Kilimanjaro Deluxe Women’s Climb

Yesterday you were panic-packing undies. Today you’re in Africa, baby!

Our private driver will scoop you up at Kilimanjaro International Airport and deliver you to our plush boutique lodge near the Mweka Gate—your cushy hideaway for both pre- and post-climb. Think spacious cottages with private verandas, sweeping views of Mount Kili, chef-crafted meals on the terrace, and a rainforest-inspired pool with optional massages. Consider it your soft launch into the wild.

Late afternoon, you’ll gather for your pre-climb briefing. Gear checks, equipment run-throughs, and no “I forgot socks” moments. You’ll get the lowdown on exactly what’s ahead so you’re locked in to summit Africa’s tallest peak.

Then? A welcome dinner with your future ride-or-dies.

Transfer: 1.5 hours
Accommodation: 4* Boutique Lodge
Meals: Welcome dinner

Morning vibes: hot coffee, laced boots, butterflies doing backflips in your belly. A private drive through sleepy mountain villages delivers you to Machame Gate, the official entrance to Kilimanjaro National Park.

Here you’ll snag your permits while soaking in the beautiful chaos of porters loading gear, guides sorting supplies, and climbers buzzing with nervous excitement. This is the launchpad. Once your papers are stamped, it’s go time.

The trail begins in a misty rainforest straight out of Nat Geo—tangled trees, curious creatures, and trails that seem to whisper secrets if you listen. Pro tip: the lower forest can be slick and muddy, so gaiters and trekking poles are your best friends here.

From today through Day 7, you’ll be mountain glamping like glamorous beasts. Think hot trail lunches and chef-prepared camp dinners. Walk-in tents you can stand in to yank up your pants. Comfy cot beds cocooned in warmth. Daily hot water bowls for freshening up. And yes—private portable toilets, so you can leave the poop shovel at home.

Max Altitude: 9,950 ft
Distance: 7 mi | 5–6 hrs | 4,050′ Gain | Rainforest
Accommodation: Deluxe Camp
Meals: B-L-D

Morning coffee and tea hand-delivered to your tent? That’s the thoughtful extra we live for. Sip from your cot while soaking up the sounds of your first morning on the mountain.

After a solid night of sleep and a giant breakfast, it’s time to trade rainforest for a whole new world. The trees thin. The temps drop. And suddenly, you’re hiking into the wide-open drama of the Shira Plateau. The trail climbs steadily enough to light up your thighs—Kili’s got her claws out, and this is where she starts showing her gorgeous mood swings.

By the time you reach Shira II Camp, your Explorer Chick crew will have the scene set: camp chairs, warm lighting, and all the bougie touches that make you forget you’re 12,500 feet above sea level.

Max Altitude: 12,500 ft
Distance: 3 mi | 4–5 hrs | 2,550′ gain
Accommodation: Deluxe Camp
Meals: B-L-D

Hope you packed your grit. Today’s trail is less moorland, more Mars. You’ll peel out of Shira II and into the surreal expanse of the alpine desert.

The path climbs slow and steady toward Kibo Peak. Just when your legs start asking questions—boom. Lava Tower. At nearly 14,000 feet, it’s a massive volcanic outcrop and your epic lunch stop.

From there, the trail veers toward Arrow Glacier before descending into Barranco Valley. This is all part of the “climb high, sleep low” strategy for better acclimatization.

By evening, you’ll roll into Barranco Camp, surrounded by giant lobelias and sheer cliffs. It’s one of the most iconic and jaw-dropping spots on the mountain. Time to breathe it all in—between gulps of a hot dinner you didn’t have to cook.

Max Altitude: 15,100 Lava Tower. Camp at 13,100 ft
Distance: 6 mi | 7–8 hrs | 2,700′ gain. 2,000′ loss
Accommodation: Deluxe Camp 
Meals: B-L-D

You’ll leave camp slowly, crossing the wide floor of the Great Barranco Valley. Consider it a calm little warm-up before the day’s main event: the Barranco Wall. Eight hundred vertical feet of jagged volcanic rock carved by time, weather, and molten lava spilling down from Kibo Peak.

No ropes, no harnesses, no technical climbing skills required—just you, your grit, and a lot of full-body scrambling. For the next 1–2 hours it’s hands, feet, repeat. Your guides will coach you through the sketchy bits, but this climb takes strength and a steady head. At the top, the views are straight-up rude. Like, how-dare-you-be-this-beautiful rude.

From there, the trail winds along the South Circuit before dipping into Karanga Valley, where camp (and dinner) is waiting. All you need to do is arrive, collapse, and pick up a fork.

Max Altitude: 13,250 ft
Distance: 3 mi | 4–5 hrs | 1,700′ gain. 1,500′ loss
Accommodation: Deluxe Camp 
Meals: B-L-D

Final boss energy loading. Today isn’t about racking up miles—it’s about arriving early at camp to bank as much sleep as possible before tonight’s summit push.

You’ll spend 4–5 hours tracing the Southern Circuit, passing the chaos of Barafu Camp and climbing into the thin, shimmering air of Kilimanjaro’s upper reaches.

Glacial views? Everywhere.
To your right: closeups of Mawenzi Peak.
Overhead: Kibo, looming large.
Underfoot: a desolate moonscape scattered with lichen.

Your home tonight is Kosovo Camp, a high-altitude dreamscape perched above the crowds. It’s quieter. It’s higher. It’s part of our camp smart strategy that shortens summit day. With fewer trekkers and more stars, this is the perfect launch pad for your midnight summit bid.

Max Altitude: 15,980 ft
Distance: 3 mi | 4–5 hrs | 3,150′ gain
Accommodation: Deluxe Camp – Kosovo
Meals: B-L-D

Rise while the rest of the mountain sleeps. Headlamp on. Heart pounding. Fueled by hot drinks and adrenaline, you’ll begin the most mentally and physically unhinged part of the climb: the final summit push to the Roof of Africa.

Our higher altitude start (700+ ft above Barafu) gives you a head start over the masses. Bye, losers. We’ll slip through the darkness between the ancient, moonlit Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. Stay warm. Stay pole pole—slow and steady—as you grind through heavy scree.

The goal is to crest Stella Point (18,815 ft) on the crater rim just as the sun ignites the horizon. From there, it’s another hour of step-by-step grit to Uhuru Peak, 19,341 ft—the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro. No words. Just you, the sky, and Africa stretched beneath your boots.

After soaking it in, you’ll descend back to Kosovo for a hot brunch. Then continue down to Millennium Camp—our smart camp strategy that breaks up the monster summit day into something your noodle legs can actually handle. Lower altitude. Quieter camp. Better sleep. It’s the reset you’ll thank us for.

Dinner tonight is a celebration with the full mountain crew—the quiet heroes who carried your gear, cooked your meals, and cheered you through the steep climbs.

Ascent: 15,980 ft to 19,341 ft | 2.5 mi | 6–7 hrs | 2,941′ gain
Descent: 19,341 ft to 12,530 ft | 7.5 mi | 6–8 hrs | 6,800′ loss
Accommodation: Deluxe Camp
Meals: B-L-D

It’s time for your final descent to Mweka Gate—where you’ll snag your official summit certificate (frame it immediately) and bask in the glory with the crew that got you there.

Your mountain chef will whip up a hot lunch on-site, bossed up with beers and sodas. Because you didn’t summit Africa’s tallest peak to sip warm electrolyte dust.

From here, you’ll be transferred back to your 4-star boutique lodge where post-expedition bliss awaits: a steamy shower, a bed that swallows you whole, and all the private space you need to toot without judgment.

Tonight, gather one last time with your climbing crew for a farewell dinner. Swap war stories, relive the grit, and lean into the tears (Landslide singalong optional).

Transfer Time: 30 min
Max Altitude: 12,530 ft → 5,500 ft | 7,000′ loss
Distance: 6 mi | 3–4 hrs 
Accommodation: 4* boutique lodge 
Meals: B-L-D

After breakfast, it’s nothing but deep breaths and well-earned recovery mode. Your body’s spent. Your camera roll is obscene. Your soul is still somewhere up on that summit.

Take your time. Sip your coffee. Post another insufferable quote to your stories: “It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”

When it’s time to go, you’ll be picked up from your boutique lodge and transferred to the airport about 4 hours ahead of your flight. One final drive through Tanzanian landscapes. One last look at the mountain you slayed. Then onward.

Transfer: 1.5 hr
Meals: B

Explorer Chick reserves the option to modify trip itineraries at the discretion of your tour director as necessary due to weather, conditions, illness, injury, group dynamics, availability, or other unforeseen incidents.

Cradled in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, this woman-owned, boutique retreat is the ultimate pre- and post-trek sanctuary. Tucked within Tanzania’s only fully certified organic coffee estate, this boutique hideaway offers spacious cottages with private verandas and sweeping views. Restore your body and spirit with chef-crafted meals on the terrace, breathtaking mountain views, and a rainforest-inspired spa pool with optional massages—a serene, VIP sanctuary that bookends your adventure on Africa’s highest peak.

On the mountain, comfort matters—and our camps are designed to feel like a home away from home while you take on Africa’s tallest peak. Each evening you’ll settle into spacious walk-in tents with enough room to stand and a covered vestibule for gear, outfitted with camp cot beds, extra-thick sleeping pads, warm sleeping bags rated for Kilimanjaro, and a cozy camp pillow.

Every camp is complete with thoughtful touches: private portable toilets (1 per 5 guests), camp chairs, a solar light and small table, and a washing station with daily hot-water bowls for freshening up. Wake each morning to coffee and tea service delivered to your tent—a small luxury at high altitude.

Meals are an experience in themselves, prepared fresh each day by our mountain chef team. With ingredients resupplied throughout the trek, you’ll enjoy hot lunches on the trail and hearty dinners served in camp, keeping you fueled and energized for the climb ahead.

It’s all the details—big and small—that make our camps not just a place to rest, but a welcoming, restorative sanctuary along the journey to the Roof of Africa.

Note: Lodging described in the itinerary is our planned stay, but it may vary based on availability. We always secure the best available option at the same standard.

You’ve climbed Kili—now it’s time to kick back and let the wild do the work. This is the dream safari you’ve always pictured: wide-open plains, lions in the grass, elephants under the baobabs, and hippos snorting from their muddy pools. Except you’re not watching it on TV—you’re living it.

Fly straight into the Serengeti for maximum wildlife and minimum transit times. Spend your days chasing sunrise game drives, tracking wildebeest herds, and scanning the horizon for cheetahs in the grass. Stand on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater and gaze into a volcanic bowl packed with over 20,000 animals before descending into the action the next morning. Wrap it all up in Tarangire National Park, famous for its massive elephant herds and ancient baobab trees.

At night, fall asleep in classic tented camps where the hum of the bush drifts through canvas walls and lanterns glow under star-strewn skies. This isn’t a road slog safari. It’s a fast track to Africa’s greatest hits—a wild, once-in-a-lifetime post-Kili victory lap.

Activity Level: 2
Duration: 5 Days / 4 Nights
Packages: Per Person Shared Packages with Limited Single Upgrades Available at Booking

Goodbye trekking poles, hello tail flicks. While most travelers endure a soul-crushing 10-hour drive, we hop a bush plane straight into the heart of the Serengeti. One moment you’re looking down at patchwork plains, the next you’re touching down in the middle of where the wild things are. An entire day saved for safari instead of staring out a dusty window.

Your safari driver will be waiting at the airstrip with a sign and a grin, ready to whisk you away to your tented camp in the bush. But this is the Serengeti, so your transfer is more than a lift—it’s a mini game drive and your first introduction to the famous endless plains. Rolling past golden grasses, scattered acacias, rocky kopjes, and towering termite mounds, you’ll start to feel the wild rhythm of this place.

Arrive in time for lunch and settle into your classic tented camp. This is the kind of safari living that puts you right in the thick of it—canvas walls, lanterns glowing at dusk, and the wilderness pressing in from every direction. The camp is unfenced, so don’t be surprised if an elephant or antelope wanders close while you’re sipping coffee. It’s raw, it’s wild, and it’s everything you came here for.

After lunch at camp, it’s time for the real deal: your first full Serengeti game drive. Buckle up for the drama of the plains—herds on the move, predators in the distance, and that wide-open sky that makes you feel small in the best way possible. As the sun sinks low and the savanna glows, you’ll return to camp for dinner and fall asleep to the sounds of the bush.

Flight Time: 1.5 hrs
Game Drive Time: Up to 4 hrs
Accommodation: Classic Tented Safari Camp – Serengeti
Meals: B-L-D

Rise and shine, it’s safari o’clock. Before the sun gets too high, we roll out for an early morning game drive—prime time to catch predators on the prowl and night creatures slinking back to bed. The bush is alive in the cool dawn air, and the hippo pool at this hour? Absolute chaos. Grunts, splashes, and enough side-eye to make you laugh out loud.

Back to camp for breakfast, then it’s wheels up again for a full day exploring the Serengeti. Picnic lunch packed, binoculars ready, you’ll cover ground through one of the oldest and most iconic ecosystems on Earth. This place sprawls for over 12,000 square miles, and it’s home to the greatest show on the planet: the annual migration of wildebeest, zebras, and antelope chasing green pastures.

Between the herds, keep watch for big cats slinking in the grass, hyenas running their own brand of hustle, and the sheer abundance of life that makes the Serengeti feel like it runs on overdrive. Every bend in the road is a new scene from the nature documentary you’re suddenly starring in.

Return to camp late afternoon, dusty and exhilarated, for dinner under the stars and a well-earned night’s sleep in your tented digs.

Game Drive Time: 6–8 hrs
Accommodation: Classic Tented Safari Camp – Serengeti
Meals: B-L-D

Squeeze in one last Serengeti safari before saying goodbye. After breakfast, you’ll roll out for a final game drive—soak up those golden plains, scan the horizon one more time, and wave to the wildlife as you make your way toward Naabi Hill Gate. Picnic lunch in hand, you’ll officially exit the park but keep the adventure rolling.

Next stop: the Ngorongoro Crater, an ancient volcanic bowl that’s absolutely teeming with life. It’s one of the densest concentrations of wildlife on the planet—tens of thousands of animals packed into a single, jaw-dropping caldera. Tomorrow you’ll descend into the crater itself, but today you’ll get a taste from above.

Upon arrival, you’ll stretch those game-drive legs with a guided hike along the crater rim with an armed ranger. The trail climbs steadily through lush highland flora and bursts of birdlife, with chances to spot giraffes, zebras, or elephants from high above along the way. You’ll learn how locals have used plants for medicine for centuries, how to read tracks and dung like a pro, and—best of all—score sweeping views down into the crater, your playground for tomorrow.

Game Drive Time: 3–4 hrs
Transfer Time: ~3 hrs
Hiking Time: 2 hrs
Accommodation: Classic Tented Safari Camp – Ngorongoro
Meals: B-L-D

After breakfast, buckle up. It’s time to descend into the belly of the beast: Ngorongoro Crater. This is the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera—600 meters deep, 96 square miles wide, and absolutely crawling with life. Over 20,000 large animals call this lush bowl home, including wildebeest, zebras, lions, and the critically endangered black rhino. It’s like nature built its own coliseum and stocked it with the Big Five.

Spend 4–6 hours cruising the crater floor, spotting everything from hippos wallowing in the marshes to elephants ambling through the grasslands. Every direction you look is another “holy crap” wildlife moment. Then ascend the rim, wave goodbye to the crater, and roll onward.

Next stop: the buzzing town of Mto Wa Mbu, which literally translates to “River of Mosquitos” (don’t worry, we’ve got the Deet). Here, safari takes a delicious detour. Sit down to a local Tanzanian feast prepared by a group of women working with the Mto Wa Mbu Cultural Tourism Program—hearty, home-cooked dishes made with indigenous veggies, spices, and time-honored recipes. After lunch, wander the artisan stalls and pick up Maasai beadwork, hand-carved crafts, funky textiles, or that oddly specific souvenir your niece requested.

From there, it’s on to Tarangire National Park, famous for its massive elephant herds, sprawling baobab trees, and termite mounds tall enough to double as apartment complexes. During the dry season, antelope and elephants trek hundreds of miles to the Tarangire River, turning the landscape into a wildlife hotspot. Your journey to camp doubles as a game drive, with eyes peeled for creatures slipping through the dusky light.

You’ll end the day at a tucked-away bush camp deep in Tarangire’s savanna. Lanterns flicker, elephants roam nearby, and the wild hum of the park surrounds you as you settle in for the night.

Crater Tour: Up to 6 hrs
Transfer Time: ~2.5 hrs
Game Drive Time: Up to 3 hrs
Accommodation: Classic Bush Camp – Tarangire 
Meals: B-L-D

Your safari saga isn’t over yet. After an early breakfast and check-out, we’ll roll out for one last game drive through Tarangire National Park. The Tarangire River is the only watering hole for miles—basically the neighborhood dive bar for every thirsty animal in town. Elephants, wildebeest, zebras, buffalo, and hartebeest all crowd in, with predators lurking nearby. And if you’re a bird nerd, this park is heaven: over 550 species to blow your binoculars.

By midday, we’ll pause for a picnic lunch en route, wave goodbye to the baobabs, and begin the drive toward Kilimanjaro International Airport. You’ll pass through Arusha’s market energy and motorbike buzz before reaching the airport in the late afternoon.

Game Drive Time: ~4 hrs
Transfer Time: 3.5–4 hrs
Meals: B-L

Lodging

• 4 nights in classic tented safari camps (Mid to Luxury)

• Shared 2 per Room. Limited Single Room Upgrades available at booking

Flights & Transfers

• One-way domestic flight: Kilimanjaro → Serengeti (approx $350)

• Private ground transfers between airports, camps, and parks

Activities

• Multiple game drives in Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Park

• Guided crater rim hike with armed ranger

• Local Tanzanian lunch experience in Mto Wa Mbu

• Entry fees and permits for all national parks

Meals

• All meals as indicated in itinerary: B-5, L-5, D-4

Practical

• Professional leadership from local safari guides and drivers

• A detailed Travel Guide upon booking with everything you need to know for your trip

Not Included

• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages outside the itinerary

• Meals not listed in the itinerary

• Gratuities for guides, drivers, and included meals/activities

• Explorer Chick Guide (this extension is operated by trusted local partners)