Day 1: Arusha to MiriaKamba Hut
In the morning you will be met at your hotel and after a briefing about your upcoming trek start the scenic drive to Arusha National Park. Arriving at the gate, your guide will complete the registration forms and gather the hiking team before you will start your journey up Mount Meru accompanied by an armed park ranger. Walking through the grasslands towards the acacia forest on the southern route, you might spot giraffes and buffaloes lazily grazing on the lush vegetation. After roughly 2 hours you will reach the Maio Falls, where you can stretch your legs and enjoy a picnic lunch. Thereafter the journey continues through the “fig tree arch”, an unusual tree formation created by the wild fig Ficus Thonningii. Another two hours of hiking takes you to Miriakamba Hut where afternoon tea and snacks await you. The night will be spent at the Miriakamba Hut.
Day 2: Miriakamba Hut to Saddle Hut
The walk from Miriakamba Hut to the saddle below Little Meru is a short day but a steep and sustained climb all the way. We walk through attractive, open, and lush montane forest to reach the halfway point of Elephant Ridge. This has excellent views of the summit ridge and across most of the crater floor. Whilst resting, you might spot elephants or other animals from here. The path continues uphill through giant heather and other moorland vegetation to reach Saddle Hut (3,570 m), where lunch is waiting for us. The afternoon is free to rest and enjoy the views. The more energetic can make the short climb to the nearby summit of Little Meru (3,820 m) for superb views just before sunset. [3-6 hours walking]
Day 3: Saddle Hut to Socialist Peak (4,566m)
An early start at around 2 a.m. to climb steeply to Rhino Point (3,800 m), and then continue along an undulating ridge of ash and rock to reach Cobra Point (4,350 m) around sunrise. The views are stunning: the cliffs of the Crater rim, the Ash Cone rising from the Crater floor, Kilimanjaro floating on the morning clouds ,and west towards the Rift Valley if the weather is clear. The summit of Socialist Peak (4,566 m) is an hour more on a superb but often steep path. The route back to Rhino Point in the sharp morning light on a narrow ridge between the sloping outer wall of the crater and the sheer cliffs of the inner wall is one of the most dramatic and exhilarating walks in Africa. We rest, and have brunch at Saddle Hut before continuing the descent to Miriakamba Hut (2,514 m). [10-12 hours walking]
Day 4: Miriakamba Hut to Momella Gate to Kilimanjaro International Airport
We take the direct route down towards Momella through open grassland and mixed forest, with good chances of seeing wildlife. This trail has excellent views back towards the crater and over the plains of the National Park. We should reach Momella Gate by late morning. [2-3 hours walking]
