Safari to Kilimanjaro - Machame Route

Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm in Nairobi. If you arrive early, perhaps head out and explore the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum, or join a local guide on an Intrepid day tour who'll not only show you the sights but also lead you to the perfect lunch spot to try some local cuisine. Tonight, why not ask your leader for local dinner recommendations and head out as a group to get to know your fellow travellers.

Today, you'll board your overland vehicle bound for Amboseli National Park. The park covers an area of about 392 square kilometres and is home to the largest population of African elephants in Kenya, many of which are ‘big tuskers’ (elephants with large tusks). You may even spot a ‘super tusker’ – a male bull elephant with tusks that weigh over 45 kg each, usually so long they scrape the ground. If you're lucky to visit on a clear day, you'll be treated to amazing views of Mt Kilimanjaro. When you arrive, you'll set off on a game drive in your overland vehicle to explore the park and discover the wildlife that calls this place home.

This morning, cross into Tanzania and travel to the Naramatisho Women's Centre, established by the Pastoral Women's Council (PWC) – a partner of The Intrepid Foundation. You'll be warmly welcomed with traditional songs and dance before learning how PWC empowers Indigenous pastoralist women through programmes that advance women's rights, leadership, education and economic empowerment. Then, visit the centre's workshop to discover the art of Maasai beadwork and its cultural significance before visiting a nearby Maasai village for a firsthand look at daily life, traditions and community customs. Afterwards, head to camp and settle in for the evening.

Wake up early, load your camping gear and personal belongings into a six-person jeep and head out to the Ngorongoro Crater. Enjoy a safari in the crater, spending 3 to 4 hours exploring this incredible, perfectly intact volcanic caldera. Keep an eye out for black rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, impalas, zebras and hippos. The crater floor offers excellent wildlife viewing year-round (around 30,000 animals live here), and the photo opportunities are unrivalled. Next, continue to the wide-open plains of the Serengeti. Green after the rains and brown and burnt during the dry season, this is perhaps the quintessential image of Africa – home to thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators. Spend time in search of the Serengeti's abundant wildlife before continuing to your campsite within the national park. As night falls, listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep.

Awake at dawn and embark on a game drive. You will head out while the animals are at their most active, then head back to camp for brunch at around 11 am. After spending the middle of the day relaxing, just like the animals do, head out again as the day begins to cool. You'll return from this second game drive in time for dinner. There's also the option of a balloon safari over the Serengeti. If you have booked this activity, you will be picked up before dawn and driven to the launch site. After a safety briefing, take off and glide through the dawn sky, sometimes at tree height, getting some amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you'll ascend higher, giving you an overview of the vastness of the plains. After landing, celebrate with a glass of champagne before tucking into a special bush breakfast.

Enjoy a leisurely morning 4WD safari and picnic lunch on your way out of Serengeti National Park today. Soak up final views of this incredible spot before making the long drive to the town of Karatu – your base for the next two nights.

Kick off the day with an included visit to a local coffee farm, a hands‑on experience hosted at the farmer’s home. Pick a few ripe berries straight from the trees, see how the husk comes off, then roast, pound and grind the beans the traditional way, before enjoying a cup with your host.

After breakfast, board your overland truck for the final time and head back to Arusha. Upon arrival, you'll be dropped off at the Impala Shuttle Office, where you'll say goodbye to your truck and crew. From there, you'll take an unescorted shuttle bus to Moshi, nestled in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro (1300 m). The shuttle departs around 9 am. You’ll have a second welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight for a full briefing and kit inspection by an experienced Kilimanjaro climber. 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!

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

With no activities or trekking planned for today, you’re free to depart at any time. Transfers to Kilimanjaro Airport or a shuttle to Nairobi can be arranged locally – please speak to your leader at your welcome meeting if you wish to organise this.