What You Need to Know: Our 19-day adventure honeymoon combines a private 7-day Kilimanjaro climb on the Machame route, a 7-day private safari in Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and the central Serengeti, and four nights on Zanzibar, from US$19,150 per person for 2 travelers. You stay at Legendary Lodge in Arusha before and after the climb, then Chem Chem Lodge, The Highlands, Dove Serengeti Luxury Camp and Xanadu Villas, or similar. The climb comes first, while you are fresh; the safari is the perfect recovery, and the beach comes last. The best times are June to October and January to February.
Why Climb First, Then Safari, Then Zanzibar?
The order matters on a trip like this. Climb Kilimanjaro at the start, when you are fresh from home and fully rested, and you give yourselves the best chance of reaching the summit. Then the safari: days spent sitting in a vehicle with your legs up, watching lions and elephants, are the ideal way to recover from the climb. Finish on Zanzibar, with nothing to do but rest, swim and celebrate.
| Part | Days | Why it comes here |
|---|---|---|
| Kilimanjaro climb | Days 1–8 | You climb while your legs are fresh, and the hotel nights on each side give time to rest and check your gear |
| Safari | Days 9–15 | Gentle recovery: game drives need no effort, and each lodge is a treat after the mountain |
| Zanzibar | Days 15–19 | Pure relaxation at the end, with the flight home from Zanzibar |
Climbing after the beach rarely works: travelers arrive at the gate out of rhythm and less fit. This is the same order we recommend on our Kilimanjaro, safari and Zanzibar page.
The 19-Day Kilimanjaro, Safari and Zanzibar Honeymoon at a Glance
| Day | Plan | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive at Kilimanjaro airport; briefing and gear check | Legendary Lodge, Arusha |
| 2 | Machame Gate to Machame Camp | Machame Camp |
| 3 | Machame Camp to Shira Camp | Shira Camp |
| 4 | Shira Camp to Lava Tower and Barranco Camp | Barranco Camp |
| 5 | Barranco Wall to Karanga Camp | Karanga Camp |
| 6 | Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp | Barafu Camp |
| 7 | Summit night to Uhuru Peak, down to Mweka Camp | Mweka Camp |
| 8 | Down to Mweka Gate, back to Arusha | Legendary Lodge, Arusha |
| 9 | Arusha to Tarangire | Chem Chem Lodge |
| 10 | Full day in Tarangire | Chem Chem Lodge |
| 11 | To the Ngorongoro highlands | The Highlands |
| 12 | Ngorongoro Crater game drive | The Highlands |
| 13 | To the central Serengeti | Dove Serengeti Luxury Camp |
| 14 | Full day in the Serengeti | Dove Serengeti Luxury Camp |
| 15 | Fly from the Serengeti to Zanzibar | Xanadu Villas |
| 16 | Beach day | Xanadu Villas |
| 17 | Stone Town or Jozani Forest | Xanadu Villas |
| 18 | Last day, sunset dhow cruise | Xanadu Villas |
| 19 | Transfer to Zanzibar airport | — |
19-Day Adventure Honeymoon Itinerary, Day by Day
Lodges are named for each night; your quotation confirms them for your dates, and where one is full we book a lodge of the same standard.
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Day 1: Arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport, Rest and Check Your Climbing Gear
Your driver meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and takes you to Legendary Lodge, on a coffee estate on the edge of Arusha. In the evening your mountain guide gives the climb briefing, checks your clothing and equipment, and swaps anything you are renting that doesn't fit.
Stay: Legendary Lodge, or similar.
Airport pickup, gear checkArushaDinner -
Day 2: Machame Gate (6,004 ft / 1,830 m) to Machame Camp (10,007 ft / 3,050 m)
After breakfast you drive to Machame Gate, meet your crew and register with the park. The trail climbs through rainforest of tall trees, mosses and ferns, about 7 miles (11 km) and 5–6 hours, to your first camp, where your tent is already pitched.
Stay: Machame Camp, in tents with a private toilet tent.
RainforestKilimanjaroBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 3: Machame Camp to Shira Camp (12,631 ft / 3,850 m) on the Shira Plateau
Out of the forest and into heath and moorland, about 3 miles (5 km) and 4–5 hours, up a steep ridge to the open Shira Plateau, with the first wide views of the summit and, on clear days, Mount Meru to the west.
Stay: Shira Camp.
MoorlandShira PlateauBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 4: Climb High to Lava Tower, Sleep Low at Barranco Camp (12,992 ft / 3,960 m)
The key acclimatization day, about 6 miles (10 km) and 6–8 hours: you climb to Lava Tower at 15,100 ft (4,600 m) for lunch, then descend to Barranco Camp in a valley of giant groundsels. Climbing high and sleeping low helps your body adjust.
Stay: Barranco Camp.
AcclimatizationLava Tower, BarrancoBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 5: Over the Barranco Wall to Karanga Camp (13,238 ft / 4,035 m)
A morning scramble up the Barranco Wall, easier than it looks and the most fun of the climb, then on to Karanga Camp, about 3 miles (5 km) and 4–5 hours. The short day is the extra acclimatization night that sets the 7-day route apart from the 6-day.
Stay: Karanga Camp.
Barranco WallKarangaBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 6: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp (15,354 ft / 4,680 m), the Summit Base
A short climb, about 2.5 miles (4 km) and 3–4 hours, through the rocky alpine desert to Barafu Camp. You eat early, your guide gives the summit briefing and checks your blood-oxygen and pulse, and you sleep for a few hours before setting out around midnight.
Stay: Barafu Camp.
Summit baseBarafuBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 7: Summit Night to Uhuru Peak (19,341 ft / 5,895 m), Together at the Roof of Africa
The hardest and most memorable night of your honeymoon: a slow climb by headlamp to Stella Point on the crater rim, then along the rim to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa, as the sun rises over the glaciers. After photos at the summit sign, you descend to Mweka Camp for a long, well-earned sleep.
Stay: Mweka Camp (10,138 ft / 3,090 m).
SummitUhuru Peak, MwekaBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 8: Down Through the Forest to Mweka Gate and a Hot Shower in Arusha
A last walk down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate (5,512 ft / 1,680 m), where you collect your summit certificates and thank your crew. Then the drive back to Legendary Lodge for a hot shower, a proper bed and a celebratory dinner.
Stay: Legendary Lodge, or similar.
CertificatesMweka Gate, ArushaBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 9: From the Mountain to the Bush: Arusha to Tarangire
Your private safari begins: your own Land Cruiser and driver-guide take you about 2.5 hours to Tarangire National Park for an afternoon among its elephant herds and baobab trees, then on to Chem Chem Lodge in the Burunge Wildlife Management Area. Tired legs welcome.
Stay: Chem Chem Lodge, or similar.
First game driveTarangireBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 10: A Slow Day in Tarangire, Elephants and River Views
Game drives in the cool of the morning and late afternoon along the Tarangire River, where elephants gather in the dry season, and a long rest at the lodge in between. After the mountain, this is a day to take easy.
Stay: Chem Chem Lodge, or similar.
Game drivesTarangireBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 11: Into the Green Ngorongoro Highlands and a Dome Suite by the Forest
You drive up the Rift Valley escarpment and through Karatu's farmland into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, to The Highlands on the forested slopes of Olmoti volcano, with a wood-burning stove in each dome for the cool nights. Ask for the honeymoon dome.
Stay: The Highlands, or similar.
HighlandsNgorongoroBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 12: Down onto the Ngorongoro Crater Floor for Rhinos and Lions
An early descent of about 1,970 ft (600 m) into the crater for a game drive among buffaloes, zebras, lions and hippos, with the best chance in Tanzania of seeing a black rhino, and a picnic on the crater floor before climbing back to your lodge.
Stay: The Highlands, or similar.
Crater floorNgorongoro CraterBreakfast, picnic lunch, dinner -
Day 13: Across the Endless Plains to the Serengeti
Down from the highlands onto the Serengeti's open plains, with a game drive from the gate across the central Serengeti, big-cat country all year, to your tented camp near Robanda on its western edge.
Stay: Dove Serengeti Luxury Camp, or similar.
Game drive all daySerengetiBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 14: Lions and Leopards of the Central Serengeti, with an Optional Balloon Flight
A full day searching the Seronera valley and the kopjes for lions, leopards and cheetahs, at your own pace. Begin, if you like, with a sunrise balloon flight over the plains and a bush breakfast, US$490 per person: a fitting celebration after the summit.
Stay: Dove Serengeti Luxury Camp, or similar.
Big catsCentral SerengetiBreakfast, lunch, dinner -
Day 15: Fly from the Serengeti to Zanzibar's South-East Coast
A morning game drive on the way to the airstrip, then a scheduled light-aircraft flight with Auric Air or Coastal Aviation to Zanzibar. Your driver meets you for the drive of just over an hour to Xanadu Villas, where your villa has its own plunge pool.
Stay: Xanadu Villas, or similar.
Bush to beachSerengeti, ZanzibarAll meals (all-inclusive) -
Day 16: A Day of Doing Nothing by the Indian Ocean
No alarm, no boots, no game drive: just your plunge pool, the beach and the tide going out over the reef. You have earned it.
Stay: Xanadu Villas, or similar.
BeachZanzibarAll meals (all-inclusive) -
Day 17: Stone Town's Old Lanes or Jozani Forest's Red Colobus Monkeys
Choose a guided Stone Town tour through the old town's lanes, markets and carved doors, or a visit to Jozani Forest, home of the red colobus monkey, found nowhere else; each costs US$105 per person. Or stay on the beach.
Stay: Xanadu Villas, or similar.
Optional excursionZanzibarAll meals (all-inclusive) -
Day 18: Your Last Day: a Sunset Dhow Cruise to Close the Honeymoon
A final lazy day, then a sunset dhow cruise on a traditional wooden sailing boat, US$105 per person, or a quiet dinner at your villa.
Stay: Xanadu Villas, or similar.
Optional sunset cruiseZanzibarAll meals (all-inclusive) -
Day 19: Transfer to Zanzibar International Airport and Home
After breakfast, your driver takes you to Zanzibar International Airport, just over an hour away, for your flight home.
Airport drop-offZanzibarBreakfast
How Much Is a Kilimanjaro, Safari and Zanzibar Honeymoon?
The 19-day honeymoon costs from US$19,150 per person for 2 travelers, with the private climb, the private safari, the lodges named on this page, all park fees, the flight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar and every transfer. Prices are per person, in US dollars, and confirmed for your dates in a written quotation.
| Part of the trip | Where you stay |
|---|---|
| Arusha, 2 nights (before and after the climb) | Legendary Lodge |
| Kilimanjaro, 6 nights | Mountain camps: tents, mess tent and a private toilet tent |
| Tarangire, 2 nights | Chem Chem Lodge, full board |
| Ngorongoro highlands, 2 nights | The Highlands, meals included |
| Central Serengeti, 2 nights | Dove Serengeti Luxury Camp, full board |
| Zanzibar, 4 nights | Xanadu Villas, all-inclusive with a private butler |
| Price from, per person (2 travelers) | US$19,150 |
The safari and beach lodges are most of the price. The same plan with mid-range lodges costs much less, and the climb on its own is our 7-day Machame route, from US$2,090 per person; ask us for both versions and compare.
What the 19-Day Honeymoon Includes
- A private Kilimanjaro climb with a crew of seven per climber (mountain guide, cook and five porters)
- Tents, sleeping mats, mess tent with table and chairs, and a private portable toilet tent
- All meals on the mountain, drinking water and hot drinks
- Pulse-oximeter checks morning and evening, emergency oxygen, a first-aid kit and a stretcher on every climb
- Kilimanjaro National Park fees and permits, and every safari park fee and the crater service fee
- A private 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof and your own driver-guide for the seven safari days
- Twelve lodge and villa nights at the places named above, or similar
- The scheduled flight from the Serengeti to Zanzibar (about 15 kg of luggage each, in a soft bag)
- Airport transfers at Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, and transfers to and from the park gates
Not included
- International flights
- Tanzania visa (US$50 for most nationalities, US$100 for US citizens)
- Tanzania's mandatory inbound travel insurance, US$44 per adult, one policy for the mainland and Zanzibar; and your own travel insurance covering trekking to 19,700 ft (6,000 m) and helicopter evacuation
- Personal climbing gear such as sleeping bags and down jackets (rental available in Moshi; we arrange it before the climb), and tips for your crew, guide and lodge staff
- Optional activities: the balloon flight (US$490 per person) and Zanzibar excursions (US$105 per person each)
Can Any Couple Climb Kilimanjaro on Their Honeymoon?
Most healthy couples who walk regularly can, with no climbing experience: it is a long trek, not a technical climb. The challenge is altitude, which is why the 7-day route spends an extra night at Karanga Camp and climbs high to Lava Tower before sleeping low. Train with long hill walks for two or three months before you travel, and remember that your guide decides each morning whether it is safe to go on.
- Summit success: the longer the route, the better your body adjusts; if you can add a day, the 8-day Lemosho route is our most gradual climb
- If one of you turns back: a guide descends with them while the other continues, and you meet again below
- Read more: how hard is it to climb Kilimanjaro and the best time to climb
When Is the Best Time for This Honeymoon?
June to October is the best time for all three: dry on the mountain, the best game viewing on safari and sunny days on Zanzibar. January and February are the other good window, a little warmer on the mountain and with the calving season in the southern Serengeti. Avoid April and May, the long rains on the mountain, on safari and on the coast. Book 9–12 months ahead for July to October.
Can You Change This Honeymoon?
- A longer climb: the 8-day Lemosho route instead of Machame, for more time to acclimatize
- Mid-range lodges on safari and a special villa on the beach, to lower the price
- A shorter version without the climb: see our 14-day honeymoon safari and Zanzibar
- A wilder route: Nyerere and Mafia Island instead of the north, as on our 11-day Zanzibar, Nyerere and Mafia honeymoon
How to Book Your Kilimanjaro, Safari and Zanzibar Honeymoon
Send us your travel dates and wedding date through the booking form, on WhatsApp +255 678 992 599 or by email to jaynevytours@gmail.com, and our team in Moshi will reply with a written quotation naming every lodge. A 30% deposit confirms the trip and the balance is paid on arrival; you can pay online by card through Pesapal or by US-dollar bank transfer.
| When you cancel | Refund |
|---|---|
| 60 days or more before arrival | 100% |
| 30–59 days | 90% |
| 15–29 days | 60% |
| 10–14 days | 25% |
| Less than 10 days, or a no-show | No refund |
Common Questions About a Kilimanjaro Honeymoon
Can we climb Kilimanjaro on our honeymoon?
Yes. Most healthy couples who walk regularly can; you need no climbing experience, only good preparation and time to acclimatize.
Should we climb Kilimanjaro before or after the safari?
Before. Climb while you are fresh, recover on the safari, and finish on the beach.
How much is a Kilimanjaro, safari and Zanzibar honeymoon?
From US$19,150 per person for two on this 19-day plan with luxury lodges; mid-range lodges lower it considerably.
How many days do we need to climb Kilimanjaro, do a safari and visit Zanzibar?
About 19 days: 8 for the climb with hotel nights on each side, 7 on safari and 4 on Zanzibar. Two and a half weeks is the shortest comfortable version.
Is the climb private?
Yes. You climb with your own guide and crew, with a private toilet tent, at your own pace.
What if one of us can't reach the summit?
A guide goes down with them while the other carries on, and you meet again lower down; safety always comes first.
Can we rent climbing gear?
Yes. Sleeping bags, jackets and other gear can be rented; your guide checks everything on Day 1.
When is the best time for this trip?
June to October, then January and February; avoid the long rains in April and May.
The Bottom Line
For an adventure honeymoon, climb Kilimanjaro first, recover on a private safari from special lodges, and finish on a Zanzibar beach: 19 days, from US$19,150 per person for two. Train for the climb, plan for June to October, and tell us your wedding date.