3-Day Mount Meru Trek from Arusha or Moshi to Socialist Peak

• Meet your tour guide at the lodge and start the tour soon after breakfast at your lodge. Drive to the Ngongongare Gate.

• Arrive at the gate, where your guide will complete all paperwork before driving through Arusha National Park with some stops for wildlife spotting.

• Reach Momella Gate for a final check of the porters and luggage.

• Start your trek to Mount Meru at a pole-pole (slowly, slowly) pace; the first day is more or less similar to a walking safari. On the way, you may spot animal species such as reticulated giraffes, zebras, waterbuck, and buffaloes. Since the hike is inside the park, an armed ranger will escort you to the camp.

• Take either the long or short route depending on your starting time. During the hike, you will pass by the Ngarenanyuki River and a beautiful waterfall at the base of Meru Mountain.

• Arrive at Miriakamba Hut (2,500 m), possibly before sunset. Your porters and chef will already be there, with coffee or tea and hot water for washing ready to be served.

• Enjoy the beautiful sunset and the surrounding area.

Dinner and overnight at Miriakamba Hut (2,500 m)

Vegetation Type: Forest Zone

• After breakfast, continue your Mount Meru trek along the steep path through the forest zone, where you can spot various birds and animals along the way.

• Reach Saddle Hut, situated in the alpine desert zone, for a hot lunch, depending on your pace.

• After lunch and some rest, you have the option of an acclimatization hike to Little Meru (3,820 m). This is a good hike with great views of Meru and the surrounding area. It helps prepare you for the night attempt at the summit of the main Meru Mountain.

• Enjoy an early dinner on this day so that you have enough time to rest before your midnight summit attempt.

• Go to sleep as early as possible, possibly around 07:00 pm.

Duration: 4 - 5 hours of hiking

Vegetation Type: Forest Zone & Alpine desert

• Wake up at 12:30 am after midnight for a meal before starting your final push to the summit of the fifth-highest mountain in Africa.

• On this final day of your 3-day Mt Meru trek, you will start trekking on the steep path up to Rhino Point (3,800 m) and then reach Cobra Point (4,350 m). From there, the trek continues along a rocky ridge between the crater and the inner cliffs of Meru Mountain.

• Reach the summit during the first rays of the sun from the east (4,566 m). On clear days, the morning can be the best time to view His Majesty, Mount Kilimanjaro, while the total cliffs of the crater drop intensely at almost 1,000 feet or more.

• Spend some time at the summit for pictures and celebrations before returning to Saddle Hut for some rest.

• Continue down to Miriakamba Hut and Momella Gate for check-out. Your drivers will already be there waiting to take you back to Arusha, Moshi, or the airport. If you made it to the summit, a certificate for Meru trekking (4,566 m) will be presented to you, and for those who did the acclimatization hike at Little Meru, you will also be rewarded with a certificate.

Duration Approx. 9-12 hours of hiking

Vegetation Type: Alpine desert