Visiting Mount Kilimanjaro without climbing to the summit is a great way to experience the natural beauty and cultural richness of the region. There are several activities and attractions for those who want to explore the Kilimanjaro area without taking on the challenging ascent to the summit.
One option is to go on a day trip that doesn’t involve climbing to the summit. You can take a drive around Kilimanjaro, which allows you to witness the stunning views of the mountain from various angles. You can also explore nearby attractions like Amboseli National Park.
Another popular option is to visit Chala Crater Lake, a picturesque location that doesn’t require mountain climbing. You can enjoy the serene environment and leisurely activities around the lake.
For those interested in cultural experiences, you can hike to Kilasya Falls and Ndoro Waterfalls, immersing yourself in the local culture and natural beauty.
Exploring coffee plantations, dipping in hot springs, and hiking to beautiful waterfalls are additional activities in the Kilimanjaro region. These activities offer an opportunity to appreciate the area’s scenic and cultural diversity without the rigorous journey to the summit.
The best time to visit Kilimanjaro is during the two dry seasons: from December to early March, and from late June to October. These periods offer pleasant weather conditions, with minimal rainfall and clear skies, making it ideal for climbing and trekking.
These are great months to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro. But they are also one of the most popular, so you should expect plenty of crowds. The weather in these months is clear with sunny skies. However, some rainfall may occur in the afternoon.
These moths mark the long rainy season of Kilimanjaro. You can still take a trek up the mountain but remember that the trails will be wet and slippery. Be prepared for this and pack the necessary types of equipment and clothing items.
The advantages of visiting Kilimanjaro in these months are that you will get to take advantage of lower rates. There will be fewer crows around. Also, the snow-capped peaks in these months are a sight to behold.
There is some rainfall in these months, particularly in the moorland and rainforest regions. But the weather conditions are typically dry. The scenery at this time is also amazing. There are more crowds in these months but having more people around means that the team spirit will be up.
This is the beginning of the short rainy season in Kilimanjaro. Though rains are common, in the morning – the skies are clear. Trekking trails are slippery wet, and muddy in these months. Again, ensure that you have all the proper equipment if you plan on visiting Kilimanjaro in these months.
Kilasya Falls & Ndoro Waterfalls: The way to these picturesque waterfalls is a leisurely hike through local banana plantations and small clusters of shambas (farms). You will see many avocado and mango trees in this area. After a short and steep descent into a small valley, you will cross the river with stepping stones. As a reward, you will experience a waterfall with wonderfully cool and clear Kilimanjaro mountain water at the end. For the adventurous, there is the opportunity to take a short swim.
Educational tour of a coffee plantation: Visit the local coffee plantation to learn more about the process of how the beans from the bush get into our cups. Try grinding and roasting beans by hand and reward your hard work with a delicious, fresh coffee. An elderly villager named Baba Kahawa (Grandpa Coffee) will guide you from the coffee bean harvest to the finished drink and entertain you with some interesting anecdotes.
Chagga Tunnel Tour: You will venture into the deep black darkness of the tunnels where the Chagga tribe sought refuge when the Masai attacked from the lowlands during the very dry season. Your guide will lead you unerringly through the underground labyrinth as he describes the days of guerrilla warfare and how the people survived so long underground.
Banana Beer Tasting: Visit a small village bar to sample this nutritious local brew.
The lower slopes of Kilimanjaro – exceedingly rich in flora and fauna – have been inhabited by African peoples for hundreds of generations. The first hunter-gatherers were probably displaced by later waves of Bantu and Nilotic peoples. Today the main African tribe to inhabit the Kilimanjaro region is the Chagga (or Wachagga) people. They are agriculturists and make good use of the fertile lower slopes to grow tea, coffee, bananas, and corn.
Early European explorers and missionaries of the mid-nineteenth century brought Kilimanjaro to the attention of the world. One hundred and fifty years ago Johannes Rebman, a German-born missionary, saw the snow-capped Kilimanjaro and was later ridiculed in Europe for believing that snow could fall on the equator. Thirteen years later Baron von der Decken and British geologist Richard Thornton proved the presence of snow. Hans Meyer made the first successful climb to the summit in 1889. Since then the mountain has been scaled by hundreds of thousands of travelers via a myriad of new routes, including difficult technical routes, which have opened up.
You are welcome to combine this tour with a day in the famous Kilimanjaro National Park. Often this Mount Kilimanjaro village Tour is also booked by mountain enthusiasts as an introduction before climbing Kilimanjaro.
Explore all the best safari options in Marangu Village. A full-day tour with many impressions – Chagga caves, the Ndoro Waterfall, and other sights want to be explored, This day tour is not exhausting but requires a certain fitness and sure-footedness. The way to the Ndoro Waterfall and hike in Marangu village leads partially over small and steeper paths.
Day 1 – Arrival in Marangu Village
Jambo! Welcome to Tanzania. arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport at the end of the day. At the airport, our driver is waiting with a big smile. He will take you to our lodge or homestay house on the outskirts of Marangu village. Everything in Marangu screams Kilimanjaro. For many travelers, this is the starting point for climbing Kilimanjaro. But even if you don’t climb the Kili, there is plenty to do in the area.
From the airport, it is about a 1hrs45 minute drive to the small-scale lodge. We deliberately chose this accommodation because of the family rooms. After a long journey, you can relax in your comfortable room while your children can explore the village. Have a drink on the veranda or dive into your bed.
Day 2 – Meet the coffee farmer
A big advantage of Tanzania is that there is only an hour’s time difference. You will not suffer from jet lag today. Chances are that you will wake up rested. From the lodge, you can see the top of the Kili.
After breakfast, our guide will pick you up. Today you will get to know local Tanzanian life. You drive to a small village on the flanks of Kilimanjaro. If the weather permits, you have a fantastic view of the mountain here. Along the way, you see women with huge baskets on their heads on their way to the market. After about an hour you will reach the village.
The people of the village live from growing coffee. One of the coffee farmers is ready to welcome you warmly. Together you walk through the fertile coffee plantations. Here the farmers produce one of the world’s best coffee beans. The area is very green and you can see how everything grows. The children can help make a cup of coffee from beans they have picked themselves. Dry, roast, and grind your beans. And for coffee lovers: drink it of course!
With this visit you not only enjoy a special cultural experience but you also support a social project. After saying goodbye to your guide and coffee farmer, lunch will be waiting for you. Prepared by the local women. After lunch, you return to the lodge. At the lodge, you can have dinner in the evening. Very nice when the kids are tired and you don’t want to go into the city anymore. Are you looking for a more local experience? Then ask the lodge to book a taxi to a local restaurant. Even more fun: dinner with a local Tanzanian family!
Day 3 – Departure from Moshi
After breakfast, you continue your journey through Tanzania. From Moshi, you can go in different directions. Beat the Masai in a javelin throwing competition and listen to ancient Masai stories Or look for the Big Five through the world-famous national parks we all know from National Geographic.
TRAVEL SCHEDULE:
Marangu
Travel time:
3 days / 2 nights
Activity:
Visit to Mount Kilimanjaro village
Travel sum:
From USD 650 per adult
From USD 350 per child✓ Transfer upon arrival at the airport
✓ Stay in a quiet lodge including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. ( local cuisines)
✓ Visit a coffee farmer and make coffee from self-picked coffee beans & waterfalls and village life.
Eating with a Tanzanian family
Travel sum: From USD 17.00 per adult.
From USD 20.00 per child included: Lunch or dinner with a Tanzanian family
Food brings people closer together, they sometimes say. During your Tanzania trip, you can experience this in Mount Kilimanjaro yourself. Join a Tanzanian family and enjoy fresh local ingredients prepared with love. This is a great meeting for both your family and the Tanzanian family. But for the Tanzanian family, it is also a basic income and a feeling of pride. The family speaks English. This way the children can immediately practice and see how people live in Tanzania. If you have special dietary requirements, please let us know.
A crater lake in a caldera at the border between Tanzania and Kenya and 52 km from Moshi town, Lake Chala was measured at a depth of 95 meters, which makes it deeper than the famous Lake Victoria. Filled and drained by underground waters, the lake ranges in color from deep blue to green – at the moment more green because of a lot of algae. Take a walk down the 100m deep crater rim to the lake shore and cool your feet at the water’s edge among the rocks as you watch the water ripple peacefully through the lake in shimmering delight. Since 2002 there are no longer any crocodiles left in Lake Chala.
Duration: 5 – 6 hours
PRICES FROM 150 USD PER PERSON
We’ll pick you up from your accommodation in Moshi around 10 in the morning and drive for about 1,5 hours before we reach the Kikuletwa hot springs, also called Maji Moto hot springs or Chemka hot springs. We’ll drive you back around 4 in the afternoon, and everything you do in between is completely up to you.
Take a dip in the refreshing water (Surprise! The water’s not as hot as you might have expected, as it comes directly from Kilimanjaro), walk around the surrounding area, and watch local boys jump from a rope into the water, showing some seriously impressive moves, or eat some chips mayai or chips kuku (an omelet with chips inside or chicken and chips) as you enjoy the shadow of the beautiful palm and fig trees.
The drive from and back to Moshi is beautiful in itself, as we already mentioned above. Part of it leads over a paved road, but the rest of the time you’ll be driving over dirt roads through the countryside. Dry riverbeds, baobab and acacia trees, tiny villages, Maasai with their cattle, and old broken railways determine the scenery.
Duration: 7-8 hours
Driving time: 3-4 hours, return
PRICES FROM 100 USD PER PERSON
Your guide will pick you up at your accommodation in Moshi early in the morning to drive to Lake Jipe. We recommend starting around 6.30 AM because the sun can really burn on the lake, so the earlier you go, the better. You’ll make a small detour to the Jipe Village Office, which is not located near the lake itself and will arrive at Lake Jipe after around 2,5 hours. The Usambara mountains will be the background for most of the ride, offering some lovely views. After arriving at the lake, you can have a stroll through the village while the fishermen prepare their boats.
Depending on the amount of reeds that are present on the shore of the lake, this trip will be slightly different. If there are little to no reeds and you can cross easily, you’ll start the day by spending a few hours on the lake, after which there will still be some time left for a hike to a nearby waterfall. If however there are more reeds and it becomes difficult to get through, there will be no time left to go to the waterfall. In this case, the budget for the visit to the waterfall will also have to be spent on extra fishermen who will have to create a path through the reeds. Unfortunately, the amount of reeds can change very quickly and are pretty unpredictable, so we can’t predict this.
Usually, hippos and crocodiles can be seen on the Tanzanian side of the lake from June to August. You are not allowed to go to the Kenyan side of the lake without the appropriate visa, so we prohibit our guides and the fishermen from doing so.
You’ll leave the area again around 3 – 4 pm to return to Moshi.
PRICES FROM 180 USD per person
Arusha National Park is about two hours away from Marangu or Moshi. It is a relatively small park, and can easily be visited in a day. Arusha National Park is home to Mount Meru, the fifth-highest mountain in Africa. It has a diverse array of wildlife and beautiful vegetation including a famous fig tree. Walking safaris are a great option here, as many of the areas are forested and you will be protected from the strong African sun!
3 hours, each way
PRICES FROM 450 USD per person
We’ll pick you up from your accommodation in Moshi around 7 AM and drive for about 2 hours before we reach the entrance of Mkomazi National Park. We’ll stop shortly for check-in and to be informed about the timing of your visit to the rhino sanctuary before we start the visit.
You’ll spend most of the day game driving and will almost certainly see zebras, giraffes, elephants, ostrich, lots of birds, and different types of antelope. The landscapes are stunning as well, with the Pare Mountains defining the view.
At some point during the day, depending on the planning of the park rangers, we’ll take you to the rhino sanctuary. Here, you’ll first get a bit of information about the black rhino population in Tanzania and in general, and about the breeding program that has been set up at Mkomazi to help save them from extinction. Afterward, you’ll get into a special open safari vehicle accompanied by a local ranger to head out into the public part of the sanctuary and see one of the rhinos. These rhinos are not / no longer part of the breeding program but live freely and can be visited. We ask you to pay particular attention to the ranger’s wishes, eg. be very quiet when you approach a rhino, to not disturb them.
We’ll provide a picnic lunch inside the park and you’ll leave the park in the late afternoon.
Duration: +- 12 hours
Driving time: 4 hours go and return + game drive
PRICES FROM 450 USD per person
Your unspoiled safari haven! Considered an off-the-beaten path for many with few human visitors, West Kilimanjaro is a concession area to the west of Mount Kilimanjaro and South of the Amboseli National Park in Kenya. The drive to West Kilimanjaro is exciting as you are treated to views of the foothills of the majestic Kilimanjaro and occasionally that of its snow-capped peaks. Discover the incredible open and empty stretches of savannah dotted with acacia woodland and wild bush. As the land is leased by the local Maasai community, you can also gain an insight into their culture. Witness plenty of wildlife, especially elephants
If you have the time, the West Kilimanjaro Foothills is a fine place to linger around a bit longer. As it’s approximately only a 90-minute drive to JRO International Airport, it could be a nice location to start or end your safari.
There are numerous hiking trails to explore, leading to waterfalls, lush forests, and scenic viewpoints. Additionally, visitors can learn about the local culture and traditions of the Chagga people who call the area home. Simba Farm offers 1-day hikes up to the Kili. You can also drive around Kilimanjaro, which makes for a scenic and fun road trip day.
PRICES FROM 2180 USD PER PERSON
Climbing Kilimanjaro is an incredible journey of scenery and experience. But heading for the summit is not on everyone’s wish list.
Enter the One Day Kilimanjaro Hike, short treks, or day hikes. These hikes afford you the opportunity of trekking only part of the journey to either Mandara or Horombo Huts and getting a unique taste of trekking on this magnificent volcano. You can spend time hiking with family members who are heading to the summit and then head down and do a short safari tour.
The One Day Kilimanjaro Hike is done along the Marangu route which is the most often used trail on the mountain, as accommodation is in huts and thus more affordable. As such, it is a busier route with many people on its well-worn paths, and if you are traveling alone, it is the only route on which you can easily join in with another group for company. It is also a more moderate ascent making it less difficult to climb than the others. Like with all other routes, porters carry all of your equipment and a cook prepares all your meals.
Day 1: Kilimanjaro International Airport arrival and transfer to Marangu Hotel.
Day 2: Marangu Gate (1860m) – Mandara hut (2715m)
- Elevation: 2200 meters to 2750 meters
- Distance: 12 kilometres
- Hike duration: 6 hours to 7 hours
- Environment: Montane forest
We leave Moshi town at about 0830hrs for Marangu Gate. There we complete the required paperwork and head into the incredible Marangu forest, with its thick moss, lichens, and endless display of abundant plant life. The route will take us through the rainforest to Mandara Hut (9000ft). Here we will stop, enjoy lunch, and then head back down to the park gate and off to our hotel for a hot shower.
Day-3: Depart
After breakfast, you are transferred to Kilimanjaro airport for your flight home.
PRICES FROM 675 USD PER PERSON
Read more about Kilimanjaro Climbing. While Marangu day-hikes are an excellent way to see the magnificent Kilimanjaro up close, hardly will they bring you the same joy and sense of achievement as a full trip to Uhuru, the highest peak in the whole African continent (5 895 m/ 19,341 ft).
While on these day trips, you will explore the rainforest and moorland climate zones only. Meanwhile, a full trek to the summit will also treat you to the highland desert and arctic zones with their unique habitats, to say nothing of the exhilarating visual euphoria you will experience in the summit zone.
Although Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world, hiking up to Uhuru Peak does not require any special mountaineering skills or equipment. The majority of those reaching the peak successfully are in average physical shape and have zero climbing background. More important is the choice of a climbing program that will ensure you proper gradual acclimatization and maximize your chances for success. Our specialists are just the ones who can help you with this.