Kilimanjaro - Itinerary

day 1-2

As you say goodbye to the United States, you will fly to Amsterdam where you will transfer to the Kilimanjaro International Airport. There you and your Moondance crew will travel to Arusha and settle into a comfy lodge in Monduli village for the next few days. It is here that you'll get quickly acquainted with your group.

day 3-6

What better way to learn about the Tanzanian culture than to dive in and lend a hand to a local community. You will have the opportunity to interact with the local children and maybe even be able to help teach an English lesson at the Indigenous Education Foundation for Tanzanians (IEFT). Also you will have the opportunity to get involved with some of the local organizations responsible for preserving and protecting Tanzania’s abundant natural resources and spectacular wildlife. Some of your projects may include: helping to build a classroom, painting a school, planting and harvesting crops on a local farm, and playing baseball and soccer with the primary and secondary school kids. You will make extraordinary friends and really be able to appreciate Tanzanian diverse and beautiful culture.

day 7-15

Wow! The tallest mountain on the African continent awaits (19,340 ft)! With gorgeous views of the three volcanic cones at the top of the peak, you and your group’s excitement will only elevate from here, literally! You will be taking “The Marangu Route”, which is by far the most famous hut camping route on the mountain. The route starts in the rainforest village of Marangu and proceeds up the southwest side of the mountain. Trekkers may encounter many different animals including exotic birds, Colobus Monkeys, Sykes Monkeys and Blue Monkeys! As you circumnavigate the mountain you will go to the edge of the Shira Plateau then proceed into the Great Barranco Valley; there you will travel counterclockwise through the alpine desert of the Kibo Massif. Over the next few days you will travel up and up the mountain through six different ecological zones, and finally get ready for your last incredible feat to the summit. At camp each night you will enjoy hearty meals and warm drinks cooked for you by the mountain porters. On the morning of day 14 (day 7 of the trek) you will be greeted by one of your porters and guides for your wake-up call. Today is summit day and it's only 12am! You will rise from a much anticipated sleep and get ready for the final push to the top. As you dig in hard to the final switchbacks, you may start to see the dawn’s light shining off of gorgeous glaciers. You are so close. As you reach the top of the switchbacks and the crater’s edge, you will see the top of this amazing journey…Uhuru Peak is less than a one hour hike and you and your team push-on through the morning’s red sunshine. After a group hug and a much deserved smile, you will snap many pictures at the top to remember your remarkable feat. The remaining portion of the day will be all downhill until you reach base camp. You'll be greeted with a large delicious meal and awarded your climbing certificate.

day 16-19

Well now that you are a lot more familiar with the different ecosystems of Tanzania, it is time to journey into one of the country's most famous treasures: Tarangire National Park. For the next 2 days you will explore the 2600 sq mile of floodplains, grasslands, woodland forests. You will snap photos of elephants, zebra, wildebeest, and lions! As well as the land animals, there are over 500 exotic and abundant colorful birds of the park you'll experience. Catch flocks of Goliath Herons, Helmeted Guineafowl, and Brown Parrots searching the area for food and water. Look closely by the water, there could be a lion or two stalking their prey. Catch a shady break under one of the magnificent Baobab Trees. It grows in low-lying areas in Africa and scientists predict that they can live upwards of 3,000 years old. The next 2 days will be spent at the famous Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater where you are sure to see all the animals of your dreams - leopards, baboons, giraffes, zebras, you name it. At the Ngorongoro Crater, a conservation area, you may even get lucky enough to see fossils that indicate the area was once home to many hominid species over 3 million years old!

day 20-21