- Duration
- 8 days / 7 nights
- Starts and ends
- Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
- Visiting
- Arusha National Park · Ngasurai · Sinya · Enduimet WMA
- Best for
- Experienced riders
From US$7,310Per person sharing, for travel until 31 December 20262027 rates on requestEnquire about this safari
Overview
This cross country riding safari in Northern Tanzania takes place at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. It follows the footsteps of the greatest mammal on earth, the African elephant. Spend 7 night safari: 6 nights under canvas in a mobile camp and 1 night at a comfortable lodge near Arusha. This ride is for fit, intermediate riders only who should expect to spend 4 – 6 hours in the saddle daily. Common wildlife include elephant, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, lesser kudu, gerenuk and variety of other animals including the chance of seeing predators with some luck.
Highlights
- Access to wilderness areas
- Far from the crowds
- Authentic cultural interaction
- All Inclusive
- Excellent Riding Country
- Experienced equestrian guide
- True Africa Scenery
- Up-close elephant encounters possible
Experiences
- Riding Safari
Route at a glance
- 1 nightGiraffe Residence
- 6 nightsKaskazi Mobile Riding Camp
Starts and ends: Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
Day by day
Day 1
Arrive into Kilimanjaro International Airport, where you will be met and driven the 35 minutes to your lodge for the night. Settle in and meet the others safari participants. Your lead guide will join the dinner party and discuss plans for the safari.
Day 2
After a late breakfast, drive to nearby Arusha National park. Here the horses will be waiting, ready to be mounted. Ride into one of the most beautiful parks in East Africa. Here the vegetation changes dramatically, from open grassland to tropical rainforest. There are good chances of seeing elephant, buffalo, all your plains game, leopard and some rare species including Suni, Red Duiker. You may also see the magnificent Hartlaub’s Turaco among a large variety of birds. The feeling is magical as you enter beneath the dense forest canopy. Lunch will be set en-route, with time for a short siesta. After lunch the ride continues through leopard country and as we head towards camp, we will pass Margarete Trappe’s old house. She was a legendary lady, remembered as the Iron Lady from the first world war. These are many tales about Margarete who’s old riding paths we horse follows through the forests of the park. Late in the day, arrive at camp, close to the foot of Mt Meru. After showers and sundowners, enjoy dinner under the stars.
Day 3
You will hopefully wake up to the sounds of talkative Colobus monkeys. After breakfast, we mount and ride towards the area featuring in the film Hatari, starring John Wayne. During the morning ride, we start a climb on horseback, aiming to reach “Fig Tree Arch”, a massive fig tree, with a hole big enough to fit five horses underneath. The ride continues uto lunch, beautifully located in the rainforest next to a waterfall at about 2000 meters altitude. After lunch, start heading back to camp, passing another 30-meter high waterfall on route back. After returning to camp, there will be the option to jump into a vehicle to visit the Momella lakes. Here we may see hippo and beautiful water birds. Sundowners at the lakes before returning to camp for showers and dinner.
Day 4
Wake up with the sun for an early breakfast. Today the ride leads out of Arusha National Park towards towards Mount Kilimanjaro, leaving Mount Meru behind like a shadow. The ride is long and amongst farmland and the Maasai steppe. It is scenic with many cultural interactions. We make use of the cooler hours of the morning to cover as much ground as possible. Lunch is served under a big acacia, sometimes near to a dam where the Maasai water their cattle and we our horses. You will have a good 3 hour’s stop for lunch, with time for a siesta to regain your energy. During afternoon, we enter into wildlife areas as the ride continues across open plains. We reach our night stop before the sun hits the horizon.
Day 5
Early wake up with coffee and tea in camp before a bush breakfast is served. The day will be spent tracking the biggest land mammal, the elephant. The terrain varies from thick scrublands to acacia woodland. Return to camp for lunch and head out for another ride in the afternoon. Before sunset, return to camp to enjoy another night in this remote and remarkable place.
Day 6
An early wake up call is followed by an English breakfast. Everyone mounts and the ride heads towards a range of hills called the “Seven Sisters”. After the hills, ride through Sinya Village and continue to lunch under a shady tree. The terrain varies from opened grassland to beautiful flat-topped acacia forest. There are good chances of seeing plains game such as zebra, giraffe and wildebeest. Most important is the presence of the shy Gerenuk antelope that we will keep an eye out for, as we ride along. The night is spent at a very scenic spot place. If the night is clear, you sense you are being watched by four powerful mountains: Mt Meru, Namanga, Longido and, most legendary of all, Mt Kilimanjaro.
Day 7
Wake up with the sun, taking direction towards the Kenyan border. This day is spent tracking elephant. Hopefully we are lucky and get to see these giants from the back of a horse. The night is spent overlooking the Sinya pans with its plains game on constant alert for predators. Hopefully the night is clear, as apart from the view of the mountains within this area, the night sky is amazing.
Day 8
The last morning arrives and the safari comes to an end. Enjoy breakfast before heading back towards civilization. Depending on road conditions, the drive takes about 3 hours to Kilimanjaro airport. For those who fly out late, a day room available at the Polo Club followed by an evening transfer. Note: The itinerary is subject to change due to movement of game and weather conditions. Routes are designed for the best possibilities of encountering wildlife and to follow suitable terrain for horses. If the itinerary has to change prior to the safari, this would only be to benefit the ride.
Price & inclusions
From US$7,310Per person sharing, for travel until 31 December 20262027 rates on request
Every safari is priced for your dates, group and choice of camps. Tell us when you would like to travel and we will send a detailed quote within one working day.
Request a quoteIncluded
- The last day of the safari a day room at the Polo Club is available before flight departure (however please book this in advanced).
- All food and beverages included
- Transfer back and forth from the airport (at set times and departures)
- Qualified private guide, horses and riding
- Flying doctor membership for each client (fly out insurance)
- WD (Wildlife department) fees
- WMA (wildlife management area) fees
- Village fees
- Arusha National Park fees (TANAPA)
Not included
- International flights
- Gratuities for the camp team and guides (guideline of 15-25 USD per guest per day)
- Any personal purchases
- Visas, medical and travel insurance, which has to be arrange prior to arrival
Good to know
- The first night is spent at our permanent camp, where we have combined spacious traditional safari tents with the Polo Safari Club. The camp is beautifully located on a wildlife estate with great views of Mt Meru and on a clear day Mt Kilimanjaro. The camp overlooks the polo clubhouse and two polo fields where often zebras and wildebeests are seen grazing. We have ten fully equipped tents, each with its own on suit bathroom, flush toilet and white fluffy towels. There is WIFI in the clubhouse and a swimming pool, gym and spa treatments to be enjoyed. All beverages and delicious home cooked meals are prepared for you at the spectacular clubhouse (a replica of the Sultan of Zanzibar’s very own palace).
- Under private canvas: Six nights spent under a custom-made mobile camp. Tents have ensuite bush toilets and hot water bucket showers. Full board accommodation and locally sourced beverages are included.
Gallery
Make this safari your own
Change the length, swap a camp or add the coast. We have planned safaris in East Africa for over 35 years and will tailor Kilimanjaro Elephant Ride to you.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will reply within one working day.
