Begin by cycling in the shadow of mighty Mount Kilimanjaro, end your journey basking in the breeze on the edge of the Indian Ocean. And in between? There's the vast and untamed Tanzanian savanna, where you'll encounter extraordinary cast of characters, both human and animal, that make this trip unforgettable.
DestinationsTanzania
Tour MeetsKilimanjaro, Tanzania
Fly in toKilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
Group Size2-16 riders
SpiceRoads jerseyWater bottleSupport vehicleGuide(s)Meals (as indicated)Airport pick upAirport drop offAccommodationSnacks and drinksEntrance fees
International flightsVisa feesAlcoholTips
We ride a total of 380 km in 7 cycling days, on a mixture of vehicle-width dirt and tarmac roads in reasonable condition. Most of the rides are on flat terrain, through savanna and villages.
The trip is fully supported, and your guide’s expert knowledge of the area and terrain means that you always know what is coming up in terms of distance and difficulty. This makes a tremendous difference, as does the constant supply of cold drinks and fresh fruit.
You will be staying in lovely lodges or beach side cottages for most of the trip. On two nights it will be a bit more basic, as you will sleep in a Maasai hut and in the middle of a national park. The experiences will be worth any inconveniences.
Suitability: This trip has been designed to be an easy trip on flat terrain. Having a basic level of physical fitness will allow you to enjoy this tour more, especially having spent some time in the saddle.
Biking Conditions: The daily distances are reasonable considering the flat terrain. Roads are a mixture of tarmac, broken tarmac, and vehicle-width dirt roads.
You will be met at Kilimanjaro International Airport by our guide and then we have 2-hour transfer to our scenic farm lodge. Drinks and snacks will be provided for the transfer.
Simba Farm Lodge
DinnerAfter breakfast we drive to West Kilimanjaro to start our cycling. Heading north and westwards we ride through rolling hills with breathtaking views of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru. Keep an eye out as there is a chance we will spot some wildlife during our ride. Tonight we will spend the night at Olpopongi Maasai-Village. This is a planned village and all the houses are built the traditional way with local and natural materials. By staying in this village we learn authentic Maasai life and culture without destroying the Maasai native homes, behaviors and environment. We'll have a BBQ dinner and a campfire in the evening where Maasai ceremonies will be performed.
Osiligilai Maasai LodgeBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 60km
+294m
-793mOur first phase of today's route takes us through the vast savannah land of the Maasai on dirt roads. Notice the iconic red and blue dressing style of the Masaai as we cycle past huts and daily livelihood. The ride continues into the farmlands of West Kilimanjaro as we approach Chagga land. Here the households change from huts to concrete surrounded by traditional gardens. Bananas were once the most common crop of the Chaggas, and though they still grow these, they now grow coffee as well. Our ride ends up in a beautiful dhow-wood themed lodge surrounded by coffee plantation with a background of the mighty Kilimanjaro.
Weruweru River LodgeBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 73km+449m-674mToday we cycle through beautiful blue Jacaranda flowers as we head towards the town of Moshi. On the outskirts is the Rau Forest Reserve. We have a shaded cycle as we cross the forest and listen carefully for animal sounds.there's a chance to spot Colobus monkeys with their long fluffy tails here. We come out to hidden green rice paddies which we will discover on foot. We change into our walking shoes as after a 2 hour transfer by vehicle we are at the foothills of Mt. Kilimajaro and ready to hike to the 93 m high, Materuni waterfalls. As we walk into the jungle, we pass many plants, such as lemongrass, coffee, eucalyptus, passion fruit, mango and banana. Keep an eye out for chameleons as they are often sighted here. We end our day with a full demonstration of how we get a cup of coffee from a raw bean, then we can of course enjoy a cuppa.
Weruweru River Lodge Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 35kmA day off the bikes and into the wildnerness of Tanzania. Our first stop is to Mweka Wildlife College, a leading center for African wildlife managers that has trained over 5,000 wildlife managers from 52 countries worldwide. It's back in the car for a long transfer to Tanga via Mkomazi National Park. A picnic lunch in the park affords us lovely views. In the afternoon we'll go on a game drive in the park and learn more about the successful conservation efforts of the park's endangered black rhino and African wild dog. Tonight you'll be able to enjoy the cool Indian Ocean breeze from our hotel.
Tanga Beach ResortBreakfast, Lunch, DinnerA historical day in that we learn about the beginnings of Tanga at the Urithi Museum and then cycle through the town of Pangani to see some of 200-year-old buildings. There are many reminders of the strong Arabic influence and later German and British colonial eras. Our cycle route is flat and on a mix of dirt and tarmac roads along the Indian Ocean coast. We can take a break and stop for a swim or you can wait until we reach our beach cottages.
Mike's Beach Cottages Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 69km+271m-303mAnother flat ride today on dirt roads as we head south towards Saadani National Park. Our route will take us past many coastal villages and we will have the Indian Ocean on our left the entire ride. Saadani is the only wildlife sanctuary in Tanzania bordering the sea and has four of the Big Five – East African lions, bush elephants, leopards and buffaloes. Our last 8 km are in the park so we will have our own game drive while cycling. We also overnight in the park so will get the chance to hear the wild animals at night.
Saadani BandasBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 74km+210m-213mRise early to catch a glimpse of the grazers having their breakfast in the park. We leave the wild animals behind and continue down the coast. Our destination is the historical town of Bagamoyo, the former capital of German East Africa. Today it is known as a centre for dhow sailboat building. We'll have a celebratory feast tonight at our oceanside resort and reflect back on Mt. Kilimanjaro as we look out onto the Indian Ocean.
The Family Cottages at BagamoyoBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ride 59km+73m-76mIn the morning we explore with our bikes Bagamoyo and have lunch at a local restaurant where you can try some seafood. In the afternoon relax at the resort or walk around town before we transfer to your Dar es salaam hotel or the airport to catch your flight. The transfer time from Bagamoyo to Dar es salaam is around 3 hours.
Breakfast, LunchRide 10kmDisclaimer: The adventure cycling tours we operate often go beyond the beaten track, and the countries where we ride are not always predictable. Due to these reasons, it is occasionally necessary to reroute or update itineraries. Our guarantee is that we will not change a trip unless for safety or to improve it. Our listed hotels are always accurate at the time of writing, but should we have to change any hotel, it will always be for a similar or better one.
Because some people can't imagine going on a trip without their own beloved bicycle, we do not provide them as part of this tour. However, you can hire bikes locally for the price listed in the tour pricing section. The bikes are Trek 4300 mountain bikes with lightweight alloy frames, 24- to 27-speed gearing, and Shimano components and front suspension. If you bring your own bike, please make sure it is a mountain bike, preferably with front suspension, in good mechanical order.
There is also a limited number of electric bikes (or an E-Bikes) available for the price listed in the tour pricing section.
Basic spares and tools are carried by the guide and on the support vehicle, though we cannot guarantee having spares for every conceivable problem. Carrying a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump while riding is recommended.
Wearing a helmet is required on all our biking adventures and is non negotiable. If you do not wear a helmet you will not be allowed to cycle. Your tour leader is trained in first aid and emergency rescue, but to a large degree you must be responsible for your own safety while riding. It is therefore compulsory that you take out travel insurance that will cover you for a mountain biking tour.
You will be led by a local English-speaking guide and if the group is 9 people or more we will add another guide to the tour. All our guides are well informed in the history, culture and religions of the area where you are biking and are skilled at passing that knowledge on to you. Your guide is also medically trained and an experienced cyclist, able to handle most minor repairs en route.
If you do not have enough time to procure an E-Visa or prefer to do Visa on Arrival, then please see here for further information and make sure you have all the required documents when travelling. Most important are the following:
Note for USA nationals: Due to a bilateral agreement with Tanzania, USA passport holders who visit Tanzania for tourism or holiday MUST apply for Multiple Visa even If they come for single entry. This applies to both E-Visa and Visa on Arrival.
For travel into Tanzania, some doctors recommend getting vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B, as well as for rabies. Visit your medical professional to confirm what precautions you should take, specifically regarding cholera and malaria. The government of Tanzania requires proof of yellow fever vaccination upon arrival only if you are traveling from a country with risk of yellow fever.
Tanzania, being close to the equator, has a pleasant, tropical climate that varies by region. The coast is the hottest and most humid area, while other low-lying areas are also hot but much less humid. The rest of the interior is much milder, cooling significantly after sunset. The main rainy season is during March to May. The dry season is longer, from June to October. November and December has the mildest weather, so it is a great time to visit.
Meals are included as per the itinerary where B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner. Tanzanian cuisine is both unique and widely varied. Spicy foods are common, and there is also much use of coconut milk. In the interior of Tanzania, people eat cooked or steamed green bananas (matoke) or maize and millet meal eaten with relish made with beans, fish, or meat. There are also grilled meats (nyama choma) and plantain soup. We’ll make sure you get to sample a large variety of local cuisine. Any special dietary requirements can also be catered for as well. Please let us know at the time of booking.
The official currency of Tanzania is the Tanzanian Shilling. US Dollars are widely accepted and sometimes preferred, but you should have some shillings handy for small purchases. There are ATMs that accept foreign VISA cards in the more touristic locations, but you should ask your guide if you’ll be heading into a remote area that may not have ATMs available or won’t accept cards.
If this is the tour for you here's what you need to do to confirm your place:
Just complete our online booking form or send your booking details offline (email or post), and we will confirm your participation. No deposit is needed to confirm your place on a SpiceRoads tour.
You are advised to read our Booking Conditions in full before you make your payment and should you require further clarifications of any of the conditions below, please email us or call our office.
There is a minimum number of participants (usually 2) required to enable the trip to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to Depart'. Once a trip is guaranteed to depart you are free to book your flights and make other travel arrangements. If the trip status is ‘Limited’ will mean we have only a small number of spaces available for booking. If you are unsure about the trip status, please email us or call our office.
From the tour page, click the 'Book Now' link. All departures for this tour will appear, just select the date you'd like to travel. For the next steps, you'll need to know the names of the people travelling. If you wish you can also provide extra details such as passport numbers, height (for bike hire), or you can add that later by logging into Manage My Trip (we'll set up an account for you automatically if you don't already have one). Our system will contact you from time to time to fill in the missing information, as it will be required before departure. However, if the trip that you are booking offers a child discount, you will have to fill out the date of birth of each rider (so we can calculate the appropriate discount).
If you are having any problems please send us an email, or give us a call (+66 026 3295) and one of our travel specialists will assist you with your booking.
Just call us or send an email indicating which trip you want to join and we will happily send you a list of questions and process your booking for you.
We do not require a deposit or full payment to book a place for you on a tour.
The balance of the tour’s cost (final invoice) will need to be paid 60 days before the departure date with fees for any bicycle rental(s), single supplement(s) and extra hotel nights.
In the case where a booking is made when there are less than 60 days until the tour departure date, the tour’s cost should be paid in full within 72 hours of receiving an invoice from SpiceRoads. Payment can be made by credit card using our online payment gateway or by bank transfer. When making payment online you will need to confirm that you have read these booking conditions during the "checkout" process, which equates to agreeing to the terms of services and stipulations as indicated in this document.
In all cases, tour fees need to be paid “in full” before participation in a tour. No person(s) will be allowed to join a tour without fully settling their invoice and receiving a confirmation number from SpiceRoads.
The exception can be made for last-minute miscellaneous fees that can be paid locally (visas, additional local hotel bookings, etc.) can be settled on the day of arrival.
If the tour is cancelled or postponed by SpiceRoads because we didn't make the trip numbers and the tour can’t run, we will make a full cash refund (by bank transfer or on your credit card).
If the tour is cancelled for any other reason, including due to Covid related travel restrictions, we will give you a full credit (with no deductions for admin or any other small-print item) to use on any SpiceRoads tour with no time limit. (Exceptions being flights, special permits and other non-refundable items and these will be advised when booking the trip).
Before paying for your tour, you can cancel your booking with no charge and up until 40 days before departure, you can change your booking to another travel date or move your booking onto another SpiceRoads tour with no charges.
If you need to cancel after you have made full payment, please see our cancellation policy.
The information in this document is given in good faith, and covers the average range of conditions likely to be found on this trip. Please note that the itinerary is subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, however, we will always do our best to adhere to this original itinerary
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