This Maasai Mara & Kilimanjaro Hiking safari is a mind-blowing experience that combines hiking the tallest Mountain in Africa. Viewing wildlife by visiting top-notch destinations in the sub-Saharan Africa. Hiking to Uhuru Summit allows you to be on top of Africa which is a dream come true in a period of just 7 days.
Then cross to Kenya and embark on wildlife viewing experience in Masai Mara National reserve. The safari will be a bit tiresome but will give you time to relax and regain your lost energy.
Maasai Mara & Kilimanjaro Hiking safari Highlights
- Day 1: Transfer from Moshi to Machame Gate, then to Machame Camp 5-6 hours
- Day 2: Transfer from Machame to Shira Camp 4-5 hours
- Day 3: Transfer from Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp 5-6 hours
- Day 4: Transfer from Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp 3-4 hours
- Day 5: Transfer from Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp 3-4 hours
- Day 6: Transfer from Karanga Camp to Summit and to Mweka Camp 10-18 hours
- Day 7: Transfer from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
- Day 8: Full day relaxation at the lodge
- Day 9: Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport and fly to Kenya
- Day 10-11: Full day game drive in Maasai Mara
- Day 12: Morning game drive, transfer to Nairobi and departure
Detailed Itinerary.
Day 1: Transfer from Moshi to Machame Gate, then to Machame Camp 5-6 hours
Arise early in the morning, have breakfast and meet your safari guide who will brief you about your stay in Tanzania and Kenya. The guide will transfer you to Machame Gate through Machame village, meet other hikers, and set off to Machame Camp.
Trek through the forests which are always muddy and slippery, however, walking sticks and gaiters are highly recommended. You will be spotting some animals like bushbucks, antelopes, baboons, monkeys, birds. Proceed with hiking adventure, have a picnic lunch, arrive at Machame Camp in the evening, relax, have dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Transfer from Machame to Shira Camp 4-5 hours
You will arise in the morning, have a scrumptious breakfast and set off, hike a rocky ridge, turn westwards through a river gorge, here you will be going through rocks and you will have left forest vegetation.
Hike as you enjoy scenic views of the lower slopes and here, temperatures will start dropping. Picnic lunch will be served and head to Shira Camp for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Transfer from Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp 5-6 hours
After a scrumptious breakfast, we leave Shira Camp and we hike Barranco rocky ridge, this is very important stage for acclimatization. Continue with the hike through the junction that joins the peak of Kibo, you will continue to South East towards the Lava Tower and this point is called Shark’s Tooth. You will have a lunch break, continue to the junction of Arrow glaciers, proceed to Barranco Camp for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Transfer from Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp 3-4 hours
After your breakfast, you will hike the you will hike the steep rocky wall of Barranco to the Karanga Valley then connect to the junction of Mweka trail you will have lunch, continue hiking to Karanga Camp where you will have an overnight stay.
Day 5: Transfer from Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp 3-4 hours
Arise in the morning, have breakfast and continue ascending to Barafu Camp and once you reach the Camp you will have completed the South Circuit and you will have clear views of Kilimanjaro Summit from all angels. Have lunch and early dinner, rest as well as getting ready for the summit by midnight or 2:00am.
Day 6: Transfer from Karanga Camp to Summit and to Mweka Camp 10-18 hours
Rise up at midnight and set off, this is the most tiresome but hope-giving trek since at the end of the day, you will be at the Summit.
Go through Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers, the temperatures are very low but you keep strong with hopes to reach the summit, traverse western direction through a heavy scree as you approach Stella point on the Crater rim, ascend shortly and you will encounter sunrise and the fast hikers might see sunrise from the summit.
Proceed with a hike for one hour to Uhuru Summit and you will go through snow all the way. While here, we say congratulations for reaching Uhuru Summit, the highest point of Mountain Kilimanjaro and you will be at the roof of African continent.
Celebrate, take videos, capture many pictures as you can. Sometimes some people shed tears of joy when they switchback on how they started the journey. You will later descend to Mweka Camp, have lunch enroute at Barafu Camp, take a nap and then descend to Mweka Camp. You will descend to Mweka Camp where you will have sufficient time to rest and this will be your last night on the Mountain.
Day 7: Transfer from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
After a delicious breakfast, you will say a farewell to the camp and descend to Mweka Gate where you will be awarded a hiking certificate. As you slope, the ground turns out to be muddy and slippery, but with trekking sticks and gaiters the hike will be manageable. You will meet your Van at Mweka Village and transfer you to Moshi at your hotel where you will have lunch and dinner.
Day 8: Full day relaxation at the lodge
On this day, you will just relax at the hotel, have meals, relax in the hot showers that you had taken long without enjoying, enjoy swimming pool as you regain the lost energy and getting ready for the next day activities.
Day 9: Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport and fly to Kenya
You will wake up in the morning, have breakfast and check-out of the lodge and transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport where you will board a flight to Kenya.
Flight directly into Masai Mara National Park. Arrival will be in the afternoon hours, check-in and go for an optional game drive at sunset. You will be welcomed by herds of wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes, elephants, giraffes among other wildlife plus birds. Retire to the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 10-11: Full day game drive in Maasai Mara
In these two days, you will experience game drives the entire day. Have a lovely breakfast, get your lunch packed and embark on early morning game drive. Be on the lookout for Africa’s Big 5 and these include elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards, and rhinos.
Spot a number of wildlife species like wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, impalas, hartebeests, topis, scenic views where from you will be taking photographs. You will have picnic lunch near Mara River and see how wildebeests traverse Mara River back and forth, this migration attracts predators like lions, leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, and vultures.
The predators always come to make a kill. This is the best experience that will leave you with undying memories. Retire to the lodge in the evening after sunset for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 12: Morning game drive, transfer to Nairobi and departure
Wake up in the morning, have splendid breakfast. Check-out of the lodge to go for a game drive. With chances of seeing animal species that you might have missed on the previous game drive.
Encounter wildebeests in the endless plains of Mara, and immediately begin a transfer to Nairobi. You will have some stopovers for scenic view, lunch enroute and shopping. Depending on the flight time, your safari driver will either drop you at the hotel or Airport for departure.
End of 12 Days Maasai Mara & Kilimanjaro Hiking safari
