Grand Tanzania: Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti & Zanzibar

After breakfast you drive to the Marangu Gate on the lush south-eastern flank of Kilimanjaro, where you complete park formalities and meet your crew of guides, cook and porters. Then the trek begins, following a good forest path that climbs steadily through beautiful, dripping montane rainforest, alive with birdsong, moss-draped trees and, if you are lucky, blue monkeys in the canopy. Your guide sets the crucial slow pace, pole pole, to aid acclimatisation, and you pause to take in the lush forest and, in clearings, glimpses of the peaks above. After around three to five hours you reach the Mandara Hut at about 2,700 metres, a group of comfortable A-frame huts in a forest clearing, where a hot meal awaits. A short acclimatisation stroll to the nearby Maundi Crater rewards you with fine views. As night falls in the forest, you rest. Rest well at your first mountain camp on Kilimanjaro.

Today you climb out of the forest and onto the open moorland, with grander and grander views as you gain height. The path leaves the last trees behind and ascends across heath and moorland studded with giant heathers, lobelias and groundsels, the strange and beautiful high-altitude plants of Kilimanjaro, with the twin peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi coming into view ahead. Your guide keeps the pace slow and steady to help your body adjust to the thinning air, and you pause to rest, drink and take in the expanding views over the moorland and the plains far below. After around five to seven hours you reach the Horombo Hut at about 3,720 metres, a larger cluster of huts on an exposed ridge with spectacular views and often a sea of cloud below. As the cold, clear night falls, the stars are brilliant. Rest well at Horombo, high on the mountain.

Today you climb into the high-alpine desert of the saddle, the barren, lunar expanse between the two peaks, on the way to the final base before the summit. Leaving Horombo, you ascend past the last water point and the strange giant groundsels into an increasingly stark, stony landscape, the air noticeably thinner and the summit cone of Kibo looming ahead with its glaciers. You cross the wide, windswept saddle, pacing yourself carefully, with the jagged peak of Mawenzi behind you. After around five to seven hours you reach the Kibo Hut at about 4,700 metres, a stone hut at the foot of the final climb, stark and cold. You arrive in the afternoon, eat an early meal, and rest and sleep as much as you can, for you will rise around midnight for the summit attempt. Your guide checks your condition and briefs you carefully. As darkness and cold settle, you gather your resolve. Rest well and store your strength for the summit of Kilimanjaro.

You rise around midnight for the summit climb, the hardest and most magnificent part of the trek. By the light of your headlamp, in bitter cold and beneath a canopy of stars, you climb slowly, pole pole, up the steep scree towards the crater rim, your guides setting the pace and encouraging you through the long, dark hours. As dawn approaches you reach Gilman's Point on the rim, then continue around the crater edge, past the great glaciers, to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 metres, the Roof of Africa, as the sun rises over a sea of cloud. After triumphant photos at the summit sign you begin the long descent, dropping back to Kibo for a short rest and meal, then continuing down across the saddle to the Horombo Hut. Exhausted and elated, you celebrate your achievement with your crew. As the stars come out over the moorland, you savour your triumph. Rest well at Horombo after summiting Kilimanjaro.

After a well-earned breakfast and a celebration with your crew, who often send you off with the famous Kilimanjaro song, you make the final descent, dropping back through the moorland and the lush montane rainforest to the Marangu Gate, where you receive your summit certificate, a treasured memento of your achievement. You then transfer westwards towards the safari country, arriving at your lodge or camp near Tarangire National Park in time to rest, shower and savour your triumph, the mountain behind you and the plains ahead. The change from alpine heights to the warm savannah is wonderful, and you feel the anticipation of safari begin to build. This evening, enjoy a relaxed dinner and a comfortable bed, your legs weary but your spirits soaring after standing on the Roof of Africa. Rest well near Tarangire, ready to begin your safari tomorrow.

This morning you enjoy a game drive in Tarangire National Park, one of the most atmospheric parks in Africa, a rolling landscape of golden grassland studded with ancient, swollen baobabs and famous for its huge elephant herds, some of the largest in Tanzania, along with lion, giraffe, zebra and abundant birdlife. Then you begin the scenic journey to the Serengeti, climbing the Rift Valley escarpment and crossing the highlands past the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with sweeping views, before descending onto the endless Serengeti plains, a vast ocean of golden grassland dotted with acacias and granite kopjes. You arrive to begin game viewing as you make your way to camp, the plains alive with wildlife and, in season, the vast herds of the Great Migration. As the sun sets over the immense plains, the sense of space is extraordinary after the mountain. Rest well in the heart of the Serengeti.

Today is a full day exploring the legendary Serengeti, which offers some of the finest big-cat viewing on earth. You set out at dawn, when the plains are cool and the predators are active, seeking out lion prides resting after the night's hunt, cheetahs scanning the grasslands from a termite mound, and elusive leopard draped in the riverine trees. In season, the plains fill with the vast herds of the Great Migration, wildebeest and zebra moving in their tens of thousands, and you may witness dramatic river crossings or great columns of animals crossing the plains. You also see elephant, buffalo, giraffe, hippo and immense herds of plains game, guided by an expert who brings the ecosystem to life. You may picnic in the bush and drive until the golden evening light floods the savannah. This evening, savour dinner beneath a canopy of stars. Rest well beneath the vast Serengeti sky.

This morning you enjoy a final game drive in the Serengeti before beginning the journey east towards the Ngorongoro highlands. On the way you may stop at Olduvai Gorge, the celebrated Cradle of Mankind, where the Leakeys uncovered some of the earliest known human remains, with its small museum overlooking the gorge. You climb into the cool, green highlands of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where Maasai graze their cattle alongside the wildlife, and arrive at your lodge perched on the crater rim, with breathtaking views down into the vast caldera far below. As the afternoon light plays across the crater floor, the anticipation of tomorrow's descent builds. This evening, enjoy the cool highland air and the extraordinary panorama over one of the great wonders of Africa. Rest well on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater.

This morning you descend into the Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest intact volcanic caldera, entering a vast natural amphitheatre teeming with one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. You may see all of the Big Five, with an excellent chance of the endangered black rhino, alongside great lion prides, elephants with enormous tusks, buffalo, hippos, flamingos on the soda lake and countless plains game, all beneath the towering rim. After this extraordinary finale to your safari you climb back to the rim and transfer to the airstrip for your flight to Zanzibar, the fabled Spice Island. You are met on arrival and transferred to your beach resort, feeling the warm, humid island air and the change of pace, the mountain and plains behind you and days of beach bliss ahead. As the day ends you settle in by the sea. Rest well on beautiful Zanzibar.

Today you explore the historic and fragrant heart of Zanzibar. You visit Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a labyrinth of narrow coral-stone lanes where African, Arab, Indian and European cultures have mingled for centuries. You wander its atmospheric alleys past carved wooden doors, bustling bazaars and crumbling merchant houses, visit the old fort, the former slave market and its sobering memorial, and the lively Darajani market, guided by an expert who brings the island's rich history to life. You then take a spice tour at a working farm, walking among clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and cardamom, tasting tropical fruits and learning how the spice trade shaped the island. As the day ends you return to your beach resort, the scents of Zanzibar lingering. This evening, enjoy fresh Swahili seafood by the sea. Rest well on the Spice Island.

Today is yours to enjoy the beautiful beaches and turquoise waters of Zanzibar, a well-earned reward after mountain and plains. You might relax on the powder-white sand at Nungwi or Kendwa on the north coast, where deep water allows swimming at all tides and the sunsets are spectacular, laze in the shade with a fresh coconut, and swim in the warm, clear sea. Or take to the water: snorkelling or diving over the vibrant coral reefs of the Mnemba atoll, teeming with fish and turtles, or a boat trip to a pristine sandbank. The warm sea, soft sand and gentle island rhythm are blissful. As the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean, you savour a spectacular sunset over the water. This evening, dine on fresh seafood beneath the stars. Rest well by the sea on beautiful Zanzibar.

Today you continue to savour the pleasures of Zanzibar at a gentle, restful pace. You might relax by the sea and pool, enjoy a spa treatment, or take a traditional wooden dhow out onto the turquoise water, sailing past the coast and reefs and, at sunset, gliding across a blazing sea, glass in hand. You could visit the Jozani Forest, home to the rare red colobus monkeys found only on Zanzibar, take another snorkelling trip over the vibrant reefs, or simply unwind on the soft white sand, reflecting on the extraordinary journey you have made, from the summit of Africa to the plains and now the sea. The warm water, beautiful beaches and unhurried island life are the perfect reward. As the sun sets one more time, you savour a spectacular sunset. This evening, enjoy a relaxed seafood dinner by the sea. Rest well on beautiful Zanzibar.

You have a final, flexible day to enjoy the beaches and charm of Zanzibar before your journey home. You might relax by the sea and pool, take a last swim over the reef, enjoy a final spa treatment, or make a last wander through Stone Town for souvenirs, spices and Swahili crafts. The warm sea, soft white sand and gentle island rhythm make this a perfect day to unwind and reflect on the grandest of journeys, the summit of Kilimanjaro, the wildlife of the great parks, and the beauty of the Spice Island, a trip encompassing mountain, plains and ocean. As the sun sets into the Indian Ocean one last time, you savour a spectacular tropical sunset, toasting an epic adventure. This evening, enjoy a final celebratory seafood dinner by the sea beneath the stars. Rest well ahead of your departure from beautiful Zanzibar, carrying memories to last a lifetime.

After a final morning by the sea on Zanzibar, perhaps a last swim in the turquoise water or some final souvenir shopping, you are transferred to Zanzibar Airport for your onward international departure. You leave having completed the grandest of Tanzanian journeys, standing on Uhuru Peak, the Roof of Africa, safariing the baobabs of Tarangire, the endless plains of the Serengeti and, in season, the Great Migration, and the Big Five wildlife of the Ngorongoro Crater, and finally resting on the powder-white beaches and amid the Swahili heritage of Zanzibar. The images stay vivid long after you land, the dawn from the summit above the clouds, the lions on the golden plains, the vast crater teeming with life, and the white sand against turquoise water. This epic journey encompassing mountain, plains and ocean is the adventure of a lifetime, and you depart already dreaming of a return to beautiful Tanzania.