Mt. Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro Climbing with Amboseli Nationa Park

Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi and drive to Naro Moru River Lodge – 175 km / approx. 3 hours
You will be met at Nairobi airport in the arrivals area and transferred to the hotel at the foot of Mount Kenya. By dinner time, you will meet your mountain guide for the coming days. Overnight at Silva Montana Hotel Chogoria.

Day 2: Drive to Chogoria and trek to Bandas Camp (2,700 m) – approx. 2 hours drive and 4 hours trekking
A relaxed morning starts with breakfast and sorting our gear. We leave all items and bags not needed on the mountain at the hotel. At 9:00 am, we take a short, one-hour drive through the rainforest to our drop-off point. Here, we lace up our hiking boots and hand over our luggage to the porters. Through dense bamboo forest, we hike up to the camp near the Meru Bandas huts at 2,700 m, where we set up our tents. In the late afternoon, we make an exciting excursion to a nearby waterhole where antelope, buffalo, zebras, and occasionally elephants can be spotted. Overnight at Mount Kenya Bandas Tent Camp, (B|L|D).

Day 3: Mt. Kenya Bandas – Lake Ellis Campsite (3,600 m), 3 hours / 12 km hike
The hike begins with spectacular views of the rolling hills ahead and, possibly, the snow-capped peaks of Batian (5,199 m) and Nelion (5,188 m) above. This is a relatively short hike, and we will arrive at camp earlier than the day before, giving us time to relax. After lunch, we take a walk around the lake and do an acclimatization hike to nearby Mugi Hill. Overnight at Lake Ellis Tent Camp, (B|L|D).

Day 4: Lake Ellis – Minto’s Camp (4,200 m), 4 hours / 10 km hike
We start early, following a ridge off the beaten path for about three hours. Eventually, we join the main Chogoria route at around 4,100 m. From here, we enjoy breathtaking views of the Gorges Valley, Ithanguni, and the northern moorlands. Lunch is served by a small stream crossing before continuing for another hour to Minto’s Camp at 4,200 m. The afternoon can be spent relaxing, but a short 10-minute walk to the “Temple” cliff is well worth it. The “Temple” is a 150-meter high vertical cliff, named after the position visitors often take when looking over the edge — they appear to be praying. Overnight at Lake Minto’s Tent Camp, (B|L|D).

Day 5: Minto’s Camp – Simba Col (4,600 m), 3 hours / 7 km hike
Today, we start our hike after 10:00 am, climbing at the base of huge rock walls. From above, we enjoy an excellent view of Mount Kenya. After a few hours, we reach Simba Col. Overnight at the tent camp near Simba Tarn. Overnight at the tent camp, (B|L|D).

Day 6: Simba Col – Point Lenana (4,985 m) – Mackinder’s Met Station (3,100 m) – Nairobi – approx. 8 hours / 18 km hike
Around 5:00 am, after a small breakfast snack, we set off for the third highest peak of the Mount Kenya massif. We ascend for about an hour over bare rock and scree slopes typical of alpine terrain to reach Point Lenana (4,985 m). At the summit, we enjoy breathtaking views of the rugged massif, with several mountain lakes shimmering in the golden morning light. On clear days, Kilimanjaro is even visible on the horizon. Afterwards, we descend to Mackinder for breakfast. Careful attention is needed during the descent. After further descent, we are picked up at the Met Station and return to Nairobi by around 7:00 pm. Overnight at Hotel Boulevard Nairobi, (B|L).

Day 7: Adventure drive to Amboseli National Park – approx. 4 hours drive
After a restful night in Nairobi, we are picked up by our private driver to be taken directly to the breathtaking Amboseli National Park. The park lies in the shadow of Africa’s most famous attraction, the majestic Kilimanjaro — our next summit. After a relaxed check-in and a hearty lunch, an exciting afternoon game drive awaits in Amboseli. We will likely encounter giraffes, elephants, gazelles, hyenas, buffaloes, lions, and possibly even a leopard. Pure Africa in all its glory! Overnight at Ol Tukai hotel or similar, (B|L|D).

Day 8: Game drive in Amboseli National Park and drive via Loitokitok border to Moshi – approx. 2 hours drive
After a relaxed, hearty breakfast, the morning offers the chance to explore the fascinating wildlife of Amboseli National Park. Afterwards, we drive to Moshi for our next adventure—the highest peak in Africa. Overnight at Chanya Lodge or similar, (B).

Day 9: Drive to Rongai Gate (1,990 m) and trek to Simba Camp (2,625 m) – 4 hours / approx. 8 km hike
After breakfast, we drive about 30 minutes to Rongai Gate (Nalemoru Gate), the starting point for our Kilimanjaro ascent on the less frequented northern side. From here, our first stage takes us through forested areas with a chance to spot monkeys or birds. The path gradually ascends until we reach Simba Camp on the edge of the heath zone. Overnight at Simba Camp, (B|L|D).

Day 10: Trek from Simba Camp (2,625 m) via Second Cave Camp (3,450 m) to Third Cave Camp (3,880 m) – approx. 4 hours / 6 km hike
After breakfast, we continue ascending through moorland and heath zones, reaching Second Cave Camp where we take a break. We then head eastward to Third Cave Camp at 3,880 m. This stage also aids with further acclimatization. Overnight at Third Cave Camp, (B|L|D).

Day 11: Trek from Third Cave (3,880 m) to School Huts (4,800 m) – approx. 4 hours / 5 km hike
Today’s trail takes us into a rocky, alpine environment. The ascent becomes noticeably steeper and vegetation increasingly sparse. Eventually, we reach School Huts at 4,800 m – our base for summit day. We settle in early to rest and prepare for the upcoming climb. Overnight at School Huts, (B|L|D).

Day 12: Summit Day – School Huts – Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) – Millennium Camp (3,825 m) – approx. 10–11 hours / 16 km hike
Shortly after midnight, we begin our ascent to the summit. The steep path leads through scree fields and ash slopes to Gillman’s Point (5,681 m), where we witness a spectacular sunrise. From there, we continue along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak – the highest point in Africa (5,895 m). After a brief stay at the summit, we descend via the Mweka Route to Millennium Camp for a well-earned rest. Overnight at Millennium Camp, (B|L|D).

Day 13: Millennium Camp (3,825 m) – Mweka Gate (1,680 m) – Transfer to the lodge – approx. 3 hours / 9 km hike
Our final descent leads us through lush rainforest to the Mweka Gate. There, we bid farewell to our crew and (if the summit was reached) receive our official certificate. Afterwards, we transfer back to Chanya Lodge in Moshi for a refreshing shower and relaxation. Overnight at Chanya Lodge or similar, (B).

Day 14: Departure – Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport or optional safari/Zanzibar extension
Free time until your flight. Our driver will pick you up from the hotel based on your flight schedule and transfer you to the airport. (B)

We reserve the right to make changes to the program due to special events, force majeure or weather reasons.

Legends: B = breakfast | L = lunch | D = dinner

Visa

Tanzani
To enter Tanzania, a passport that is valid for at least 6 months and a tourist visa are required. The visa for German citizens can be applied for three to four weeks before departure at the Tanzania embassy (approx. 50 EUR plus postage). Alternatively, the visa is also available upon entry into Tanzania (50 USD, to be paid in cash on site). We recommend this variant, it is less complicated and cheaper. For international departures from Zanzibar, a departure tax of USD 30 and a health insurrance is required.

Kenya
Since 2024, travel to Kenya has required an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to replace the traditional visa. The eTA costs around $30 including service fees. The application is made online using the German-language form at https://www.etakenya.go.ke/de and should be made at least 72 hours before departure. Once approved, the eTA is valid for 90 days, after which a new application must be made. The passport must be valid for at least six months from the planned entry date and have at least two blank pages to apply for the eTA. When entering Kenya, you must present the printed eTA along with your passport and return ticket.
These visa and passport regulations apply to EU countries and Switzerland. Other citizens would like to inquire at the respective country consulate.

Insurance
A travel health insurance (with rescue costs) is essential for your own safety and a prerequisite for booking our trips. In the event of an accident in the mountains or on safari that requires a helicopter, the helicopter will not take off until full coverage of the costs has been clarified.
We strongly recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance. Flights at bargain prices in particular cannot usually be rebooked or cancelled free of charge. In Tanzania there could also be complications with the weather, your health, etc., which would force you to abandon your trip.
We asked ERGO Reiseversicherung to put together different service packages for you. You can book the right travel health insurance for you at https://www.reiseversicherung.de.

It should be noted that geoDiscovery Tours only recommends that its guests book travel insurance through ERGO and assumes no responsibility for the contractual content between the travel guest and the insurance provider. It is up to each guest to book their travel insurance through ERGO or another provider.

Vaccinations
Tanzania
When entering the mainland of Tanzania and Zanzibar directly from Germany/Switzerland and Austria, no compulsory vaccinations are required, in particular no yellow fever vaccination. This also applies if you enter in transit via a yellow fever endemic area, as long as you do not leave the airport during the stopover and the stay is less than 12 hours. However, there should be vaccination protection against tetanus, hepatitis A, diphtheria and polio. Vaccinations against hepatitis B and typhoid are recommended for long stays. We recommend that you consult your family doctor in good time. Further information can be found on the Federal Foreign Office website. 
Kenya
There are currently no mandatory vaccination requirements for travelers from Germany, Switzerland and Austria traveling to Kenya (as of November 2023). However, it is advisable to check and, if necessary, refresh your vaccination status for diphtheria, polio and tetanus. Vaccination against hepatitis A and hepatitis B is also recommended. Although it is recommended to be immunized against yellow fever, this is not mandatory for tourists from Germany traveling directly to Kenya (for example on a direct flight from Germany). However, travelers from yellow fever endemic areas must present proof of vaccination that is at least 10 days old. For further information, please see the medical information from the Federal Foreign Office.

Best time to travel
For trekking: Due to Kilimanjaro’s proximity to the equator, this region is not exposed to the extremes of winter and summer weather, but rather the dry and rainy seasons. The best time to climb Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya are therefore the warmest and driest months. There are two different trekking seasons that are optimal for climbing Mt Kenya, Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru; from December-March and from June-October. January-March is generally colder than June-October and there is a higher chance of snow on the summit. March, April, May and November are the wettest months and are not ideal for trekking. During the trekking tours the temperatures will be +25°C during the day and between 10°C to -5°C at night. On the summit day, temperatures of down to -20°C and sometimes strong winds can be expected.

For safari trips: In general, Kenya and Tanzania can be visited for safari tours 12 months of the year. April-May and October-November represent the rainy season in both countries. The rainiest time is April-May (here a raincoat is a must). We advise against traveling here. The second rainy season October-November has lower rainfall. The rainy season can be a beautiful time to visit as the vegetation is at its most lush and green. Precipitation typically falls in short showers interspersed with rays of sunshine, making for excellent photography.To experience the annual peak of the great migration in the Serengeti, Tanzania should be visited between June and November and Kenya between July and September. This epic natural event sees millions of wildebeest, zebras and antelopes migrate north to the Masai Mara in Kenya. However, if you want to avoid the large tourist crowds that migration brings, it is beneficial to visit the Serengeti in Tanzania during the first dry season from January to March, when the wildebeest calving season is at its peak.

Tour program
The travel program is optimally coordinated for all of the trips we recommend. However, it can happen that roads are closed or impassable without prior notice, that waiting times of several hours arise due to traffic jams or fuel shortages, that access to sites can be closed for various reasons, or other restrictions such as flight delays or even cancellations due to bad weather, strikes, Health of the participants, a pandemic or unfavourable conditions during trekking make the implementation of the travel program difficult or, in the worst case, impossible. However, our local guides are prepared for such situations and will endeavour to carry out all program points to your satisfaction. The inconvenience is usually limited. Nevertheless, it must be pointed out at this point that, for the reasons mentioned, program changes are possible at any time and are not the responsibility of the organizer. Any resulting costs are borne by the traveller. We ask for your understanding.

Flying in Tanzania
Domestic flights in Tanzania may be postponed for days due to limited airspace or weather conditions, or for technical or other reasons. Under these exceptional circumstances, our team will try – in cooperation with you – to relocate the tour to other regions or to organize road transport. The risk of delay and cancellation of these flights is borne by all participants.
In the event of a delay of several days, all participants are personally responsible for changing their flight home at least 48 hours in advance. We are of course happy to help you.

The domestic flights booked by us are:

• Air Tanzania
• Precision Air
• Flightlink
• Coastal Aviation
• Auric air

In Kenya
Kenya Airways
Fly540

Please note that our trips are not suitable for people with limited mobility.