The best thing to do after Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

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The number one Tour Operator in Tanzania

Have questions? Toll Free: (866) 550-4447

The number one Tour Operator in Tanzania

Have questions?
Toll Free: +1866 550 4447

The number one Tour Operator in Tanzania

Have questions?
Toll Free: +1866 550 4447

The best thing to do after Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

November 10, 2022
Travel Diary Blog
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What to do After You’ve Climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is a truly magnificent feat. We welcome travelers, sporting enthusiasts, and adventure seekers alike to Tanzania throughout the year to accomplish their summiting goals. However, this incredible part of Africa has so much more to offer than Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Whether you want more adventure, sightseeing opportunities, a relaxing getaway, or to learn more about our culture, we’re giving you some local insight into the best things to do after you’ve climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The choices are endless, and the rewards are great for each one, so take your pick.

Tanzania is home to all sorts of spectacular wildlife, so while you’re here, we recommend taking full advantage of seeing it. A safari presents a unique opportunity to get to see stunning animals, lands, and vegetation and to get to know the customs of the local people.

Offering numerous trips within Tanzania and just outside its borders, you can experience varied and world-class attractions that will make your journey and experience that much better.

After Reaching the Summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro

TANZANIA SAFARI

Safari in Serengeti

Serengeti National Park might just be the most famous safari destination in the world, and its reputation is well deserved. Its ecosystem is known globally for its magnificent and extremely abundant large game.

Serengeti National park is a world heritage site teeming with wildlife, including over two million ungulates, 4,000 lions, 1,000 leopards, 550 cheetahs, and some 500 bird species. These incredible animals inhabit an area close to 15,000 square kilometers in size.

Join us on a safari and explore the endless Serengeti plains dotted with trees and kopjes from which majestic lions control their kingdom; gaze upon the Great Migration in awe or find an elusive leopard in a riverine forest.

Wildebeest Migration

Have you ever heard of the Great Migration? This is an annual mass migration of millions of wild animals in northern Tanzania. The migration starts in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, heads to the Serengeti National Park, and then moves to the Maasai Mara Reserve.

Driven to find good grazing grounds, approximately 260 million zebra, 470,000 gazelles, and 1.7 million wildebeest take part in the Great Migration.

To see animals move in such significant numbers across the plains of Tanzania is a truly mesmerizing experience. With our specialized migration tours, you enjoy insider access to these remarkable sights.

Explore Tarangire

Tarangire National Park sets an impressive backdrop for roaming buffalo, giraffes, zebras, and other animals. If you visit between June and September, you might be lucky enough to see a migration of elephants, wildebeest, and zebras. Tarangire is a relatively small park compared to the vast expanse of the Serengeti, but it’s only 118 kilometers from Arusha, which makes it the perfect safari if you have limited time available after your climb.

Nearby you’ll find Maasai and Barabaig villages, and history lovers can also view ancient rock paintings at Kolo.

Camping in the Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater has a vast appeal for the local wildlife, providing access to food and water throughout the year. At Lake Magadi, you’ll see the big five, as well as zebras, warthogs, cheetahs, hyenas, flamingos, and hippos.

Measuring 18km in diameter and more than 600m deep, the crater provides a striking backdrop.

Staying here gives you the chance to explore not only the crater but also the rest of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, including the impressive Munge Falls and the Laetoli footprints left by early humans more than 3 million years ago.

There is a high concentration of game in the crater, which can make sightings easier and more reliable.

Cultural Tourism

Tanzania has over 120 different ethnic groups, making a cultural tour of their villages an awe-inspiring educational experience. Nestled amongst rainforests and waterfalls, you will learn about indigenous culture from an insider’s point of view.

Optional activities during a cultural tour include climbing Mount Hanang, seeing hippos and going fishing in local canoes on Lake Babati, learning to brew beer, or visiting up-and-coming development projects in farming, water, and bio-gas energy.

Cultural tourism is beneficial to everyone; the tourists get an unforgettable and unique experience while the local people generate income that improves their standard of living. Cultural tours can be half-day excursions or customized to longer stays among the local people in their home villages and towns.

Adventure Activities in Lake Manyara

Those who want a more relaxed pace after their Kilimanjaro climb can visit Lake Manyara National Park. The park consists mainly of water and is home to populations of baboons and the famous tree-climbing lions. Driving through the park, you’ll also come across playful Sykes monkeys and perhaps the odd elephant or two.

Here you can go abseiling, mountain biking, and canoeing when conditions permit. The park also offers night game drives in addition to the regular daytime tours. Lake Manyara is only a one and a half hour’s drive from Arusha, making it a good option if you don’t have much time after your climb.

VISIT ZANZIBAR

In the Indian Ocean, about 25 miles from the Tanzanian mainland, Zanzibar is a perfectly preserved island gem that harks back to ancient times. This is the perfect addition to Kilimanjaro if you wish to follow up your trek with idle days on the beach.

Imagine stretching yourself out on the warm, white sand, ordering a cocktail, and figuring out whether you want to read your novel under the umbrella or take another dip in the clear, blue waters of the Indian Ocean.

Hit the beaches of Zanzibar

Whatever you enjoy doing on your beach holidays, you’ve got it in Zanzibar.

Stone Town

Zanzibar has a long history of trade and cultural exchange. The World Heritage Site of Stone Town, for instance, which sits on the west coast of Unguja Island, is a centuries-old town that has been beautifully preserved.

Exploring the narrow and winding streets of this ancient town with their heavy and embellished timber doors is an absolute must. Stone Town offers influences from diverse cultures, including Swahili, Arab, Persian, Indian, and European. The Old Fort of Stone Town is a must-see; it was built by Omani Arabs in 1699 after they successfully expelled the Portuguese.

You can also enjoy going on a spice tour, where you’re taken to local spice farms and get to experience plenty of tantalizing smells and tastes. Zanzibar is known as the Spice Island and has a long history of spice growing and trading. Do you like cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, cardamom, and clove? You want to miss the Spice Island if so.

Zanziba Holidays stone town

Views of historic stone town Zanzibar

Gorilla Trekking

Exploring Uganda is an absolute delight. The world-famous gorilla trekking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest of Southwest Uganda is on the must-do list for millions of travelers.

Gorilla trekking is a popular trip with conservationists, nature and animal lovers, eco-tourists, and adventure travelers. Mountain gorillas only live in the forests of Central and Eastern Africa, so gorilla trekking is the one way for humans to come into contact with the gentle giants. A gorilla trek usually brings visitors within a few meters of a gorilla troop, making the encounter both exhilarating and humbling.

Mountain gorillas are generally gentle creatures. They live off a vegetarian diet of shoots, bark, and fruit. They’re highly social and live in families, known as troops, their whole lives. Male mountain gorillas are called silverbacks because of the silver fur that grows on their backs and hips starting around age 12.

Sadly, mountain gorillas have become an endangered species, but fortunately, their numbers are on the rise. The money generated from gorilla trekking helps to secure their habitat and well-being.

Mountain gorillas don’t migrate but instead live all year round in the forest. This is convenient for gorilla trekkers, as you can visit them any time of the year. That said, their habitat is mountain rainforest, and things can get pretty wet and slippery at certain times of the year.

The best and driest times of the year for gorilla trekking tours are from December to February and June to October.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to an ancient, dense, and tangled forest

Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Versus Rwanda

There are two main countries for mountain gorilla trekking: Rwanda and Uganda. In Rwanda, you can trek to see mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park. In Uganda, you can visit mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park. The gorilla population in Mgahinga isn’t as large and steady as that of Bwindi, making the latter the better and more popular option.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Volcanoes National Park meet at the Uganda-Rwanda border, so each park admits you to the same forest. This means that visitors to either country are visiting the same gorilla habitat, just from different entrance points.

The decision to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda or Uganda typically rests on factors like cost and accessibility.

Rwanda and Uganda both have mountain gorilla populations

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is a common choice, partly because the permits are far cheaper. You should learn the pros and cons of gorilla trekking in each country and the different factors to consider before choosing your destination

There’s Much More to Tanzania than Kilimanjaro

Climbing Kilimanjaro is something you will have planned and trained for, so after all that exertion, why not treat yourself to some of the spectacular Tanzanian sights?

Whether it’s lying around on the beach in Zanzibar, tackling the second climb of Ol Doinyo Lengai or Mt. Meru, or taking the opportunity to go on safari, there’s plenty to do after your climb. Immersing yourself in the sights and sounds of Tanzania will extend your memories of your amazing climb.

Get in touch with our friendly staff, and we will be happy to make some suggestions or offer any help and guidance you may need. And if you haven’t booked your Kilimanjaro climb yet, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!