6 Day Climb Mount Meru - Tanzania Hiking Tour

Day 1: Arrive in Arusha - Tanzania

This Mount Meru Guided Hike starts with a collection from the Kilimanjaro International Airport near Arusha, Moshi, and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Our driver transfers you from the airport to the Meru View Lodge (or similar), in the town of Usa River, just outside Arusha city. The lodge is set in tropical gardens, close to the Arusha National Park and Mount Meru.

Arriving at the comfortable lodge you are free to settle in and relax for the rest of the afternoon. Explore the lush gardens and take a swim in the pool or transfer to bustling Arusha city to experience some African culture and browse the markets.

Gather for a tour briefing in the evening, and get ready to climb Mount Meru! Enjoy dinner at the lodge restaurant tonight.

• Dinner
• Travel: Drive 35km / About 45 minutes

Day 2: Arusha to Momella Gate (1500m) to Miriakamba Hut (2500m), Mount Meru

On day two of our Tanzania Hiking Tour, we head to Arusha National Park in the morning, to begin our Mount Meru climb.

A 5-minute drive brings us to the entrance gate of Arusha National Park, where your guide completes the necessary paperwork. Formalities complete, a trekking team of local porters will join you, and then we continue to the nearby Momella Gate.

For the first scenic leg of the Mount Meru hike, an armed park ranger accompanies us through wildlife territory, helping to spot any roaming giraffes and buffalos in the area. From there we hike into the acacia forest, following the Southern Route up the slopes. A steady two-hour-long climb brings us to Maio Falls and lovely pastures where we enjoy a picnic.

From the falls we hike to the ‘Arched Fig Tree’ a well-known attraction that your ranger tells us more about. Learn how the tree formed its arched shape, framing our path. We hike for about another one and a half hours until we get to the Miriakamba Hut where we sleep tonight. Rest and have dinner at the Miriakamba Hut this evening.

• Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
• Hiking: 4 to 5 hours
• Altitude: Climb 1000m

Day 3: Miriakamba Hut (2500m) to Saddle Hut (3550m), Mount Meru

In the morning, we continue climbing Mount Meru, following some wooden steps up a steep track.

As we climb higher up, temperatures drop making for easier climbing in the cooler conditions. The lush rainforests we walk through are full of life and often shrouded in low-hanging clouds creating a mercurial and mysterious atmosphere.

After about two more hours of hiking, the ‘Mgongo wa Tembo’ (Elephant Back) viewpoint is reached. Here we stop to admire the scenery and take a well-deserved rest, at an altitude of around 3200 meters. On the next stretch of our Mt Meru hike we make the transition from rainforest vegetation into the more open bush, reaching our overnight stop, Saddle Hut at midday. Arriving at our next hiking hut, located at 3550 meters above sea level, we take a break and have lunch.

In the afternoon, you can take an optional one-and-a-half-hour hike to Little Meru at 3820 meters. The Little Meru peak offers fantastic views of Mount Kilimanjaro some 80 kilometers away, as well as over Arusha National Park.

Returning to the hut from the optional walk, a warm dinner awaits, followed by one last briefing to prepare for the summit climb on day four.

• Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
• Hiking: 3 to 4 hours
• Altitude: Climb 1050m

Day 4: Saddle Hut to Mount Meru Summit (4562m) to Miriakamba Hut (2500m)

Day four of this Climb Mount Meru Hike starts in the early hours of the day, way before sunrise. We wake up for tea and biscuits, before setting off for the summit by torchlight at two in the morning!

The hiking trail becomes more challenging as it takes us through the bush to Rhino Point, at 3821 meters above sea level. We walk across solidified lava ash and rocky ground, as we make our way up the northern ridge to the summit of Mount Meru. This stretch of the hike involves some climbing passages, requiring a stomach for heights and sure-footedness.

About four to five hours later the Tanzanian flag comes into sight, signaling that we have reached the summit!

We make it to the top of Mount Meru in time to watch the sunrise over the majestic Mt Kilimanjaro, watching the landscapes light up below. Enjoy spectacular views over the Tanzanian highlands and the steep-sided crater of Mount Meru, with its “Ash Cone” center.

After basking in our achievement at the summit and taking in the breathtaking vistas, we begin our descent to the Saddle Hut, along the same path. Back at 3550 meters, we take an extended break to regain energy and have some refreshing hot soup and tea served at Saddle Hut.

Then we continue with the descent refreshed and ready for the next stretch of our hike. In the early hours of the afternoon, we reach the Miriakamba Hut, back at 2500 meters.

Unwind and put your tired feet up, reveling in the satisfaction of having reached the Mount Meru summit earlier in the day. We have dinner and get a well-earned night of rest at Miriakamba Hut.

• Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
• Hiking: 10 to 14 hours
• Altitude: Climb 1010m & Descend 2060m

Day 5: Miriakamba Hut (2500m) to Momella Gate (1500m) & Arusha

Rise and shine for breakfast on day five of our Tanzania Hiking Tour, proud to have reached the summit of Mount Meru. Then we hike back along the Northern Route to our starting point at Momella Gate

The final stretch of the descent takes two to three hours, passing through game viewing land. Keep a lookout for wildlife, including elephants, buffalos, giraffes, and black and white colobus monkeys, as we cover the final leg of our hike.

Reaching the gate, we say goodbye to the mountain team of local porters and depart from Arusha National Park. A short drive brings us back to the lodge near Arusha, where we celebrate our successful Mount Meru Climb and take it easy.

• Breakfast; Dinner
• Hiking: 2 to 3 hours
• Altitude: Descend 1000m

Day 6: Arusha – Tanzania

Today our invigorating Climb Mount Meru Hiking Tour ends, after breakfast at the lodge near Arusha.

Your driver then transfers you to Kilimanjaro Airport for your onward travels. Alternatively, you can extend your trip and take an affordable Tanzania Safari and/or Zanzibar Beach Holiday after your hike.

• Breakfast

Mount Meru Hiking Tour Notes:

The final summit stage of the Mount Meru hike contains a few relatively easy, but unsecured climbing sections (no ropes, etc). Hikers will be required to do a bit of climbing that involves heights and calls for steady footing and nerves.

The Mount Meru climb is not advised during the rainy season (April to May), and as such does not operate during these months. In the event of adverse weather conditions (heavy rains, dense fog, and icy ground cover) the park ranger may cancel the climb to the summit.

About Mount Meru - Tanzania

At 4566 meters tall, Mount Meru is one of the highest mountains in Africa and the second highest mountain in Tanzania, after Mount Kilimanjaro. This conical volcano last erupted more than a century ago.

Some 250 000 years ago, a massive volcanic explosion blew away the entire eastern side of the mountain giving Mount Meru its distinctive form.

Highlights of the Mount Meru Climb

• Hike through an enchanting diversity of habitats, changing eco-zones within a few hours
• Less crowded than more commercial climbs and famous peaks, like Mount Kilimanjaro
• More affordable than hiking up the better-known mountains of Africa
• Spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Tanzanian Highlands
• Unique and beautiful vistas of the Mount Meru crater and ash cone
• Home to some 400 bird species and herds of elephant and buffalo, as well as leopard, giraffe, baboon, warthog, and monkey
• Ideal acclimatization hike to prepare for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, located nearby in Tanzania

The Mt Meru hiking trail passes through diverse vegetation zones, from dry savannah forest on the lower slopes to thick mountain rainforests and open scrublands. Nearing the Mount Meru summit, the ever-thinning heath, and moorland vegetation gives way to the striking alpine desert, barren and still.

Climbers regularly sight large animals along this incredibly scenic hike, including elephants, buffalos, and sometimes even leopards, along with various other animals and birds.

Please note this guided hiking tour is available as a private hike. Contact African Budget Safaris for more details about private Tanzania hiking tours.