Jambo! Welcome to Tanzania. Your hiking adventure begins in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Moshi. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight for a full briefing and kit inspection by an experienced Kilimanjaro climber. If you arrive early, the hotel is just a short walk from the village’s bustling market and some excellent coffee shops, so you can head out and explore at your own pace. After the meeting, fuel up on a hearty dinner with your fellow trekkers and get a good night’s rest, ready to start your climb tomorrow! It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place. This trip visits places that are at high altitude, and as a result some people can suffer from altitude sickness, regardless of age or physical health. Please see the ‘Health’ section of the Essential Trip Information for more important details.

Meet your guides and porters after breakfast this morning, then take the opportunity to organise your gear before setting off to the Machame Gate – the south-western entrance to the Mt Kilimanjaro National Park. Begin your hike around lunch time, starting with a stroll through the rainforest, looking out for some of the many brightly coloured birds here. Set up camp at Machame in the mid-afternoon, ready for your first night on Kilimanjaro! The huts fell into disrepair some years ago, so with the help of the porters, you’ll be setting up tents for the night. Tonight, enjoy a meal prepared by the porters and savour the first night of sleeping outdoors. Your travel time today will be approximately 1 hour. Your hiking time will be approximately 6 to 7 hours or 11 km (6.8 mi). You will sleep on elevation of about 2835 m (9301 ft).

Your second day on the mountain takes you out of the rainforest and up a steep ridge into moor land. Watch as the vegetation grows sparser as you ascend along the path to the Shira Plateau – soon, several distinct species, including the giant groundsel and lobelia, will be the only plants dominating the harsh landscape. Spend the night camping on the edge of the plateau and be treated to a golden sunset over the snow-dusted peaks of Kibo. Your hiking time will be approximately 5 to 6 hours or 5 km (3.1 mi) and you will sleep on elevation of about 3750 m (12303 ft).

After breakfast today, enjoy a fantastic walk as you continue through the rolling landscape and deep river valleys, stopping for a packed lunch along the way. The undulating land here offers a great chance to acclimatise and as you ascend to the more rugged areas of the mountain, there are great views of the Kibo Massif and its scenic surroundings. Tonight, you’ll sleep at Barranco Camp. Your hiking time will be approximately 6 to 7 hours or 10 km (6.2 mi) and you will sleep on elevation of about 3900 m (12795 ft).

Have breakfast together at Barranco Camp this morning, then begin today’s hike. From Karanga, head up to the intersection of the South Circuit and the Mweka route where you’ll start climbing up a ridge to Barafu Hut. Barafu is Swahili for ‘ice’ – as the name suggests, it can be very cold here at night! You should arrive at Barafu around lunchtime, allowing plenty of time to rest before the final summit attempt very early tomorrow morning. Your hiking time will be approximately 7 to 8 hours or 10 km (6.2 mi) and you will sleep on elevation of about 4673m (15331 ft).

At around midnight, you’ll be woken by the guides with some hot tea and biscuits to give you energy before the long, difficult ascent up scree, and sometimes snow, to Stella Point (5780 m). Pass the giant Rebmann Glacier on the way, and hopefully arrive at Stella Point in time for sunrise and superb views of the crater and the glacier glistening in the morning sun. From Stella, it’s a further 1-hour hike along the rim of the crater to Uhuru Peak (5895m) – the highest point in Africa! From the summit, take in unforgettable views of the crater, the ice fields and the vast East African plains below. After some photos and well deserved pats on the back, you’ll begin your descent. Back at Barafu Camp, enjoy a well-earned lunch and much thicker air. After, continue to Mweka Camp for the night for a well-deserved rest. Your hiking time will be approximately 11 to 12 hours or 10 km (6.2 mi) with an elevation gain of about 1222m (4009 ft) to the summit. Total descent to Mweka camp is about 2795m (9268 ft),

Today, you’ll continue to descend the mountain, traversing alpine meadows and rainforest to the Mweka park gate. When you arrive, have some lunch after checking out of the park and then transport back to the hotel for a relaxing shower – a real treat after the physical exertions of the last few days! Tonight, gather with your trekking companions for dinner, sharing your experiences of the past six days on the mountain. Your hiking time will be approximately 3 to 4 hours or 10 km (6.2 mi) with an elevation loss of about 1460 m (9578 ft).

This morning, bid farewell to your crew, transfer to Arusha Airport and take an included flight to Stone Town, Zanzibar – an archipelago with gorgeous beaches, busy markets and a layered history. On arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to your accommodation before joining a local guide this afternoon to explore the many shades of historic Stone Town through its winding alleys, lively markets and local food. Once home to Arabian sultans, Zanzibar’s culture has been shaped by African, Arab and European influences. As this trip is a combination of shorter itineraries, the travellers in your group are likely to change today. You’ll be unescorted for the flight and the Zanzibar portion of this trip. However, our local representatives will be on hand to look after you. Depending on the flight schedule and arrival time, your guided tour of Stone Town may take place in the morning on Day 9.

This morning, you have the option to visit the spice plantations for a guided tour, where you'll learn about the history of the region's spice trade and have the chance to touch, smell, and taste spices like cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger, followed by a tea sampling. Alternatively, you can head directly to the white sands and sparkling blue seas of the northern beaches.

Wake up in paradise and perhaps start your day with a peaceful stroll along the coast as the sun rises over the Indian Ocean. Enjoy a full day to soak up the best of island life – whether that means relaxing on the sand with a good book, in the warm, turquoise waters, or indulging in freshly grilled seafood for lunch. Speak with your local representative for recommendations on how to make the most of your time in this idyllic setting.

Your trip comes to an end today. Please advise your booking agent at the time of booking if you need help with transfers to Stone Town Airport or the ferry terminal. If you’d like to spend more time in this island paradise, post trip accommodation can also be pre-booked at your beach resort or in Stone Town. If you’re flying out today, the most convenient option is to depart from Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ). If your flight departs from Dar es Salaam, ferries to the mainland depart at 7.30 am, 9.30 am, 12.30 pm and 3.30 pm. Be sure to allow plenty of time to reach the airport, and speak with your leader earlier in the trip for advice or assistance with arrangements.