National Park Day Trips
Arusha National Park Day Trip
Today we will pick up from your hotel and drive to Arusha National Park with picnic lunches, the park (137sq Km) has terrain ranging from open savannah through acacia scrublands to Afro mountain cloud and rain forest and Afro-alpine vegetation similar to Mount Kilimanjaro. Mammal species includes elephant, buffalo, various primates and giraffe’s game drives in the park enjoying a peaceful and scenic canoeing safari following the shorelines of small Momella Lake. View buffaloes, bushbuck, giraffes, hippos and many water birds living in and close to the water. Later in the day go for 1.5 hours walking safari accompanied by an armed guard. Later in the day leave the park and drive to Arusha/Moshi where you will be dropped off.
Activities: Game Drive/Walking
Accommodation & Meals: Lunch
Lake Manyara National Park Day Trip
In the early morning, we will collect you from your hotel in Arusha and drive you to Lake Manyara National Park. The park encompasses the northwest bank and part of the alkaline Lake Manyara which itself rests in the Great Rift Valley. The park is perhaps best known for its flamingos, pelicans and cormorants but it is also the home for a few hundred other species of birds; it is therefore a paradise for ornithologists. Next to a great variety of birds, the “Big Game” can also be seen. With a bit of luck you might see elephants in the wooded regions and with even more fortune the tree-climbing lions. Indeed, it was thought for a long time that the Lake Manyara National Park is the only place where lions can be found with this atypical behaviour of climbing trees. Baboons and vervet monkeys are also found amongst the forested areas and in the more open spaces, giraffes nibble at the fresh leaves while the various types of antelopes common to the region browse for tasty shoots. After a picnic lunch, there will be more time for further game and wildlife watching before it is time to return to Arusha.
Lunch
Tarangire National Park Day Trip
We will collect you from your hotel in Arusha and following a 2-3 hour drive, you will arrive at the Tarangire National Park. In this region, Hemmingway often went on big game hunting safaris. After the formation of the national parks in 1970, they turned the seasonal marshes and the endless savannah that one sees today into, once again, profitable hunting grounds. Today however, cameras thankfully have replaced the elephant guns. The Tarangire National Park has the highest density of elephants in North Tanzania and you can view these animals all year round in which the herds often can reach an impressive number of 300 animals. The Tarangire River has water all year round and during the dry season, between July and October, many animals from the surrounding areas come to the river for drinking. If you visit the park during the dry season, you will witness an unforgettable natural wonder as you can observe wonderful creatures such as lions, giraffes, buffaloes, wildebeests and zebras as well as various types of antelopes and gazelles and with a little luck, you can also spot a python! This area is during the dry season also a haven for bird watchers with over 550 different species including the Masai Ostrich -the world largest bird. Around lunchtime, you will stop at a suitable picnic place before the afternoon is dedicated to more wildlife watching. Before sunset, you will be taken back to your hotel in Arusha.
Lunch
Ngorongoro Crater Day Trip
The Ngorongoro Crater – the name has an almost mystical ring to it, conjuring images of a giant wildlife-filled volcanic caldera, where the big five and many other animals roam. But there’s even more – the Ngorongoro Conservation Area also encompasses mountains, lakes, forests and wide-open African plains! With the world-famous crater at its hart, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers an area of 8300 sq km. This African wildlife area was previously part of the Serengeti National Park, but due to the grazing needs of the animals of the local Masai, the area was reclassified as an African wildlife conservation area in Tanzania.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area as a whole has much to offer but the jewel in its crown is, without a doubt, the eponymous crater – an area of 265 sq km, which is 610 meters deep and 19 km across. The rim of the crater is an astounding 2286 meters above sea level. The floor contains a small soda lake, called Lake Magadi and it is estimated that 30 000 animals are living in the crater, making it the most intensive safari game viewing area on earth! It was therefore very fittingly declared a World Heritage Site in 1978. A visit to Tanzania is simply incomplete without a safari visit to the park.
Kilimanjaro National Park (Shira Plateau) - Day Hike
Early in the morning of your Kilimanjaro day trip, we will pick you up at your hotel – an active day in Tanzania’s wilderness area awaits. The drive to your destination of West Kilimanjaro takes you through a forest reserve, where you can look out for Colobus Monkeys in the trees. Your hike through the beautifully rugged landscape of Shira Plateau starts at 3,500 m above sea level. Get out of the car, lace up your shoes and take in the sounds, smells, and colours of Tanzania’s stunning wilderness. Along different trails and accompanied by a ranger, you can enjoy views of Kibo, Kilimanjaro’s highest peak, and its northern glaciers, when the weather permits. The vast plains of neighbouring Amboseli National Park in Kenya and the deep gorge of the Simba River contrast the views of the world’s highest free-standing mountain. When you reach the northern rim of Shira Crater, take a quick stop at different observation points and see the volcanic cones dotting the landscape below. Hike at your own pace and enjoy a picnic lunch under the open sky along the way. It’s a moderate hike and you don’t need to be an athlete to be able to enjoy it. However, at 3,500m the air is thinner, so pace your step, enjoy the untouched landscapes and the presence of the mighty Kilimanjaro. After a 4h hike – or earlier, if your legs get tired – we take you back to your hotel.
Lunch
Local Day Trips
Maasai Village
A visit to a Masai village is an interesting experience. When you arrive in the village, children and adults greet you with songs and dancing. At certain times, you will be welcomed in one of the homesteads of the village. The village huts (called Emanyata) are made of cow dung and clay plastered over stalk frames. This is pretty handy, the Maasai keep cattle herds and the dung is always rich and freely available. One of the hosts will give you an insight into the life of the Maasai.
Some may not speak English, but our guide will interpret you so that the story can be exchanged. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the history and lifestyle of this tribe. You can ask as many questions as you like.
A variety of goods, including homeopathic medicines, local clothing and cereals. Here you have the opportunity to bring home a souvenir, a reminder that you appreciate. In the village they will offer you a hot lunch.
Maasai Village
Materuni Waterfalls
Materuni Waterfalls
Materuni waterfalls is one of the biggest and most popular waterfalls in Kilimanjaro Region. The waterfalls situated on the slope of Mount Kilimanjaro, to the authentic Chagga tribe. The source of water comes directly from the glacier on top of Kilimanjaro.
About 30min driving from Moshi town and 1 ½ hour from Arusha, walking through coffee and banana farm surrounded by lush landscape its where this waterfalls found.
A 30 min walk through stunning green landscape of chagga land will bring us to this hug waterfall, here we will go swimming in the refreshing water and have break for lunch at this beautiful waterfall. With a very nice weather you will be able to see Mount Kilimanjaro very close.
Kikuletwa Hot Spring
Kikuletwa Hot Springs is a very special natural phenomenon in which hot water gushes out of the ground. The water of this spring is turquoise blue and crystal clear and invites you to a refreshing dive over 6 meters depth. The pool is surrounded by a semi-arid landscape, and sprawling fig tree. Get ready to relax and rejuvenate your body with these smoothing and tranquil hot springs. It’s the perfect spot after a safari and Kilimanjaro climb or just to escape the city.
The drive from Moshi / Arusha takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Kikuletwa Hot Spring
Meru Experience
Meru Experience
At about 09:00 h in the morning, you will be collected at your hotel and be taken to the Agape Women Group, a union of local women. Driving on hilly country roads, you will reach an altitude of 680 meters. Upon your arrival you will be greeted with some refreshments. Weather permitting, you will have a breathtaking view of the summit of Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro. With renewed strength you will start your tour of the surrounding area. You will be accompanied by a local guide, who will show you the various plants and explain their use as household remedies. About two hours later you will return to Mama Anna’s, where you can relax after your walk and enjoy a local lunch. After this well-deserved break, you will enjoy some Tanzanian music sung by the women of the commune and be dressed in their typical colourful cloths. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to learn more about their brand of cheese (cheddar, gouda, mozzarella) and coffee production. You will be able to lend a hand with the roasting and grinding of the coffee beans, which you can purchase at the end of the tour. In the afternoon, after such an eventful day, you will be taken back to your hotel.
Lake Chala
30 km east of Moshi, this crater lake fed from Mount Kilimanjaro is truly an off the beaten track. The views of the surrounding area and the shores of the lake provide a magnificent picnic site. The Chala Hill walk is best done in the early morning. Well worth the climb, this is an incredibly scenic walk with breathtaking 360% views across the lake to Kenya, to Lake Jipe, Kilimanjaro and over most of the 800 hectares of Chala land. This walk can be continued right around the lake.
Lake Chala
Coffee Farms
Coffee Farms
Are you a coffee lover? No trip to Tanzania would be complete without the cultural experience of a coffee tour. Discover the true meaning of farm-to-table with a guided tour and tasting at one of the country’s premier coffee plantations. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the farm unique. Learn about growing, cultivation, harvesting, blending, roasting process, and influential history of coffee—then try sample a cup of your favourite blend.
Marangu Day Hike
Kilimanjaro Marangu day hike involves going up to the first camp Mandara hut (2720m) and come back via the same route on the same day. There is a drive about 45km from Moshi town which will take 1 hour. At Marangu gate you have to do some registrations and pay the park entrance fee to get a valid permit to start the hike. Marangu gate is 1879m above sea level and the distance to Mandara hut is 8km (16 km round trip), which will take 3 to 4 hours for each direction.
Raining Forest:
On the way to from the Marangu gate to Mandara hut you will cross the rain forest which is a dense forest, pure green with a lot of species of plants. If you are lucky you can see Blue Monkeys and a black and white Colobus Monkeys.
Maundi CraterMarangu Day Hike:
It just takes 15 minutes walk from Mandara to Maundi Crater. This place offers a good view of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks and also good view of the Kenyan side ad lake Chala and Jipe. During eruption the pressure was not enough to force magma to get out hence instead of rise up it formed a crater.
NOTE: Porters are not required for day trips, but guides are. Park regulations mandate that there can be at most two clients for each guide. The company will provide lunch and Drinking Water.