Kilimanjaro to Ngorongoro Cycling Tour

Your guided Kilimanjaro bike trip starts today! Get picked up from the Kilimanjaro International Airport and return to Moshi town, where you will check-in to your hotel. You will also meet your guide today and be briefed on the bike route, meet other guests and check your gear to make sure you are ready. Anything that you might be missing, can be rented here on this day.

Your ride today takes you from the greener southern side of Mt. Kilimanjaro towards the more arid western side of the mountain. Your ride today will initially take you through coffee and banana plantations as you cycle through the more fertile areas of southern Kilimanjaro. As you head west you will cycle through the more arid open plains and acacia woodlands. These plains support a remarkable variety of wildlife and spectacular views of Mt. Kilimanjaro. While Moshi is home the Chagga people west Kilimanjaro plains are home to the nomadic Maasai people who co-exist with the surrounding wildlife and it is why this area is known as the Maasai Lands. Your ride today will be on both dirt and tarmac roads and you will finish the ride at the Ngabobo village where you will be spending the night.

Get ready for a longer bike ride today. You will ride from the west Kilimanjaro plains to Arusha city. The first section of the ride will be through the Ngasurai open plains which serve as a migratory path for elephants moving to and from the Amboseli National Park in Kenya. Cyclists should look forward to a hot and dusty day ahead. Once you finish the dirt road you will enter the main tarmac road towards Arusha city passing a few small villages and settlements along with Mt. Meru looming in the background. Right before reaching the bustling city of Arusha you will divert through a coffee estate as you head towards a boutique lodge located outside the city. You will end your ride at the Tembo Club, where you will be spending the night.

Today’s is the longest ride of the trip, but it’s not as tough as it looks. The ride is mostly on tarmac roads, and goes through villages, towns and open plains. The long stretches of undulating road through the Tanzanian country side perfectly represents Ernest Hemingway’s quote when he said – “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them” After completing the tarmac road section, you will take a dirt road to a tented camp right on the border of the Tarangire National Park, which is home to the largest concentration of elephants in Tanzania. You have the option of going for a swim in the pool after a long, hot day of cycling.

Today’s ride marks another exciting day as you cycle through the migratory wildlife corridors between Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Parks. The first section of the ride takes you back to the main road which you follow for a few kilometers then divert onto a dirt road towards Lake Manyara. This area is rich in wildlife and you will notice a significant number of Maasai settlements along the way. One of today’s highlights will be the beautiful views of the Great Rift Valley directly in front of you as cycle towards Lake Manyara. After the dirt road section of today’s ride, you will rejoin the main tarmac road towards Mto wa Mbu town for several kilometers before diverting into the dirt road towards Migunga Tented Camp.

The last days ride is the toughest, but it is also the most rewarding. Start off the day cycling from the dirt road back onto the tarmac road and head past the bustling town of Mto wa Mbu and the entry gate of Lake Manyara National Park. You have a very tough cycle up the Great Rift Valley escarpment, leaving behind a spectacular backdrop. Before reaching the top of the escarpment you will stop to catch your breath at the viewpoint overlooking the beautiful Lake Manyara National Park and its surroundings. If there’s ever a time to take a great selfie, it’s here. You will then proceed on the tarmac road past the colorful Karatu town as you head towards the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Your ride today will finish at the entrance gate to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. After a celebratory toast to your achievement, you will be transferred to the Ngorongoro Farm House (or alternative) where you will be spending the night.

Today it’s all up to you and what time your flight leaves. If you have time, you can explore the town of Moshi and find some souvenirs to commemorate your summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Consider sparing an hour of your time to help our environmental conservation efforts by planting a tree in the Kilimanjaro region.