Kilimanjaro

The drive from Arusha to the Serengeti is one filled with wildlife, Masaai cultural sites, and local Tanzanian villages. Tanzania is renowned around the world for its incredible wildlife viewing, you and your group will experience several days of an authentic safari. Your first stop will be the Olduvai Gorge along the N’Gorongoro Crater Ring. The N’Gorongoro Crater was formed two and a half million years ago when a large volcano erupted and collapsed in on itself. The explosion created a caldera where today, wildlife such as zebra, African buffalo, hippos, lions, wildebeests, and more live together within the circle of life. The Olduvai Gorge is known as the cradle of humankind. This is the area where Mary Leaky discovered the 1.8 million year old ape skull known as Australophithecus, as well as 60 early hominid fossils. You and your group will explore the museum there and the next day, you’ll travel down into the Crater itself for some of the best wildlife sightseeing in the world.

After 3 days of safari, you will head back east towards Arusha, and stop at the esteemed Snake Park. You and your group will take a day to get your legs moving a bit. Alongside your professional local guide, you will bike from the town of Mto wa Mbu to the Snake Park itself.

For the next three days, you will work with a local project dedicated to helping public school students practice their English speaking skills. You will work alongside school teachers in the Ilboro neighborhood of Arusha to teach English in class, perform infrastructure projects as needed around the school, and then tutor students at the project’s after school library in the evenings. It will be incredibly rewarding for both you and for the students!

Ironically, the name “Kilimanjaro” originates from the Swahili word for “hill” or “little mountain.” As the theory goes, this diminutive name is thought to have been used as something of a subtle joke by local tribes. Indeed, at 19,341 feet, the “little mountain” is the fourth highest base-to-summit climb in the world. The volcanic cone of Uhuru Peak at the summit is the literal “roof of Africa.” You’ll begin your ascent along the scenic Rongai Route at 6,400 feet. Each day you’ll go on obtainable hikes so that you can slowly acclimate on your journey towards the top. Of course, you’ll grow even closer as a team during your time on Kilimanjaro’s only true wilderness route. Each evening, you’ll recount the day’s events over a splendid mountain meal before crawling into your tents. As a whole, you’ll ascend slowly through multiple ecosystems including tropical jungles, alpine valleys, volcanic deserts, and glaciated slopes. On the fifth morning of your hike, you’ll wake up for breakfast at around midnight, switch on your headlamps and begin your summit attempt. Plodding slowly in the darkness at first, you’ll enjoy a fantastic sunrise from 18,600 feet, then continue up to the summit of Kilimanjaro — truly one of life’s greatest and most empowering accomplishments.

Following your descent back down to the Marangu gate of Kilimanjaro National Park, you will spend your final day as a group in Tanzania visiting the local markets of Moshi and hiking to a local waterfall. That final night before heading back to the airport, you will celebrate all you’ve seen and experienced with the traditional end-of-summer Wilderness Adventures banquet.

Boarding your group flight, you’ll return to New York to bid each other a tearful goodbye, thankful for your experiences and memories made during this magical summer adventure.