Tanzania Experience

Day 1: Karibu Tanzania! (Welcome to Tanzania!)
On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you’ll be met by one of our friendly local representatives who will take you to your accommodation in Moshi to chill out and relax after your long journey.

Dinner included.

Day 2: The who, what, where and why….
Today is all about settling in and getting a feel for your new surroundings. Your orientation will be held today and will give you a great opportunity to ask all those burning questions about the exciting adventure that lies ahead. As part of your orientation you will also be taken on a walk around Moshi to familiarise with town that you will be calling home for the first section of your Tanzania Experience.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Day 3-6: Community volunteering in Moshi
As well as seeing the best that Tanzania has to offer, this Experience also gives you the opportunity to give something back and volunteer at our community projects helping children in Moshi. We have a number of different projects working with disadvantaged children at nurseries and kindergartens. Our volunteer coordinators will place you according to the needs of the projects at the time and any previous experience that you may have.

You will be spending 4 days volunteering at the projects this week and a further four days next week after your action packed weekend of safari and cultural experience with a Masai community.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Day 7: A true Masai experience
Perhaps one of the most famous nomadic communities in east Africa, the Masai are world renowned for their traditional customs and dress. Today you will be visiting the Masai village of Mto wa Umbu which is right next to Lake Manyara and the famous N’gorongoro Crater that you’ll be visiting later in your trip, it’s a 4-hour drive to the village but the scenery along the way is fantastic, so make sure you keep your camera close to hand! When you reach the village you will be taken on a guided walk and given a brief history of the Masai people and their nomadic lifestyle. During your time at the village you will be able to visit a local school and the other community projects taking place in the village too.

Your Masai experience does not finish just yet though, as tonight you will have the rare opportunity to stay over in a Masai Boma (mud hut), sleeping on a traditional cow skin mattress!

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. 

Day 8: N’gorongoro Crater Safari

You’ll need to be up bright and early this morning as we head to N’gorongoro Crater very early to fit in a full day of game viewing. The crater was formed by a volcano and is said to have one of the largest calderas in the world measuring 20km in diameter; it offers stunning scenery and a fascinating backdrop for game viewing and owing to its small size in comparison to neighbouring National Parks and high concentration of wildlife, close-range viewings of the animals are common. It is home to a huge variety of wildlife including Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo, Wildebeest, Rhino, Cheetah and of course Hippos; along with a whole host of smaller game including Warthog, Impala, Thompson’s Gazelles, Zebra and Reedbucks; it is also offers a wealth of bird life so all in all it is a fantastic destination for your safari! The Crater itself is part of the larger N’gorongoro Conservation Area which has been given UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 9: Lake Manyara
After breakfast, you’ll take a short ride to Lake Manyara National Park for a morning of game viewing. Lake Manyara borders the world famous Great Rift Valley escarpment and is home to a large population of Flamingos, offering a truly unique spectacle and backdrop to your morning game drive as you try and track down some of the animals that may have eluded you at N’gorongoro Crater yesterday such as Giraffes which are not found in the crater. As well as the famous Flamingoes, Lake Manyara is also known for its tree-climbing Lions and large herds of Elephants.

After lunch, it’ll be time to head back to head back to the volunteer house in Moshi in time for dinner.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Please note: On some occasions it may be necessary for days 8 and 9 to be switched around; this would be dependent on weather and road conditions to N’gorongoro Crater.

Decision time!
There are two options for the following week; the standard option is to spend your time volunteering and then go for a short trek in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. There is also the option to spend the week trekking all the way up to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro - the highest peak in Africa! The two itineraries are detailed below and there will be an additional supplement for the Mount Kilimanjaro climb option; please ask for more information.

Standard Itinerary

Day 10-14: Community volunteering in Moshi
Today is back to your volunteer projects, the children will be so excited to see you again! Throughout your volunteering section of the programme, you will be helping the children with basic skills in English and Maths to give them a head start in life and a brighter future. The nurseries have been set up to help prepare children for primary school and provide extra care and support to those who need it most.

During your time volunteering in Moshi, you will be staying in our volunteer house accommodation where you can enjoy some fantastic views of Mount Kilimanjaro!

On Thursday night, dinner is not included for you as this is a good night to sample some of the local restaurants and bars in Moshi.

Breakfast and dinner included. (Except dinner on the Thursday)  

Day 15 - 16: Trekking in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro

For the next two days you'll be embarking on the Machame Village trekking adventure in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, discover Machame Water Falls and enjoy the awesome views of Mount Kilimanjaro towering above you.

Tonight you will be camping in the forest which will no doubt be a memorable experience.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Kilimanjaro climb Itinerary

Day 10
This will be a free day to prepare for your trek and sort out any additional items you need for the climb.

The normal route taken on this trek will be the Machame route. This is weather dependent and may be changed to the Marangu route in poor weather. The itinerary below is based on the Machame Route.

Day 11

Moshi to Machame Camp - 2980m. 18km hiking for approximately 7 hours through mountain forest habitat.

Day 12

Machame camp to Shira camp - 3840m. 9km hiking for approximately 6 hours through moorland habitat.

Day 13

Shira camp - Lava tower (4630m) - Barranco camp (4550m). 15km hiking for approximately 7 hours through semi desert habitat.

Day 14

Barranco camp (3950m) to Barafu camp (4550m). 13km hiking for approximately 7 hours through alpine desert.

Day 15

Barafu camp (4550m) - Uhuru Peak (5895m) - Mweka (3100m). 7km ascent to summit, taking approx 8 hours. 23km descent taking 7/8 hours. Snow and ice-capped summit habitat.

Day 16

Mweka camp (3100m) to Mweka gate (1980m). Approx 15km hiking taking approx 3 hours through forest habitat.

At the end of the trek you will return to the volunteer house in Moshi and meet back up with people from the standard itinerary ready for your trip down to Dar es Salaam.  

Day 17: Travel to Dar Es Salaam

Today you'll be heading down to Dar Es Salaam for the next stage of your adventure. It’s a long drive to Dar (approximately 7 hours), but there is lots to see on the way as you watch Tanzanian life whizz by. On arrival in Dar Es Salaam you’ll be taken to the village of Bahari Beach on the outskirts of the city where you’ll be staying in our volunteer accommodation for the next few nights... best of all its only a few minutes walk from the beach and beautiful Indian Ocean!

Breakfast and dinner included.

Day 18: Beach time

You’ll be in need of a rest after the past few days, trekking around Mount Kili and the long drive to Dar Es Salaam. So today is a great opportunity to kick back and relax as you are taken to one of the lovely beaches near Dar Es Salaam for the day.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Day 19: Coral Islands

Feel like Robinson Crusoe for the day as you head out on a boat trip to the idyllic Coral islands off the coast of Dar Es Salaam. The area has been given Marine Park status and as such offer unspoilt, palm lined, white sandy beaches and clear waters that are just waiting to be explored. Your time on the Coral Islands is your free time to do as you please, you may just like to relax and go for a swim, or if you are feeling a little more adventurous then perhaps hire some snorkelling equipment and discover the abundant marine life that lies beneath the surface.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Day 20: Free time

You’ll be having a fantastic lesson in African drumming and dance! You will be introduced to a local record studio and some top Tanzanian drummers and dancers will teach you the basic steps and techniques! This is great fun and you’ll have the opportunity to put your new moves into practice in the evening when there will be the opportunity to enjoy some live music!

The remainder of your time today is your own free time for you to explore the local area. Perhaps, head to one of the local markets to pick up some souvenirs and mementoes of your time in Tanzania.

Breakfast and dinner included.

Day 21: Zanzibar… here we come!
Today is a fairly laid back day; we’ll be taking the ferry over to the famous spice island of Zanzibar, the waters from the mainland to the island can be quite choppy so be prepared for a bumpy ride! The ferry journey to the island takes approximately 2 hours and takes us to the main port of Stone Town. On arrival in Stone Town we’ll be heading to our accommodation in the town and the rest of the day will be at leisure, giving you a great opportunity to start exploring the narrow cobbled streets of this unique place.

Breakfast included.

Day 22: Exploring Stone Town
You may have already explored a few of the streets of Stone Town yesterday, but today you will be taking a guided tour of the town and shown its hidden gems including exotic markets where you can practice your bartering skills for clothes, spices and all sorts of other wonderful things. Later on you’ll be visiting some famous sites such as the former home for Zanzibar’s most famous resident to date... Freddie Mercury. There is also an opportunity for you to visit some of the towns Museums, your Team Leader will be able to make some recommendations on the best ones. Time has almost stood still in Stone Town and wandering through the narrow cobbled streets you will feel like you have been transported hundreds of years back in time!

Breakfast included.

Day 23: Free time in Stone Town
You have some free time in Stone Town today, you may like to visit some of the markets, revisit some of the places from your tour yesterday or perhaps arrange an additional excursion… maybe a dolphin tour or trip out to Prison Island and the Turtle Sanctuary, whatever you decide our team in Zanzibar will be able to help you arrange these and will also be able to recommend some other ideas too.

Breakfast included.

Day 24: Spice Tour
No trip to Zanzibar would be complete without a Spice tour, so today that is just what you will be doing! The Spice trade is part of the history of Zanzibar and some of its most famous exports include Cloves, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Peppercorns. The tour is a great opportunity to taste some of these fascinating spices and see exactly where they come from before they appear on the shelves of our local supermarkets. 

Breakfast and lunch included. 

Day 25-28: Beaches of Kendwa
It’s time to head to the beach as we travel to the beaches of Kendwa in the north of island. Kendwa is home to possibly some of the most picturesque beaches on the island and is a great base for the final few days of your trip! You’ll be staying at a hostel on the beach which has a great little restaurant and bikini bar where you’ll no doubt want to enjoy the odd sun-downers cocktail in the evening! Your time in Kendwa is your own free time and the staff at the hostel will be able to make some great recommendations on activities and places to visit in the local area.

Breakfast included.

Day 29: All good things must come to an end….
After an epic 4 week adventure encompassing the very best experiences that Tanzania has to offer, it’ll be time to bid farewell to your new found friends. You will be taken back to Stone Town today and dropped off in the town. A transfer to the airport is not included in your programme, however this is easy to arrange locally.

Breakfast included.

Please note: Itineraries and activities are subject to change.