Kilimanjaro - Marangu Route & Serengeti Adventure

G Adventures · 12 days

4.3

14 Reviews

Duration

12 days

Tour Type

Small Group

Accommodations

Basic

Physical Rating

Challenging

Guide Language

English

Experience Overview

For many travellers, Africa is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you’re only going to go once, take this incredible 12-day adventure that wraps mighty Kilimanjaro, the sweeping Serengeti, and the stupendous Ngorongoro Crater together in one unbeatable package.

Includes

Activities

Your G for Good Moment: Moshi Women's Cooperative Visit, Moshi Your G for Good Moment: Mto wa Mbu Community Visit and Lunch, Mto wa Mbu Your G for Good Moment: Clean Cookstove Project Visit, Mto wa Mbu Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group
Mt Kilimanjaro's Marangu Route trekking permits and guides, cooks, and porters
Lake Manyara wildlife safari drive
Serengeti wildlife safari drives
Ngorongoro Crater wildlife safari drive
All transport between destinations and to/from included activities

Accommodation

Simple hotels (3 nts), full-service camping (4 nts), alpine huts (4 nts)

11 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 8 dinners

Transport

7-seat 4x4 safari vehicle, private minibus, trekking

Group Leader

CEO (Chief Experience Officer), certified mountain guide, certified safari guide/driver, local representative, cook, porters, camp crew.

Highlights

Conquer Africa's highest peak
Savour local specialities with traditional meals
Watch the sun rise from the roof of Africa
Enjoy a local lunch with a family in the Mto wa Mbu village

Trip Details

Duration

12 days

Transportation

7-seat 4x4 safari vehicle, private minibus, trekking

Guide Language

English

Starts

Moshi, Tanzania

Finishes

Arusha, Tanzania

Accommodations

Basic

Travel Style

Classic, Budget

Physical Rating

Challenging

Itinerary

Day 1: Moshi

Arrive at any time.
Arrive in Moshi and head to the hotel. Attend a pre-departure meeting with the local guide to go over last minute details of the trip.

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.Accommodation - Bristol Cottages Kilimanjaro

Day 2: Moshi/Mandara Huts

Hike through the forested, lower slopes to Mandara escarpment.
Most days the hiking will begin early in the morning, with hikes of around 5 to 6 hours. The guides will set a moderate pace, so as to allow for time to acclimatize to the altitude changes. Guides will continually repeat the words, “pole pole” (po-ly, po-ly), which means “go slowly” in Swahili.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - Walk 4 hours to the Mandara Hut (2743m, 8999 ft) after registering at the gate. The slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro are classified as rainforest zone so there will likely be rain in the afternoon while travelling under the lush canopy. Enjoy the view while hiking through the lower terrain and possibly spot some of the exotic wildlife in the area. The Mandra Hut has sleeping bunks, running water and flushable toilets.

Day 3: Mandara Huts/Horombo Huts

Hike through the heather and moorland zone to Horombo Hut.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Continue up through the upper rainforest zone and reach the moorland zone at 3000m (9842 ft). In this zone plants grow to outrageous heights like the giant lobelia and giant groundsel that can reach up to 5m (16 ft). Enjoy the view of the semi-alpine zone's plants and ravines. Reach Horombo hut (3720m, 12205 ft) and get some rest.

Day 4: Horombo Huts/Kibo Huts

Proceed onto the Kilimanjaro Saddle, through a desertlike alpine zone, to Kibo Hut.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Start the slow trek through the heathland and enter the alpine desert zone. Because of the increase in altitude, hike a slow pace today to allow time to get acclimatized but pay attention to any signs of altitude sickness. The ascent to the saddle of Mt Kilimanjaro is between the peaks of Kibo and Mwenzi, get a great view of Kibo after crossing the saddle. Rest for the night at Kibo Hut (4703m, 15430 ft) and prepare for the upcoming hike to the summit.

Day 5: Kibo Huts/Horombo Huts

Night hike to the summit via Stella Point. Appreciate the beautiful sunrise from the roof of Africa, then descend back to Horombo Hut.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Wake up just after midnight to start climbing to the summit. Gillman’s Point (5861m, 19229 ft) on the crater rim is easier to reach when the scree slope is frozen so the climb is best done before daylight. The view of the sunrise from the summit is also worth the early start. From Gilman’s Point, continue on to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa.Activity - Take a quick moment to enjoy the view and celebrate a successful climb before starting the descent to Horombo Huts Camp. Enjoy a well-deserved rest during the last night on the mountain.

Day 6: Horombo Huts/Moshi

Descend the mountain, passing through villages and plantations on the slopes en route to Moshi. Meet the mamas of the Moshi Women's Cooperative, a G supported project, for a climbing ceremony.
Transfer by shuttle bus to Moshi. Time to relax, take a shower, and celebrate with a drink. Cheers to climbing Mt Kilimanjaro! Before dinner, you will be welcomed and congratulated on your climb by the mamas of the Moshi Women's Cooperative, a project supported by G Adventures. They will present you with a gift and a certificate to remember all your efforts on the mountain.

Opt to pre-book the Lala Salama Spa & Beauty Aromatherapy Massage, which partners with Moshi Women's Cooperative, by adding it to your checkout page, or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch

Exclusive inclusions: Activity - Continue the descent to the Marangu Gate, passing by the Mandara escarpment on the way. Enjoy the easier descent and hikers who successfully reached Uhuru Peak will receive a summit certificate.Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.Activity - This project is supported by the Planeterra Foundation and G Adventures. Women and girls are often the first to be excluded from educational programs in Tanzania, with most girls being pulled out of school by Grade 3 to help out around the home. Our ground partners provide free adult business education for women in Moshi, and Planeterra and G Adventures have rented a cooperative space to allow these students to practice their academic skills and save income to start their own business. Feel free to shop for for souvenirs and speak to the women who run the cooperative about their lives and how the project has assisted in building a brighter future.Accommodation - Bristol Cottages Kilimanjaro

Day 7: Moshi/Arusha

En route to Arusha, enjoy an included stop at the G Adventures-supported Moshi Women's Cooperative. Pick up any last-minute supplies in Arusha.
Travel to the picturesque town of Arusha. En route, stop at the Moshi Women's Cooperative to learn about what this project offers. Meet the women, learn more about their lives, and opt to purchase some souvenirs.

In the evening, you may be joined by other G Adventures travellers arriving from Kenya or starting the safari portion of their Tanzania trip. Check for details of the time and location of a welcome meeting, typically around 18:00.

Meals included: Breakfast

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Settle in and scan the scenery as you journey to your next destination.Activity - This project is supported by the Planeterra Foundation and G Adventures. Women and girls are often the first to be excluded from educational programs in Tanzania, with most girls being pulled out of school by Grade 3 to help out around the home. Our ground partners provide free adult business education for women in Moshi, and Planeterra and G Adventures have rented a cooperative space to allow these students to practice their academic skills and save income to start their own business. Feel free to shop for for souvenirs and speak to the women who run the cooperative about their lives and how the project has assisted in building a brighter future.Accommodation - The Outpost Lodge

Day 8: Arusha/Mto wa Mbu

Experience the Mto wa Mbu community with a guided cultural walk and traditional lunch with a local family. Take a wildlife safari drive in Lake Manyara NP.
Travel to Mto wa Mbu and take part in a cultural walk to learn about life in the area. Meet the women who run the rural town's tours and enjoy a delicious home made traditional lunch.

Spend the afternoon viewing wildlife along the main road that winds through a lush cool forests of Lake Manyara National Park, overgrown with ficus trees and covered with bromeliads.

This area is truly stunning, as the western wall of the Rift Valley escarpment provides a gorgeous backdrop. Search for the phenomenal birdlife, tree-climbing lions, elephants, giraffes, and hippos.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride with a pop-up top.Activity - Take part in a cultural walk to learn about life in this East African town. Mto wa Mbu has attracted some 18,000 residents from 120 different tribes. During the two-hour tour, visit the community's local market, go right to the farmer's fields, see how huts are constructed, and meet artisans in their shops. Afterwards, sit down with our new friends and enjoy a traditional lunch of meat and plantains.Activity - This western wall of the Rift Valley escarpment is truly stunning. It provides a backdrop for your search for the park's phenomenal bird life (including raptors), tree-climbing lions, elephants, zebras, hippos, baboons, and buffalos. Look up and see some of the more than 400 species of birds, including pink flamingos, pelicans, cormorants, and storks. Beyond wildlife, Lake Manyara NP is home to giant fig trees, acacia woodlands, mahogany trees, and grassy flood plains. The contrasts of this area are simply breathtaking; the open plains, huge escarpment, central alkaline lake, dense woodlands, and distant volcanic peaks coming together in an area best described by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I have seen in Africa.” Accommodation - Twiga Lodge and Campsite

Day 9: Mto wa Mbu/Serengeti National Park

Enjoy a wildlife safari drive en route to the central Serengeti.
Drive through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and on to Serengeti National Park. En route marvel at the sheer vastness of this territory, and spot the multitude of animal and birdlife while cruising through this acacia-accented savanna.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride with a pop-up top.Activity - This is the reason you came to Africa. Charge your camera, grab your binoculars, and set out on safari. Your eagle-eyed driver will keep an eye out for wildlife – buffaloes, elephants, lions, wildebeests, zebras, and more. Tanzania’s Serengeti tends to be less crowded than some of Kenya’s reserves, so enjoy the scenery, the vast expanse of the grasslands, the play of light and shadow, and the up-close look at wild Africa.Accommodation - Seronera Campsite

Day 10: Serengeti National Park

Rise early for a full-day wildlife safari drive in the Serengeti. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the bush and continue the search for the "big five" while taking in the vastness of the Serengeti plains.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride with a pop-up top.Activity - This is the reason you came to Africa. Charge your camera, grab your binoculars, and set out on safari. Your eagle-eyed driver will keep an eye out for wildlife – buffaloes, elephants, lions, wildebeests, zebras, and more. Tanzania’s Serengeti tends to be less crowded than some of Kenya’s reserves, so enjoy the scenery, the vast expanse of the grasslands, the play of light and shadow, and the up-close look at wild Africa.Accommodation - Seronera Campsite

Day 11: Serengeti National Park/Ngorongoro

Take a morning wildlife safari drive as you depart the Serengeti, then continue wildlife viewing in the Ngorongoro Crater, before getting a spectacular view of the crater from your campsite on its rim.
The rich pasture and permanent water of the Crater floor supports a resident population of more than 20,000 to 25,000 large mammals.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride with a pop-up top.Activity - This is the reason you came to Africa. Charge your camera, grab your binoculars, and set out on safari. Your eagle-eyed driver will keep an eye out for wildlife – buffaloes, elephants, lions, wildebeests, zebras, and more. Tanzania’s Serengeti tends to be less crowded than some of Kenya’s reserves, so enjoy the scenery, the vast expanse of the grasslands, the play of light and shadow, and the up-close look at wild Africa.Activity - Head down into the crater and to all the best spots to view wildlife. Spot zebras, gazelles, buffaloes and warthogs. The swamp and forest are home to hippos, rhinos, elephants, baboons and monkeys. Keep your eyes peeled and camera ready to capture a pride of lions or a lone leopard walking along the crater floor.Accommodation - Simba Campsite

Day 12: Ngorongoro/Arusha

Visit an authentic Maasai village and the G Adventures-supported Clean Cookstove Project, then return to Arusha where the tour ends on arrival. Onward flights can be booked from 6pm, or extend your stay in Arusha by a night, or two.

Meals included: Breakfast,Lunch

Exclusive inclusions: Transport - Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride with a pop-up top.Activity - Visit a Maasai village in the Monduli District and witness the benefits of the G Adventures-supported Clean Cookstove Project. In Tanzania, 95% of people rely on cooking with wood and coal. Women and girls spend hours walking to collect wood every day (making them vulnerable to assault and unable to use their time to go to school). Indoor smoke from open-fire stoves causes cancer, emphysema, pneumonia, blindness, and burns. Take a guided tour of these villages and meet the women that have been trained as stove engineers, visit bomas (traditional homes), and observe (or get your hands dirty) by helping the Stove Team build a stove in a home. See the beneficial impact of the clean-burning stoves on the health and daily lives of the Maasai villagers, especially the women.Activity - Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.

Exclusions

Flights to and from origin and destinations
Airport transfers (unless otherwise stated)
Anything else not explicitly listed in tour inclusions
Recommended gratuities/tipping
Optional activities/tours
Personal expenses
Travel insurance
Visas, meals and beverages not stated in the list of inclusions.

Important Information

Meals

When meals are not included, your tour leader (where available) will be happy to help with restaurant recommendations, bookings, and directions. Please let us know if you have any dietary needs or preferences. We will do our best to accommodate these, though we cannot guarantee that every request can be met.

Luggage

You are responsible for your personal belongings throughout the tour. You will need to carry your own bags between the vehicle and your hotel room. Drivers will assist with loading and unloading luggage from the vehicle.

Mobility

Travellers requiring wheelchair access should contact our sales and service team, who can make enquiries on your behalf.

Fitness Level

This tour requires an average level of fitness. Activities are paced gently and include leisure time. You may be expected to join guided walks of up to one hour, navigate short stairways and mild inclines, and manage your own luggage. You should also be able to board and exit all transport without assistance.

Travellers are expected to be self-sufficient and capable of handling all aspects of their journey. Please discuss your circumstances and support needs with your booking agent to confirm this trip is suitable.

If you are unsure, we recommend consulting your doctor before booking or travelling.

Sightseeing

If a planned site visit is unavailable due to changes in operating hours or holiday closures, the itinerary may be altered, or a comparable activity will be substituted where possible and subject to availability.

Visas

Visa conditions can change. Once you receive your travel documents, check with the relevant embassy, consulate, or immigration office of your destination for the latest information.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct and valid travel documents and to comply with all entry requirements.
Non-Australian citizens must also confirm visa and identification requirements with the appropriate consulate or visa agency.
Certain occupations (for example, journalists, government officials, or those working in charities) may face additional restrictions when applying for visas, which could affect the type of application required.

Departure Dates & Surcharges: See checkout for live dates and availability.

AUD $7,759

(Tour only)

Per Person Standard

Duration: 12 days

Trip Type: Small Group

Activity Level: Challenging

Check Availability Brochure

Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 25 Oct 2026

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Customer Reviews

Overall Rating

Excellent

4.5

Guide

Excellent

4.5

Itinerary

Excellent

4.5

Accommodations

Excellent

4.5

Transportation

Excellent

4.5

Tour Operator

Excellent

4.5

Food

Excellent

4.5

Rachael R.

Traveled, February 2024

03/01/2024

This tour challenged me physically, mentally and emotionally. I am eternally grateful to the Kilimanjaro guides and porters. I hope that every one of them gets a big bonus and steady work. They are truly spectacular humans.

4.5

Sean M.

Traveled, February 2024

02/28/2024

This was a trip that was years in planning and surpassed expectations. Truly a memorable experience, everyone on the tour was friendly.

Tour Operator

G Adventures, founded in 1990 by Bruce Poon Tip, is a global adventure travel company specializing in small-group tours that emphasize authentic, sustainable, and culturally immersive experiences. Originally launched as GAP Adventures (“Great Adventure People”), the company pioneered the concept of community-driven travel by offering affordable trips that connect travelers with local communities while minimizing environmental impact. Today, G Adventures operates in more than 100 countries, offering a wide range of itineraries across themes such as active adventures, wildlife, wellness, family, and National Geographic–partnered tours, while maintaining a strong commitment to responsible tourism and social enterprise through its Planeterra Foundation.

In Business Since 1990

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