Trekking through the Ngorongoro Highlands

• Spectacular views of Kilimanjaro, Meru, Olmoti and Lolmasin
• Fresh air, peace and tranquillity in the wilderness
• Just your Maasai guide, cook and the donkeys to keep you company
• Empaki crater and Lake Natron Flamingos
• Climb the Mountain of God (Ol’ Doinyo Lengai)

Day 1: Arrive Kilimanjaro International or Nairobi Airport, where you will be met by a Tanzania Journeys representative and transferred to your hotel in Moshi. Evening welcome meal to get to know your fellow group members and pre-trek briefing.

Day 2: Leave Moshi at 7.00 am for Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Crater tour and game viewing in 4x4. Ngorongoro Crater is a magnificent geological setting and contains an abundance of wildlife with over 20,000 large animals including Tanzania’s remaining black rhino. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is unique in that it allows over 40,000 Maasai pastoralists with their cattle goats and sheep to live alongside the abundant wildlife in a natural setting. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Nainokanoka village.

Day 3: Leave Nainokanoka with our guides, cooks and donkeys for a full day’s walking to Bulati village for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Leave in the morning to Empakaai. The walk offers spectacular views of both recent and ancient volcanic mountains, including Kilimanjaro, Meru, Olmoti Crater and Lolmasin. Dinner and overnight stay will be at the rim of Empakaai crater. The crater is 300 metre high with almost half of the floor filled with a soda lake. Bushbuck, buffalo and blue monkey can be seen on the rim, which boasts superb views on a clear day to Ol Doinyo L’Engai Volcano, Mount Kilimanjaro and Lake Natron.

Day 5: Morning descend into Empakaai crater. The crater floor is home to a variety of antelope and water birds. See the graceful flamingos feeding in Lake Empakaai. Later walk to Nayobi village. Dinner and overnight will be at Nayobi school.

Day 6: Leave in the morning to Pembe ya Swala at the foot of mount Ol Doinyo L’Engai for dinner and overnight. Ol Doinyo L’Engai is the only active carbonite volcano in the world, last erupting in 1966.

Day 7: Early in the morning at 2.00 am you start climbing Ol Doinyo L’Engai, the Maasai’s Mountain of God, around 11:00 am you come down for your lunch. The ascent requires fitness as the track to the top is very steep, climbing in altitude from 800m to 3000m. The ascent takes about 5 hours with no shade, hence the early morning start. Dinner and overnight at Pembe ya Swala

Day 8: You leave to Kamakia campsite near Lake Natron, evening hours you will be going to see waterfalls, dinner and overnight at Kamakia camp site. Lake Natron is an almost surreal soda lake, set at an altitude of 610m, below the Rift valley escarpment, which offers incredible bird and game viewing.

Day 9: A vehicle will be at your camp in the morning ready to take you to Lake Natron to see this beautiful highly scenic lake. Natron is the only breeding ground for East Africa’s millions of flamingos, which usually congregate to breed here between August and October. Afternoon you start driving back to Moshi, passing via Mto Wa Mbu. Final evening meal together to celebrate end of trek.

Day 10: Morning departure for those catching Nairobi flight, afternoon departure for those flying from Kilimanjaro International Airport

Includes
2 nights B&B hotel accommodation in high standard hotel, based on 2 sharing a twin room
7 nights camping (2 sharing a tent) including all food, water, provision of tents
6 days hiking including support vehicles, donkeys, guides and cooks
Game drive in Ngorongoro Crater
Driver with 4 wheel drive as stated
Return airport transfers from Kilimanjaro International or Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta
Ngorongoro Conservation Area park fees
Services of Tanzania Journeys representatives throughout