Upon arrival in Nairobi you will be transferred across the border to Arusha, Tanzania. The Ilboru Safari Lodge has spacious rooms, a pool, and restaurant. If arriving earlier in the day, the afternoon is free to explore or relax before you meet with your guide for a trip briefing and a celebratory welcome dinner.

Meals:  D

Today is a free day for you to rest and relax and have a look around Arusha. In the early evening we will meet up and tonight you will enjoy a celebratory dinner and prepare for your upcoming days.

Meals:  B,L,D

Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to the vast, volcanic Ngorongoro Crater and “big 5” game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino). Huge herds of wildebeests and zebras traverse its plains during their annual migration. Livestock belonging to the semi-nomadic Maasai tribe graze alongside wild animals. Hominin fossils found in the Olduvai Gorge date back millions of years. The caldera is an important landmark for human history, as well as an essential habitat safeguarding animal diversity. Despite its small area, the caldera has excellent biodiversity, and several globally threatened species live on these plains. These plains form part of the route of the Great Migration. Aside from the main caldera, there are two other volcanic craters: the Olmoti and Empakai. The Olmoti is famed for its beautiful waterfalls, and the Empakai is known for its deep lake and lush green walls. The evenings are resonating with the typical sounds of forest creatures whilst enjoying a nice meal. Accommodation: Migunga Permanent Camp

Meals:  B,L,D

We depart Migunga Permanent Camp after breakfast and head to Tarangire National Park. Once we arrive in the National Park we will spend time game viewing within the park. This area has the largest population of elephants in northern Tanzania, with approximately 2000 sighted along the river at certain times of the year. In the dry season, (July–November) most of the wildlife in the Tarangire ecosystem migrates to the permanent water of the Tarangire River. The lush green shores of the river are a big attraction to many varieties of wildlife, so they offer fantastic game viewing. Dry baobab and acacia trees are scattered widely throughout Tarangire National Park and these provide an ideal home to over 500 species of birds. Most people who have visited East Africa give fabulous accounts of their safaris in this national park, which is famous for both its flora and fauna. We will enjoy our picnic lunch in the park and in the evening return to Arusha and your accommodation for the night at Ilboru Safari Lodge. After dinner your guide will give a thorough trek briefing about yoru climb, we suggest an early night as the coming 6 days will be challenging! Note the group will hhave 5 hours in Ngorongoro Crater floor as they need to return to the hotel earlier for the pre climb briefing. Accommodation: Ilboru Safari Lodge

Meals:  B,L,D

We meet our guides and porters after breakfast and sort out all our gear before we set off for our 1-hour transfer by private vehicle to the Western side of Kilimanjaro and the Machame Gate which is at the entrance to the Mt Kilimanjaro National Park. Each person is required to carry a day pack whilst there other clothing and possessions are carried by dedicated team of porters. This close attention maximizes your possibility of summiting and ensures you have a safe and enjoyable experience in such demanding terrain and conditions. The trek initially is through the cloud forest, a land of beauty and of perpetual mists that shroud in mystery the huge mountain above. Our first stop is Machame Camp for dinner and where we camp overnight. Tonight we camp at 3020m. Accommodation: Camp Trekking time: Approximately 6 hours

Meals:  B,L,D

Today's trek will take you from the wet and jungle like conditions of the cloud forest up onto the moor land. You'll notice the vegetation getting more sparse as we ascend and several distinct species, including the giant groundsel and lobelia, will soon be the only plants dominating the harsh landscape. We camp on the edge of Shira plateau where there are excellent views of the snow-dusted Kibo peaks. Accommodation: camp Shira Cave 3847 m (11,541 ft) Trekking time: approximately 6 hours

Meals:  B,L,D

From Shira Cave, we initially climb towards the main peak of Kibo, with the western glaciers clearly visible across the rugged high-altitude desert of volcanic rocks and strange looking boulders. Skirting around its base and under the imposing western Breach, we descend into the sheltered Barranco Valley and camp at 3,984m. Today's hard work has only gained 137 m (411 ft) total ascent but having climbed much higher and dropped back down assists dramatically in your acclimatization. Accommodation: camp Trekking time: approximately 7 hours

Meals:  B,L,D

Today is a tough day and the combination of high altitude along with some challenging trail conditions makes it a great warm up for tomorrows summit day. Imediately out of camp the climb up the steep Barranco wall includes some sections of very easy scrambling before drop down again to the Karanga Valley where you take a break for lunch and an opportunity to fully absorb yoru surroundings. After lunch continue hiking through the dry desert region of the mountain with spectacular views of the Hiem, Kersten and Rebmann glaciers. It is a rather tough slog up a final ridge to Barafu Camp but the knowledge that you'll conquer the summit tomorrow is wonderful motivation. You have fantastic views across to Mawenzi peak from the camp after having completed a longer day of hiking which now requires you to adequately relax and recover in preparation of the challenging summit hike early the following morning. Accommodation: camp Trekking time: approximately 8 hours

Meals:  B,L,D

We will start our ascent by torchlight at midnight so that we can be up on the Crater rim for sunrise. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree has some well-graded zig-zags and a slow but steady pace will take us to Stella Point (5,735 m) (17,205 ft), in about five or six hours. We will rest there for a short time to enjoy the sunrise over Mawenzi. Those who are still feeling strong can make the two hour round trip from here along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,896 m)(17,688 ft), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area. The descent to Barafu is surprisingly fast, and after some refreshment and a possibility of meeting up with the other group, we continue to descent to reach our final campsite at Mweka Camp and a well earned rest! Accommodation: camp Trekking time: approximately 15 hours

Meals:  B,L,D

We have a sustained descent on a well constructed path through lovely tropical forests alive with birdsong and boasting lush undergrowth with considerable botanical interest. Our route winds down to the National Park gate at Mweka (1650m) (4950 ft) and on through coffee and banana farms to Mweka village. We are met by our vehicle and transferred to Ilboru Lodge. In the early evening both groups will once again meet up and tonight you will enjoy a celebratory dinner and opportunity to compare stories! Accommodation: Ilboru Safari Lodge

Meals:  B,L,D

Free day in Arusha until you need to head to the airport for your fight home.

Meals:  B