professional Mountain guide on the mountain, porters and skilled cook
-All services begin and end at Kilimanjaro Airport as per the itinerary
-Treated water on the trek
-Return airport transfers from/to Kilimanjaro Airport or Shuttle transfers from Nairobi
11 days Kilimanjaro Marangu route and Tanzania safari Price Excludes
-Tips, laundry, sleeping bags, drinks and climbing gears
-Medical evacuation, USD 30 per person value
-International flights and taxes
-Visas
-Items of a personal nature and any other extras not listed above
For more information about the Mount Kilimanjaro climbing safaris, trekking and hiking packages, contact Bushtroop tours and Safaris on www.bushtroop-safaris.com, by emailing info@bushtroop-safaris.com, or call/whatapp us on 254 715087096