Overview of the 17 Days Tanzania Hiking and Wildlife Safari Tour

This 17-day Tanzania safari itinerary includes a hike up Mount Kilimanjaro as well as a wildlife safari through Tanzania’s northern regions. During the safari, you will participate in a 7-day hike on the Machame route and then take a classic safari to Tanzania’s most beautiful national park, Tarangire National Park, before moving to the Ngorongoro Crater, a natural wonder that others describe as a natural zoo because of its abundance of animals, which attracts a variety of predators such as cheetahs, leopards, lions, and hyenas.

Highlights of the safari

• Hike Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame Route
• Trek through lush forests and peaceful glaciers.
• Explore the Shira Plateau, one of the world’s highest plateaus, and watch the sunrise from Uhuru Peak (5,895m).
• Enjoy daily wildlife drives in Tanzania’s top national parks.
• Find the Big Five (Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo, Rhino)
• If the timing is correct, you can witness the Great Migration of over two million animals.
• In Tarangire National Park, you may get up close and personal with large herds of elephants.
• Observe Big Cats (Lions, Leopards, and Cheetahs) during exciting hunts.
• Explore the magnificent Ngorongoro Crater.
• Visiting waterfalls and coffee farm tour

DETAILED ITINERARY OF THE 17 DAYS TANZANIA HIKING AND WILDLIFE SAFARI TOUR

Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to Hotel in Arusha

The experience of this 17-day Tanzania safari vacation begins with your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Your tour guide or driver will welcome you and transport you to a relaxing accommodation in Arusha. In the evening, you will receive a briefing at the lodge to prepare for the adventurous Mount Kilimanjaro climbing expedition the next day.

Meal plan: Dinner

Day 2: Hike Mount Kilimanjaro starting from Machame Gate (1,800m) to Machame Camp (3010m)

Following a hearty breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken to Machame gate (1,800m) to obtain your climb permit and enrol with the rescue and search agency. You will be thoroughly briefed, meet your dedicated group of guides, cooks, and porters, and have all essential health checks performed.

Today’s journey takes you through Kilimanjaro’s beautiful and intriguing rainforest zone to Machame camp, which takes between five and seven hours to reach and is 11 kilometres long. Watch out for unusual birds and colobus monkeys, you will have dinner and a night’s rest at this camp.

Meal Plan: All meals included

Day 3: Hike from Machame Camp to Shira Camp (3750m)

After having your breakfast early today, proceed to ascend for another 4 to 5 hours and 5 kilometres to the second high-altitude camp, where Shira Camp is located. (3,750 m). You leave the Afromontane woodland and move toward the heather region while avoiding enormous lobelia plants. The camp boasts a stunning perspective of the mountain, and at dusk, the setting sun illuminates Kibo’s granite face and glacier. You will have lunch, relaxation and dinner at the camp

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Day 4: Climb from Shira Camp to Barranco Camp

Though you conclude the day at roughly the same elevation as you started, this day is critical for acclimatization. From the Shira Plateau, you walk east up a ridge, bypassing the junction heading toward the Kibo summit before continuing southeast towards the “Shark’s Tooth” Lava Tower. (4650m). you will reach a second point just after the tower, heading to the Arrow Glacier. You then descend to Barranco Camp, where you will have dinner and spend the night. The hike will last 7 to 8 hours and cover around 10 kilometres.

Meal Plan: All meals are included

Day 5: Trek from Barranco camp to Karanga camp

Today, after breakfast, your hike will begin from Barranco camp to Karanga camp, which is located in the height range of 13044 ft to 13106 ft and is a distance of 5km that will take around 4 to 5 hours to go across the alpine desert. You will descend down the ravine to the base of the magnificent Barranco wall before ascending the almost 900-foot cliff. You are going to descend from the top of the Barranco wall through a series of hills and valleys until you reach Karanga valley, where you will have dinner and spend the night in Karanga camp. This is a shorter trek designed for acclimatization.

Meal Plan: All meals are included

Day 6: Hike from Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp (4,640 m­)

After breakfast, you leave Karanga and go towards the intersection that connects with the Mweka Trail on Mount Kilimanjaro. From there, you proceed up to the Barafu Hut, which is about 5km long and takes 4 to 5 hours to reach. You are finally done with the South Circuit, offering views of the peak from a variety of positions. At this vantage point, the two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are clearly visible. Have dinner and spend a night at this camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Day 7: Ascent to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) and Descent to Mweka Camp (3,820m)

The ascent begins after midnight, after a cup of hot tea and a short snack. Kibo’s screes will be climbed under torchlight. After 5 to 7 hours of rising in the dark, you will reach Stella Point (5,730 m) the Mountain Kilimanjaro’s crater rim. Uhuru Peak is another 1 to 2-hour trek up the crater ridge. Enjoy the 360° perspective of the landscape below as the sun rises to see Kilimanjaro in all its splendour. You are currently now on the “Roof of the African continent.”

After snapping photos, descend to Barafu Camp for lunch, and then continue down to Mweka hut camping, which is nestled in the jungle. This trail is fairly rocky, so hiking poles are recommended. You will have dinner and spend the night at Mweka camp.

Meal Plan: All meals are included

Day 8: Descend from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate (1,640m)

On the final day of your Machame route trip, you will descend through the rainforest from Mweka camp to Mweka gate, a distance of 10km and around three to four hours of trekking. Appreciate the lower altitude and the vista of Mt Kilimanjaro’s forested slopes. At Mweka gate, you will be given a green certificate for reaching Stella Point and a gold certificate for reaching Uhuru Peak. You are going to meet your guide and drive to Arusha, where you will check into your hotel, enjoy supper, and spend the night.

Day 9: Arusha tour

On this day, you will have relaxation, muscle recovery, massage, and other leisure activities before being driven around Arusha for a tour and visiting the Masai market, learning how to make local crafts, and enjoying traditional sights. You can also do shopping before returning to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 10: Transfer from Arusha to Tarangire National park and afternoon game drive

After an early breakfast, the day begins with a pick-up from your Arusha accommodation and an orientation by your tour driver guide before you drive for approximately two and half hours to the magnificent Tarangire National Park in the southwest.

Reach at your accommodation in time for lunch. After lunch, have some time to unwind before heading out to the park for a game drive in search of fascinating species. Tarangire’s grassy plains are filled with stunning gigantic Baobabs – Africa’s largest trees and a haven for a diverse range of species. Elephants are exceptionally plentiful here, including certain herds reaching as many as 300 individuals.

Look out for massive groups of Zebras, Giraffes, Elands, Gazelles, Buffalos, Impalas, Wildebeests, Hartebeests, and Waterbuck, as well as the Lions, Leopards, Hyenas, and Cheetahs that prey on them and over  five hundred bird species, such as dazzling Yellow-collared lovebirds, Common Ostrich- the world’s largest bird, and  Kori Bustard – the globe’s heaviest flying bird. Retire to your lodge for dinner and the night.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Day 11: Transfer from Tarangire National park to the Ngorongoro Crater area

After being served with early breakfast, you will be transferred to the Ngorongoro Crater area in a journey of about four hours and 160km long. You will check in your lodge for lunch and some relaxation.

The globe’s greatest continuous caldera, Ngorongoro Crater is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa and is often referred to as the eighth Natural Wonder of the World. It is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site and is the residence of an astounding 30,000 animals, including rare black rhinos and some of Africa’s most dense populations of lions.

In the afternoon, descend 2,000 feet to the crater floor, the Crater offers one of the easiest wildlife-watching opportunities in Africa, and it is the only spot in Africa where you can see all five of Africa’s Big 5.  In 1979, the region was designated as a World Heritage Site. Various hominid species have occupied the area for three million years, according to fossil evidence. Look for wildebeest, lion, zebra, cheetah, hyenas, Jackals, Caracals, buffalo, gazelle, flamingos, Ostriches, and the endangered black rhino, as well as the vibrantly clothed Masai people who frequently wash their cattle in the lake nearby. In the evening you will be driven back to your hotel for dinner and a night’s stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 12: Transfer to Serengeti national park

After an early breakfast at the hotel, you will drive from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area to Serengeti grasslands, stopping at Olduvai Gorge, which has a history dating back to the beginning of time. Anthropologists Drs. Lois and Mary Leakey discovered the skulls of ‘Nutcracker Man’ and ‘Handy Man,’ dubbed the first man, here. You will check in at your hotel for Lunch and relaxation.

The Serengeti National Park is one of the world’s oldest ecosystems. It is home to Africa’s highest densities of species and is famous for the Great Migration, the world’s longest terrestrial mammal migration. In the afternoon, embark on a game drive to see the park’s varied species. The Seronera River Valley represents one of the best areas in Africa to observe Big Cats (lions, leopards, and cheetahs) on spectacular hunts and is part of the Great Migration. In the evening, return to your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Day 13: Full-day game drive in Serengeti

After an early breakfast, embark on a full-day safari in the Serengeti. After returning to your camp for lunch and relaxation, you will go on an afternoon game drive. Discover the Serengeti’s heart, the breathtaking Seronera River Valley, on wildlife drives. This pristine valley’s gorgeous environment is simply breathtaking. Beyond the horizon, endless savannas offer Rivers that meander past ponds, seasonal wetlands, and open fields. The dark outlines of umbrella-shaped acacia trees tower over the plains, while huge granite kopjes loom in the distance, creating a timeless vision of Africa.

Seronera is Africa’s best spot to see huge carnivores in action! It is not uncommon to see all four great predators (lion, hyena, leopard, and cheetah) in the course of a day, as well as a plethora of lesser predators such as mongoose, jackal, serval, and bat-eared fox. Return to the camp for dinner and overnight

Meal Plan: All meals included

Day 14: Another full-day game drive at Serengeti National park

Enjoy another full-day safari in the Serengeti’s Central Serengeti. Breakfast and lunch will be served at the camp, and both morning and afternoon wildlife drives will be covered.

The Serengeti is known as ‘Siringet’ by the Masai, which means “place where the land runs forever.” The Serengeti has a classic “Out of Africa” atmosphere, with long swaths of grassland punctuated by flat-topped Acacia trees. The plains have the world’s highest concentration of plains animals. African Wild Dog packs, Lion pride, Cheetah, Leopard, and Spotted Hyaena pride are frequently spotted tailing herds of Buffalo, Wildebeest, Zebra, Gazelle, Topi, Elephant, and Impala.

In addition, the Serengeti National Park is home to approximately 500 bird species, including the ostrich, Kori Bustard, Ground Hornbill, Secretary bird, and others. After another exciting day in the Serengeti, you will return to the lodge for dinner before retiring to bed for a good night’s rest.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Day 15: Transfer to Lake Manyara national park and afternoon game drive

Today, after a leisurely breakfast, check out of the resort and depart towards Lake Manyara National Park. It is a 4 to 5-hour drive, depending on what we see along the route. You’ll have a packed lunch to eat sometime along the way. Lake Manyara is a magnificent section of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, with a diverse diversity of natural habitats centred on the soda lake, which is home to clouds of flamingos and other water birds. This is a birding enthusiast’s dream! Elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and several antelope species live in the forested slopes and vast savannah plains. There are fewer predators, but the tree-climbing lions of Lake Manyara top the list. You will check in at your hotel for some relaxation, dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

Day 16: Game drive visit the waterfalls and have a coffee tour

Breakfast will be given at your lodge prior to your trip of the waterfalls located approximately 3 hours from Arusha town. This day will also include a coffee tour and a trip to a plantation in which you will discover how coffee is produced right from the farm to the cup of coffee. Visitors will additionally have the opportunity to make their own coffee, and after the trip, your guide will transport you back to your hotel for supper and night rest.

Meal Plan: All meals are included

Day 17: Transfer to Arusha and to the airport for departure

After a leisurely breakfast, you will be transported to Arusha, which is around 3 hours away. You can do some last-minute shopping before heading to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departing flight, which will bring this wonderful 17-day safari to a close.

Meal plan: Breakfast