The best hikes in Tanzania, from Kilimanjaro to Ol Doinyo Lengai
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Loading... - Mary Elisha
- 12 Sep 2022
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People are drawn from across the globe to the majesty of the expansive Serengeti plains, where romping springbok, zebras and wildebeest keep a keen watch for prides of lions, whose sudden strikes assure a meal for growing cubs. But this is just the start of the Tanzania experience.
Tanzania is home to dense, tall forests that hide the sun and tracts of tea plantations where tea workers deftly pluck the green leaves off tea bushes. Mountain ranges dot the countryside, rising in places to snowy summits that melt into the clouds. This is a magical landscape that's best explored on foot.
Hiking trails meander through several national parks, past lively villages and once-powerful kingdoms to the slopes of Tanzania's highest mountains, offering paradisiacal views over verdant valleys sloping down to the plains. If you have walking shoes, we'll show you how to step to Africa’s rhythms and discover Tanzania’s best hikes.
Mount Kilimanjaro
The best hike for bragging rights
From 37km (23 miles) round-trip, 5–9 days, generally moderate but challenging towards the end
If you’re a mountain enthusiast with passion and determination, and ambitions to climb the seven summits, then hiking Kilimanjaro will no doubt be on your bucket list. Described as the 'Roof of Africa,' Kilimanjaro is the continent’s highest mountain and the worlds highest free-standing peak, topping out at 5895m (19,341ft).
Hikers gather at the gates to Kilimanjaro National Park (which gate will depend on your chosen route), and the trek usually kicks off with jovial songs and dances after the official signing in. The porters and guides come from local communities and they know the hike requires both physical strength and mental endurance, so they call upon the mountain's spiritual keepers for strength before setting off.
There are six official routes and a few unofficial trails leading to the summit – known as Uhuru Peak, meaning 'freedom' in Kiswhaili – with the Marangu and Rongai routes being the easiest. The Lemosho route which takes up to nine days is probably the most scenic trail but it’s also one of the most challenging. All the routes meander through five climatic zones, from lush evergreen forests, moorlands, and dense shrublands to eery arid land populated only by dull-colored rocks.
As you climb higher, the scattered rocks give way to alpine deserts, as you make your way to the snow-capped zenith. With some luck, you may come across curious monkeys along your route, and a few mountaineers have spotted cape buffalo, eland, leopard and elephants on the first day before the dizzying trek uphill. Read More…
