Trip Dates

Dec 25 - Jan 8

2009
Jan 11 - Jan 25
Feb 8 - Feb 22
Mar 29 - Apr 12
Jun 7 - Jun 21
Jul 5 - Jul 19
Aug 2 - Aug 16
Sep 6 - Sep 20
Oct 11 - Oct 25
Nov 22 - Dec 6
Dec 27 - Jan 10

Trip Rating

Strenuous:
9+ Hours most days. Travellers booking strenuous trips should expect long days of physical activity, remote mountainous regions, steep ascents and descents, high altitudes above 12,000 feet and cold temperatures Good physical condition and endurance level is necessary. A doctor's release is required for travellers 60 and older.

Meals

14 Breakfasts
13 Lunches
13 Dinners

Accomodations

3 Nights Tented Camp
6 Nights Camp
5 Nights Safari Lodge

*Prices are based on double occupancy - free roommate matching

For this singles vacation you
need a valid passport with an expiration date no less than six (6) months after the scheduled return date.

Need A Passport?

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We strongly recommend cancellation insurance that should be taken no later than 15 days after you send your deposit for the tour.

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Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Kilimanjaro

Upon arrival into the Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha, a BikeHike Adventures representative will be awaiting to greet and transfer you to The Meru Simba Lodge. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax and get over any jetlag.

Day 2: Arusha National Park (Game Drive and Hike)

We refuel with a hearty breakfast and have a relaxing morning to prepare for our upcoming climb. Our guide will give an in-depth briefing ensuring everyone is well prepared with the proper gear and what to expect on our 7-day trek up the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. After lunch we drive to Arusha National Park to view some of Tanzania's exotic wildlife. Herds of giraffe, elephants, colobus monkeys, hippos, bushbuck, buffalo and a huge variety of bird life are common sightings. We'll tread along a path with a local game ranger to view some cascading waterfalls seeping off the side of Mount Meru. Meru is another of Tanzania's highest peaks and a landmark that will be our altitude gage as we trek up steep paths to beckoning heights. We return to Meru Simba Lodge for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Kilimanjaro - Londorosi Gate to Lemosho - Mti Mkubwa Camp (Trek)

After breakfast we load up our vehicle and drive through Arusha National Park, over open golden plains towards Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. With luck we'll have a clear day and the snowy cone will be visible for most of the drive. As we approach the Londorosi Park Gate at 7,425 feet/2,250 meters, the road gets much steeper and narrower and the vegetation thickens with groves of banana and coffee plantations. While our porters and guides pack up our equipment, we register with the park warden. Then we're off, for the first leg of our journey, ascending the Lemosho Glades, through a dense and muddy rainforest. The vegetation is thick with giant ferns, moss covered vines and strangler figs tangled around brilliant trees. Late afternoon we reach our first campsite, Mti Mkubwa, located at 10,000 feet/2,750 meters. Our camp is already assembled and hot chocolate and snacks await. Total trekking time 3-4 hours. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Mt. Kilimanjaro - Mti Mkubwa Camp to Shira 1 Camp (Trek)

We have an early wake up call to pack up our sleeping bags and gear before meeting for breakfast. Our porters break camp while we refuel, and then we depart for another full day of trekking. The trail gradually gets steeper and enters the giant heather moorland zone, decorated with bright yellow groundswell and small shrubs. We'll splash across several streams, climbing to the Shira Ridge, our highest point for the day at 12,500 feet/3,840 meters. Soon the path flattens and slightly descends to Shira 1, our campsite for the night located at 11,550 feet/3,500 meters. Total trekking time 5-7 hours. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Mt. Kilimanjaro - Shira 1 to Shira 2 Camp (Trek)

We crawl out of our tents, feast on a hearty breakfast, then set off for a gentle hike with only a 1,155 foot/350 meter altitude gain. We'll head across the plateau to Shira 2 Camp, our home for the night at 12,672 feet/3,840 meters. This beautiful camp is situated on a meadow surrounded by steep spires and pinnacles. This is a great acclimatization day with ample time to explore the grassy moorland and volcanic rock boulders littered across the plateau. There is a tangible sense of wilderness here and the views of Mt. Meru floating above a brilliant sea of clouds are simply unforgettable. Total trekking time 4-5 hours. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Mt. Kilimanjaro - Shira 2 to Barranco Camp (Trek)

We wake to a breakfast of champions, break camp, and then set off on foot towards Kibo. The route starts with a traverse through a deep broad valley. We climb to a ridged crest, cross scree slopes and scramble across boulders. The views are dramatic of Shira Plateau to the west, Oehler Ridge to the north and the Western Breach to the east. We steadily climb to the foot of Lava Tower, a 165 foot/50 meter high lump of rock sticking up from the rolling ridges around the summit cone. An optional short scramble to the top will get your heart pumping, but the views are worthy. The top of the tower, at 14,750 feet/4,610 meters is our highest point of the day and from the top, Kibo seems so near. The rest of the day is generally downhill to the Barranco Hut campsite with some steep descents into the valley. We travel alongside the Western Breach wall with its huge cliffs topped with snowy glaciers. We are now on the Southern Circuit Path. As we descend we pass forests of giant groundswell and lobelia giving us the feeling we have entered into the mystical land of the giants. The huge, intimidating Barranco Wall that we scale tomorrow morning comes into view as we see our campsite for the first time far below. We kick up clouds of dust as we slip and slide down the steep slopes into the valley. Overnight at Barranco Camp, 12,672 feet/3,840 meters. Total trekking time 6 -8 hours.(B,L,D)

Day 7: Mt. Kilimanjaro - Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp (Trek)

Today we begin zigzagging through the Great Barranco Valley. We soon come face to face with the sheer vertical wall of Barranco and we'll scramble up the stair-stepping rock face. We pass a few valleys offering great views of the Heim, Kersten, and Decken glaciers and soon the terrain becomes dusty and barren. Once we reach the top, we descend to the Karanga River, the last water point on this route. Then it's back up for another steep climb to the Karanga Camp at 13,900 feet/4,200 meters, with intoxicating views of Mount Meru floating above a sea of clouds and the snowy peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro so close in front of us. We continue scrambling over boulders and ascending the Barafu Ridge. This ridge marks the point where the South Circuit Path, which we’ve been following for a couple of days, joins the Mweka Trail. As we head up the Mweka Trail, following the boulder strewn ridge, we have our first glimpse of Mawenzi's jagged rocky spires. We reach the Barafu campsite at 15,500 feet/4,600 meters in time for lunch. The remainder of the day is to relax, sleep and mentally prepare for our final ascent to the summit, Uhuru Peak, starting at midnight. Total trekking time 3-4 hours. (B,L,D))

Day 8: Mt. Kilimanjaro - Summit Day, Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp (Trek)

Today is the biggest, but most invigorating day! Around midnight we set off into the night destined for the summit, Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa at 19,340 feet/5,896 meters. The world becomes condensed into the beams of our headlamps as we pick a path between the larger rocks on the loose scree. The walk to Stella Point is approximately six hours and the final stretch one hour beyond. We may start to encounter snow and ice all the way to Uhuru Peak. We'll already have spectacular vistas of the Rebmann, Decken, Kersten and Heim glaciers. From Uhuru you can see Furtwangler Glaciers to the north and the Eastern Ice Field. The view as the sun rises, both across the crater and of the surrounding glaciers, are superb. Mawenzi also looks fantastic silhouetted against the sea of clouds below. After a short stay at the summit we start the descent, running down slopes of scree, taking about three hours to Barafu campsite. We'll break here for a light lunch and short snooze, then continue descending to Mweka campsite at 10,000 feet/3,000 meters, our home for the night. Total trekking time 14-18 hours. (B,L,D)

Day 9: Mt. Kilimanjaro - Descent Day, Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate (Trek)

Our final morning on Mt. Kilimanjaro begins in the normal fashion, our porters bring warm water in wash basins to our tents, then we head to the dining tent for a freshly prepared full breakfast of porridge, omelets, sausages, home fries, toast and coffee. Afterwards we pack our gear for the final time, then descend to the park gate at Mweka (10,200 feet to 5,900 feet/3,100 meters to 1,800 meters) through the rainforest, on a similar trail to the one we climbed the first day. Here is where we'll be awarded our summit certificates. Our drivers and safari jeeps will be awaiting us here to transport us to Moivaro Lodge in Arusha for a well-deserved shower and rest. The remainder of the day is at leisure to kick back, swim in the pool and celebrate our success with refreshing pints of Tanzanian beer. (B,L,D)

Day 10: Arusha to Serengeti National Park (Game Drive)

There's time to relax and enjoy the scenery today as we have a long drive to Serengeti National Park, the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world, unparalleled for its natural beauty and scientific value. From Arusha we drive into the Great Rift Valley, up over an escarpment with wonderful views of Lake Manyara. We'll arrive at the Ngorongoro Crater Gate, then drive through the forest, before our first sighting of the spectacular crater. We'll stop to stretch our legs and take some photos then continue driving to the crater highlands and down the northern side onto the Serengeti plains. The countryside is beautiful with golden savannah as far as the eye can see, herds of big game animals grazing on the short grass or lazing under flat top acacia trees. Once through the Serengeti gate, we have another one and a half hour drive to The Serengeti Wildlife Lodge, our home for the night. Our drive is leisurely, allowing plenty of time to enjoy the wildlife.(B,L,D)

Day 11: Arusha to Serengeti National Park (Game Drive and Optional Hot Air Balloon) For those who want the full Serengeti experience, there is an option

For those who want the full Serengeti experience, there is an option for a sunrise launch in a Hot Air Balloon over the Serengeti Plains. The departure is at 5 am, starting with a game drive and then a one-hour flight over the plains. The trip concludes with a champagne breakfast on the golden plains. For those who don’t ride in the balloons, we’ll start with an early morning game drive (this is one of the best times to spot wildlife, before the heat of the day) and meet the rest of the group at approximately 10 am to continue game driving. The rest of the day we’ll be out circumnavigating The Serengeti by safari jeep. Chances are strong you’ll see the predators (lion, leopard and cheetah) the scavengers (hyena and jackals) as well as herds of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, water buffalo, warthog and many other large and small species. With more than two million wildebeest, half a million Thompson Gazelles, and a quarter of a million zebra, the Serengeti has the greatest concentration of game in Africa. We'll take a packed lunch with us, so expect a full day out in the vehicle, although taken at our own pace! We return to The Serengeti Wildlife Lodge in time for a sundowner. (B,L,D)

Day 12: Ngorongoro (Game Drive)

We start with an early morning breakfast and then we leave the "endless plains" and climb back into the highlands to Ngorongoro Crater, once a gigantic volcano. When the volcano collapsed, a vast bowl known as a caldera was formed. Measuring about 18 km/11 miles across and 250 km/160 miles deep, Ngorongoro is now ringed by an amphitheater of steep 1,640 feet/500 meter walls and has an impressive assemblage of wildlife within. On the drive there are strong possibilities we’ll spot families of baboons, a few hyenas and lots of grazing Thompson Gazelles. This time we’ll descend into the crater and have most of the day to explore the grounds and view the wildlife. If we’ve not yet seen the big five, the chances are high we’ll see them today (rhino, cape buffalo, elephant, lion and leopard). Around 3:30 pm we’ll leave Ngorongoro and head to Selela Forest Camp, a unique African tented camp tucked up against the Great Rift Valley Wall with a giant Boabob tree that dominates the site. If we are making good time, we’ll have the vehicle drop us off at the start of the forest and we can hike along a honeycomb trail to the camp. Overnight at Selela Forest tented camp. (B,L,D)

Day 13: Selela Forest (Mountain Bike)

We rise to the chorus of chirping birds and exotic insects, refortify with a hearty breakfast and then head out for a full day in the saddle. We ride along dusty paths winding across wide-open plains in the rift valley. This area is largely inhabited by the Maasai people, and there will be plenty of cultural interaction with them as we ride past a number of homesteads where shepherds herd their livestock and locals walk or ride bicycles across the savannah. The plains are dotted with giant mounds of termite nests, and sightings of big game animals are very common including elephants, zebras, giraffes as well as some of the smaller animals. We’ll head towards a large man made dam where we’ll break for a picnic lunch. We’ll return to Selela Forest tented camp late afternoon for a hot shower, wholesome dinner and another night under the stars. (B,L,D)

Day 14: Selela Forest (Hike)

After breakfast, we'll venture off for a walk into the forest. Hopefully the elephants will be in their usual place grazing. As well there are resident giraffe, waterbuck, and monkeys and we'll be in search of all of them. Midday we'll set up a ‘bush lunch’ for you to enjoy. Later in the afternoon, once the heat of the day has passed, we’ll either walk or drive out to our Maasai friends ‘Boma’ where we’ll learn more about their lifestyles, cultural beliefs and customs. We’ll return to Selela Forest tented camp at the end of the day for our final night in the East African wilderness. (B,L,D)

Day 15: Departure

Today you will be transferred back to the Arusha International Airport to connect with your flight back home. You can spend the morning around camp, walk in the forest, climb the rift valley escarpment or depart early for Arusha for some last minute shopping. Don't forget to say goodbye to all your new singles travel friends.(B)

 

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