The 10 best things to do in Kilimanjaro region

Every year roughly 35,000 people attempt to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain. For most of us, arriving at Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania is no small feat, requiring hours or even days of travel.

So naturally, we encourage you to make the most of your time there!

We often take guests on a Tanzania safari after their Kili climb, travelling a few hours west to epic locations like Serengeti National Park. But there are also plenty of fantastic (and very affordable) things to do even more locally.

With that in mind, we’ve put together our list of the 10 best things to do in the Kilimanjaro region.  

Some of the items on our list last half a day, while others take up a whole day, and just one is a multiday affair.

If you just have a morning or afternoon before or after your Kilimanjaro climb, then we highly recommend arranging one of these trips to add a little extra something to your Tanzania trip and memories.

Or perhaps extend your stay in the Kilimanjaro region a little longer to allow yourself time to really immerse yourself in the local landscape, wildlife, history, culture and cuisine? You won’t be disappointed!

Map showing the locations of the 10 best things to do in Kilimanjaro region

The gorgeous Materuni Waterfall

Our loyal client Lucy took this lovely pic on her hike to Materuni Waterfall

Materuni Waterfall is a spectacular 90 m waterfall in the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro. A short but taxing hike along a forested footpath brings you to the base of the waterfall, where the water collects in a beautifully clear little pool that’s safe to swim.

During the hike there and back you pass through coffee and banana farms, as well as traverse streams and small footbridges. Keep your eyes open for monkeys, duikers, birds and other small creatures. 

The hike to Materuni Waterfall is a gorgeous 45-min walk through beautiful terrain

The lower slopes of Kilimanjaro are a fertile farming area thanks to meltwater from its arctic summit. The coffee farmers here are famous for their 100% arabica coffee, which has a fresh flavour and smooth texture. Tours of the coffee farms are a popular post-Kilimanjaro activity – understandably, as having an expertly brewed cappuccino or americano after a week of roughing it on the mountain is just perfection! 

Inspecting the coffee beans on a farm on the lower slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro

A coffee farm tour includes being shown around the farm to learn how the coffee is grown and harvested. Actually harvesting of the beans take place between July and September. If you’re there between October and November, you’ll get to see the coffee bushes in bloom, with the flowers giving off a jasmine-like fragrance. Next, you’re shown the roasting and grinding process. Often, you can take part in the process so that you can enjoy a freshly brewed coffee near the end using the beans you processed! 

Lucy took this pic of her group on a coffee tour

At some farms employees accompany the coffee roasting process with traditional singing and dancing. It’s a wonderful experience to be exposed to the traditions of the Chagga people, a distinct and thriving people group who have lived for centuries along the southern and eastern slopes of Kilimanjaro, among other areas. 

These farm tours help to support the Kilimanjaro coffee industry, with most of the farms being smallholdings. If you don’t have time to visit one, we highly recommend at least picking up a bag of arabica beans as the perfect souvenir of your visit to the Kilimanjaro region. 🙂

Swimming in the Kikuletwa Hot Spring is definitely one of the best things to do in Kilimanjaro region – and certainly the most relaxing! The hot spring (also known as Chemka Hot Springs for the nearby campsite) is encircled by trees, giving you a sense of being tucked away from the world and its demands. 

Kikuletwa Hot Spring | Image by BrixL

The hot springs is the perfect post-Kilimanjaro activity, in our opinion. All that’s required of you is to slide your weary body into the warm water and …. nothing else. 😉 You can chat with your friends and neighbours, enjoy the birdlife hopping about in the fig trees around you, and let the fingerlings (small fish) nibble the dead skin off of your feet. When you feel revitalised, swing out on the tree rope and see how many expressive shapes you can make with your body as you drop into the water!

There are also food stalls at the hot spring selling delicious hot meals and snacks, so really you can just rock up and stay as long as you want.

Swing out over the waters of the spring? Yes please!!

Moshi, the capital of Kilimanjaro region, is a 40 km drive from Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO). As the gateway to Kilimanjaro National Park, it’s a natural stopover destination for climbers. We always advise our guests to arrive at least a day before the start of their Kilimanjaro climb. This way, if there’s an unforeseen delay like a late flight, your climbing schedule isn’t jeopardised. 

If you do find yourself with some time to kill in Moshi, either before or after your climb, we definitely suggest exploring this pretty little city and its many gems. Even if it’s just finding your way to a coffee shop or restaurant so you can drop into a chair and gaze with heroic eyes at the mountain you just conquered.

Aerial view of Moshi showing how green and pretty it is

Moshi has some fantastic eateries catering to the tastes of both its local and international customers. While popping into an unknown eatery that you spot and like the look of can lead to a great find, not everyone likes to leave things to chance. If that’s you, we recommend the following establishments as having great settings and ambience and offering the best service, food and drinks: 

Moshi and Kilimanjaro

If you’re looking to take home some local art, jewellery, crafts, coffee beans or other souvenirs, you’ll find options all over Moshi. There are so many that are worth a visit, it’s hard to pick just a few to recommend! But here are some of the establishments that we think you’ll appreciate:

The Momela Lakes in the northeast of Arusha National Park are seven shallow, alkaline lakes that are fed by underground water. They’re a sanctuary for various resident and migratory water bird species. 

One of the seven shallow Momela Lakes

Visitors to the park are allowed to take guided canoe trips on Little Momela Lake. This is a fantastic experience, and the guides are very knowledgeable. While you paddle on the lake, you look out over grassland, bush and forest, with Mt Meru to the west. Giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, hippos, waterbuck and duikers grace the scene with their presence. And the birdlife on and around the lake is incredibly abundant and impressive.

Duikers are pretty little antelopes and can be found in Arusha National Park

The Momela Lakes are a great place for spotting both resident and migrant birds. In fact, when it comes to the lakes’ most prolific water birds – flamingoes and pelicans – ‘spotting’ isn’t really the right word, as they’re everywhere! The shallow lakes regularly host thick stands of hundreds of greater and lesser flamingoes that stain the water pink when seen from afar. Other water birds commonly seen are Egyptian geese, great crested grebe, southern pochards, Maccoa ducks and African jacanas. 

Flamingoes in flight – the birds love the alkaline waters of the Momela Lakes

A Maasai family dancing and having fun

Visiting a Maasai village is definitely one of the best things to do in the Kilimanjaro region. The Maasai are the most famous tribe of East Africa and live in Kenya and northern Tanzania. A Nilotic ethnic group numbering around 1.5 million, they’re known for (among other things) their warrior culture and hunting prowess, thatched villages, impressive jumping dance, vibrant clothing, and intricately beaded jewellery. 

The Maasai are well-known for their colourful clothing and beaded jewellery

There are many Maasai villages in northern Tanzania offering welcoming and fantastic visitor experiences – tours that are run by and benefit the Maasai themselves, which is important. One such place that’s a favourite with our local leader Kazi and we can highly recommend is the Olpopongi Maasai Cultural Village & Museum on the western edge of the Kilimanjaro region.  

Visitors can opt for a day-long or overnight tour. The tours at Olpopongi include the following:

We really encourage you to visit a traditional Maasai village as it’s a unique, enriching and once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Fancy mountain biking or hiking in pristine forest near the base of Mt Kilimanjaro? Rau Eco & Cultural Tourism is a community-based youth tourism enterprise that always impresses visitors. They offer well-organised mountain biking and hiking day trips through the underground water forest of Rau. 

Mountain biking in Rau Forest lets you see lots of this beautiful reserve

Highlights of both the biking and walking tour include:

This is a wonderful opportunity for those wishing to support the local community and explore a lesser-visited part of the Kilimanjaro region. 

The lilac-breasted roller is a native of northern Tanzania

A view down into Ngurdoto Crater in Arusha National Park

In the far eastern corner of Arusha National Park is Ngurdoto Crater. This 4 km-wide caldera is a beautiful and lush oasis for wildlife. Sometimes called the ‘little Ngorongoro Crater’ (quite understandably, given its similarities to Ngorongoro Crater), the crater differs from its famous counterpart in being a no-go zone. To protect the wildlife, visitors are only allowed to hike along the western and southern rims of the crater and look down on the animals. As it’s a relatively shallow caldera (only 100 m deep), the view of the crater floor and its many denizens is the perfect eco compromise. 

The floor of the crater contains both swamp, grassland and forest, offering various pristine habitats for its inhabitants. Hiking the rim of Ngurdoto is truly one of the best day hikes and walking safaris in Tanzania. 

Ngurdoto Crater has been dubbed 'little Ngorongoro'

Some of the animals that call the crater home are giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, warthogs, baboons and black-and-white colobus monkeys. Occasionally you can spot elephants, leopards, rhinos and spotted hyenas.

You have a better chance of spotting the rare black-and-white colobus monkey within Arusha National Park than anywhere else in Tanzania. One reason for this is that it’s a quieter park, as most visitors race west out of Arusha towards the famous reserves of the Northern Circuit like Serengeti National Park.

So while it’s not so well-known, Arusha National Park is actually a sublime park that offers the perfect safari destination for those without the time or finances to travel further afield. 

Your chances are high of seeing the black and white colobus in Arusha National Park

Mt Meru 4,566 m (14,980 ft) is a beautiful volcanic mountain on the western edge of Arusha National Park, just north of the city of Arusha. It’s the second highest mountain in Tanzania, and the fifth highest in Africa. It was once taller than Kilimanjaro, but an eruption blew off its top. 

The peak of Mt Meru is in the back corner and its 3.5 km-wide caldera in the foreground

The now dormant volcano is a popular three- or four-day trek. It’s a great option for anyone who:

The barren peak of Mt Meru

While Mt Meru isn’t as tough or long as Kilimanjaro, it’s still a challenging trek, so don’t think you’ll breeze on up to the summit!! But it’s a very rewarding climb. For starters, the scenery is exceptional, and include a great view of Kilimanjaro 70 km to the east! The wildlife is also arguably better than on Kilimanjaro, and is easier to spot. You can hope to spy animals like buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, bushbuck, duikers, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and tawny eagles. 

So could Mt Meru be a good trek for you? Here’s what you need to know …

Mt Meru can be climbed over three or four days. The first two days are for climbing up, with the third day serving as summit day. Some hike back down the same day, while others spend another night on the mountain for a more relaxed descent. Note that trekkers stay over in mountain huts, so this isn’t a camping climb. 

The lower slopes of Mt Meru are lush and covered in dense forest | Image by Y. Lerner

The climate and vegetation zones of Meru are similar to those of nearby Kilimanjaro: you have dense forest, followed by meadows, then giant lobelias and giant groundsels, and finally montane desert. Only the top zone of Kilimanjaro – which is an arctic world of ice fields and glaciers – is missing on Meru.

Mt Meru is an excellent acclimatisation or testing trek for those wanting to climb Mt Kilimanjaro afterwards or sometime in the future. Check out our four-day Meru package if you're interested.

Mt Meru is an impossibly beautiful mountain and Tanzania's second highest peak

Kazi took this snap of one of our vehicles by the park's Fig Tree Arch

Arusha National Park is a lesser-known reserve in northern Tanzania that offers an uncrowded and very rewarding safari experience. It's also a perfect option for those not having the time to travel west to the bigger, more famous game parks like Serengeti, as it's just a stone's through north of the city of Arusha. We'd love to take you on a game drive in this beautiful game park before or after your Kili climb!

The landscapes of Arusha National Park are a real delight. You have volcanic mountains and calderas, with Mt Meru and Ngurdoto Crater inside the park's borders, and Mt Kilimanjaro to the east. You also have the gorgeous Momela Lakes, the exquisite rainforest, Lokie Swamp, and expansive views.

Olive baboons having a grooming session

The park is home to much fantastic wildlife. Safari-goers should be on the lookout for elephants, zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, hippos, warthogs, antelopes, black-and-white colobus monkeys, baboons and blue monkeys. There are also leopards and hyenas, but they're not easy to find.

Flamingoes colour the shores of the Momela Lakes | Image by K. Taylor

Bird lovers will enjoy the flamingoes that flock to the lakes. And there are 574 other known bird species in the park, so bring that bird guide and your binos with you!

One final idea ...

We work closely with a few NGOs in the Kilimanjaro region that are active in the upliftment of the local community and environment through various initiatives.

If you’re interested in getting involved in a community project, chat to us and we can link you up with a project that means something to you. We find that travellers who engage in some form of outreach really enjoy the experience and go home feeling even more connected to the Kilimanjaro region and its beautiful people!