Make your way to the Fairview Hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

You will be collected from your hotel at 7.00am in the morning by the Riverside Shuttle Service – it is very important that you do not join any other shuttle bus service. We drive to the Kenya/Tanzania border and once formalities are completed drive to Arusha, where the remainder of the day will be spent at leisure. You will meetyour group leader on arrival in Arusha and a group briefing will be held.

We will begin our Safari adventure driving across the Rift Valley from Arusha, passing through colourful Masai villages. We may have the
opportunity to explore some of these villages en route to our Camp. Lake Natron is a huge soda lake at the base of the Rift Valley.

 Today we will head out for walk in the Rift Valley, including a visit to the mineral spring that can be expected in such a geologically active area. We hope to meet some of the Masai as they tend their herds in this wild and variable environment.

We have an early start to the day, heading up the steep and rocky slopes of the active volcano, Oldinyo Lengai. We aim to gain as much
elevation as possible in the cool of the morning. The 2878m summit is challenging and elusive, particularly considering we need to climb over 2000m vertically from the rift valley floor to the crater rim. Looking down in to the crater we can see steaming fumaroles and growing ash vents. As Lengai is an isolated peak, we gain panoramic views along the length of the rift and crater highlands. Following our exertions on Oldinyo Lengai we head back up the Rift Valley to Mt Wa Mbu on Lake Manyara at the base of the escarpment where we overnight.

We head up the Rift Valley Escarpment to the Ngorongoro Highlands. Our journey takes us up the only route to the escarpment. The rim of the Ngorongoro Crater is spectacular; however it can hardly match the drive into the crater for some the world’s greatest game viewing. We enter the crater via the Windy Gap road, which is narrow, steep and twisting as it descends into this natural amphitheatre. The crater is one of the last refuges for the endangered black rhino in northern Tanzania.

Ngorongoro Crater has been called the eighth wonder of the natural world and was designated a World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve.
The crater represents only about 3% of the entire Ngorongoro Conservation Area which covers 8280 sq km. The region contains at least seven extinct volcanoes and has probably one of the most varied terrains in East Africa. The Crater is a very picturesque setting for viewing and photographing wildlife and as the animals are familiar with vehicles, we can get really close to them, giving us an excellent opportunity to study their behaviour. The usual grassland dwelling animals live in the crater: wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, eland, hartebeest, buffalo, warthogs and the predators include bat-eared foxes, jackals, hyenas, lions and rarely seen cheetahs.
With over 30,000 animals, the Ngorongoro Crater can be regarded as a “Garden of Eden”. The 100 sq km caldera is home to the last black rhinos to be found in Tanzania and also has the highest density of lions anywhere in Africa. The rhino population here is carefully protected and they are quite commonly seen. We return to our campsite in the late afternoon. Please bring some warm clothing as it can be cold here.

We have the option of a game drive this morning in the Lake Manyara National Park. Famed for its tree-climbing Lions, the park is also home to large herds of hippo and elephant, not to mention abundant birdlife on the Lake. After lunch we return to Arusha and our accommodation in preparation for our climbs on Mt Meru and Kilimanjaro.

We pick you up from your Arusha Hotel at 7.00am and transfer to our start at Momella Gate (1500m). The track soon passes some open
grassland, with a good chance of seeing buffaloes and warthogs, and then continues as a steady climb through montane forest. We have
lunch at, or near, the Fig Tree Arch, which is big enough to drive a car through! After lunch, the route continues through less dense forest, where there are an abundance of birds and monkeys. The black and white colobus monkeys are particularly fascinating to watch. By midafternoon, there are the first closer views of the towering cliffs and the Ash Cone. We reach Miriakamba Hut (2514m), situated in an idyllic grassy glade, in time to enjoy the last of the afternoon sun and beautiful views over the surrounding plains towards Kilimanjaro.

The walk from Miriakamba Hut to the saddle below Little Meru is a short but steep and sustained climb all the way. We walk through attractive, open, and lush montane forest to reach the halfway point of Elephant Ridge. This has excellent views of the summit ridge and across most of the crater floor. During a break, you might spot elephants or other animals from our vantage point. The path continues uphill through giant heather and other moorland vegetation to reach Saddle Hut (3570m), where lunch is waiting for us.

The afternoon is free to rest and enjoy the views. The more energetic can make the short climb to the nearby summit of Little Meru (3820m) for superb views just before sunset.

We begin with an early start at around 2.00am to climb steeply to Rhino Point (3800m), and then continue along an undulating ridge of ash and rock to reach Cobra Point (4350m) arriving at around sunrise. The views are stunning: the cliffs of the Crater rim, the Ash Cone rising from the Crater floor, Kilimanjaro floating on the morning clouds and west towards the Rift Valley if the weather is clear. The summit of Socialist Peak (4566m) is another hour on a superb but steep path. On a clear day, the views are absolutely rewarding.

The route back to Rhino Point in the sharp morning light situated on a narrow ridge between the sloping outer wall of the crater and the sheer cliffs of the inner wall is one of the most dramatic and exhilarating walks in Africa. We rest, and have brunch at Saddle Hut before continuing the descent to Miriakamba Hut (2514m).

We take the direct route down towards Momella through open grassland and mixed forest, with good chances of seeing wildlife. This trail has excellent views back towards the crater and over the plains of the National Park. We should reach Momella Gate by late morning.

After completing the necessary registration formalities at Londorossi National Park gate, we drive a short distance on a steep track through farmland and plantations (2800m), and continue climbing steadily on foot through shrub forest and giant heather to reach the rim of Shira Plateau (3350m). The views across the surrounding plains open out as we climb to our first camp in the centre of the plateau at “Shira One” (3550m).

We have an easy day to help acclimatisation and to explore the grassy moorland and the volcanic rock formations of the plateau. We walk to the summit of Shira Cathedral (3750m), a huge buttress of rock surrounded by steep spires and pinnacles. There is a tangible sense of wilderness especially when the afternoon mists come in! The views from our camp near Shira Hut (3840m) of Mt Meru floating on the clouds are simply unforgettable.

Leaving the moorland plateau behind we walk on the lava ridges beneath the glaciers of the Western breach. After lunch near the Lava Tower junction (4550m) we descend to the bottom of the Great Barranco Valley (3900m), sheltered by towering cliffs and with extensive views of the plains far below.

A steep climb up the Barranco Wall leads us to an undulating trail on the south-eastern flank of Kibo, with superb vistas of the Southern Icefields. Lunch is usually taken at Karanga, the last water point, in a steep valley. After lunch, the terrain changes to scree and we climb steeply to reach the Barafu campsite (4600m) by mid afternoon. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the final ascent before a very early night.

We will start our ascent by torchlight around midnight so that we can be up on the crater rim by sunrise. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree has some well-graded zigzags and a slow but steady pace will take us to Stella Point (5735m), 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 (5896m), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy a lot of the summit area. The descent to Barafu is surprisingly fast, and after some refreshment, we continue to descend to reach our final campsite (3100m) at Mweka Forest Camp.
Today’s trekking involves from 11 to 15 hours walking which is made to feel more strenuous by the effects of altitude and extreme cold. This section of the trek is one of the steepest and most demanding and should not be taken lightly. It is a great idea to have your own head torch so that your hands are free for balance. Most people are surprised by the extreme cold and the best advice is to follow the clothing list and pack your warm clothes – you will need them!

A sustained descent through lovely forest with lush undergrowth takes us to the National Park gate at Mweka (1650m); and on through coffee and banana farms to Mweka village. 

After breakfast we make our return journey by shuttle bus to Nairobi via Arusha. The exact return schedule and connections through Arusha
will be confirmed when your trip is finalised. You will be able to be dropped off at any of the main city hotels in Nairobi that should have been booked in advance or at the airport.