The Best Things to do After Climbing Kilimanjaro

Things to do After Your Kilimanjaro Climb

Tanzania is best known as the home of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain in the world and one of the iconic Seven Summits. A lot of travellers come to Tanzania to climb Kilimanjaro and then depart home, without seeing much of the country at all. But Tanzania has so much more to offer its visitors, from spectacular national parks to pristine beaches and epic wildlife safaris.

With Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda and Burundi to the northwest, the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to the south, this large African country is home to endless savannah teeming with unique wildlife and a beautiful coastline along the Indian ocean, meaning there are plenty of things to do in Tanzania.

To help you make the most out of your visit to Tanzania, we’ve put together a list of the best things to do after climbing Kilimanjaro. Whether you’d prefer to relax on white sand beaches in Zanzibar or set out on a safari in the Serengeti, these activities offer the perfect way to discover more of Tanzania, recuperate after your trekking adventure and make your trip a truly unforgettable one.

1. Visit Zanzibar

Spending a few days relaxing on the beautiful island of Zanzibar is one of the best ways to relax and recharge after climbing Kilimanjaro. Located in the Indian Ocean, about 25 miles from the mainland, Zanzibar is a tropical paradise and a short journey by plane could see you celebrating your triumph with a cocktail overlooking one of Zanzibar’s famous white sand beaches and turquoise waters.

An incredibly popular post-Kilimanjaro destination, Zanzibar the perfect addition to Kilimanjaro if you wish to follow up your trek with idle days on the beach, snorkelling, diving and indulging in delicious cuisine. To truly pamper yourself, stay in one of the many luxurious beachfront resorts or travel back in time by visiting the markets in Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site steeped in fascinating history and culture.

If you are looking for a peaceful escape, Zanzibar is everything you’ve ever dreamed of.

2. Safari in the Serengeti National Park

With a total of 22 national parks and one of the broadest ranges of wildlife in Africa, Tanzania is one of the best places for safaris in the world and the Serengeti National Park is one of the most popular Tanzania safari holiday destinations for good reason. The Serengeti is a great place to visit any time of year and embarking on a wildlife safari here is the perfect way to round off your trip to Tanzania.

Not only is the Serengeti National Park a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it also offers an unrivalled chance of spotting the BIG 5 – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino – in the wild. It is also home to one of the most famous migrations on the planet. The great wildebeest migration is the movement of vast numbers of the Serengeti’s wildebeest, accompanied by large numbers of zebra and gazelle as they seek fresh grazing and better quality water. It’s a spectacular event to witness.

A safari tour in the Serengeti allows you to explore the African savannah by 4x4 and sleep in luxurious safari lodges after a long hot day searching for predators. What’s more, if you are visiting the Serengeti, a balloon safari is a real once in a lifetime experience, giving you the best chance to catch fantastic game viewing at any time of the year.

If an African safari in Tanzania isn’t already on your bucket list for 2024, it definitely should be!

3. Visit Dar Es Salaam

When visiting Tanzania, many people overlook Dar es Salaam and only use it as a gateway to the major national parks in the countryside or to the islands of Pemba and Zanzibar. Dar es Salaam has grown from a quiet fishing village to become Tanzania’s largest city and one of east Africa’s busiest ports. It is a city with its own attractions with pristine beaches, monuments, shopping centres, restaurants, museums and botanical gardens to mention but a few.

4. Explore the Tarangire National Park

After climbing Kilimanjaro, visiting the Tarangire National Park is an excellent choice to continue your adventure. One of the lesser-visited safari parks in Tanzania because of its location slightly off the popular northern Tanzania Safari Circuit, Tarangire National Park is most popular for its large elephant herds and mini-wildlife migration that takes place during the dry season.

Ranking as the 6th largest national park in Tanzania and covering an area of 2,600 square kilometres, the Tarangire National Park offers a great opportunity to experience more of Tanzania’s natural beauty and observe unique wildlife including elephants, wildebeest, zebra, giraffes and buffalo in their natural habitat. During your visit, it is recommended to stay in the south of the park which offers a less crowded safari experience and allows you to enjoy an authentic African feel of Tanzania’s countryside.

5. Explore the Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is without doubt one of the most awesome places to visit in Tanzania. It was formed by a volcanic explosion and the resulting crater, which stretches 16-19km in width, is actually the largest intact volcanic caldera in the world and one of Tanzania’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The diverse range of animal species and their high population density in the Ngorongoro Crater make it one of the top destinations for safari in Tanzania. The crater is home to herds of zebra, wildebeest, gazelle and lions, and it is also one of the few remaining places to see black rhino. The enclosed nature of the crater makes the space a living and breathing mini ecosystem with dense forest and grassy plains where the animals converge in great numbers.

Zebras and buffalos in the Ngorongoro crater

6. Explore Moshi

Located in northeastern Tanzania and situated at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, Moshi stands out because of the remarkable scenery and striking views of the mountain from every angle. Sitting at an altitude of about 890m, the volcanic soils on the mountain slopes are very fertile making Moshi one of the two leading coffee producing towns in Tanzania.

Moshi has a lot to offer visitors on their way to and from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. From breathtaking scenery, waterfalls, hot springs, restaurants, museums and amazing wildlife, Moshi has it all in store for tourists. For those who relish in experiencing new cultures, visiting the town’s main market is the best way to experience the kind of life lived by the people in the area. It is also a great base to explore other of Tanzania’s attractions including Mount Meru and the Chemka hot spring.

7. Visit the second largest lake in the world

Shared among four countries namely Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Tanzania and Zambia, Lake Tanganyika is the world’s longest (660km), deepest in Africa and second deepest in the world (more than 1,436m) and second largest by volume freshwater lake in the world. At somewhere between 9 and 13 million years old, it’s also one of the oldest.

With white sandy beaches, tempting blue waters and old mango trees, Lake Tanganyika is a beautiful spot to catch your breath after climbing Kilimanjaro. Due to its moderate equatorial climate Lake Tanganyika is an enchanting place to visit almost all year round, offering the ultimate off-beat beach holiday in Africa. The lake and the several rivers that flow into it have also created a spectacular ecosystem scattered with ravines, forest and cascading waterfalls stretching to the Mahale Mountains, perfect for hiking and wildlife spotting.

8. Plan Your Next Adventure Holiday

If you find that climbing Mount Kilimanjaro has whet your appetite for adventure and you’re ready for more, Kandoo Adventures specialise in small group trips to the world’s most iconic natural landscapes. Whether you’d like to venture to one of the new 7 wonders of the world like Machu Picchu on the Inca Trail or the Ancient City of Petra, trek to Mount Everest Base Camp or discover the beauty of one of our lesser visited destinations is totally up to you.

Why should you travel with us? Here at Kandoo Adventures, we’re passionate about travel and committed to providing the best possible adventures in the world’s most outstanding locations. We operate all our trips with a personal hands-on approach, ensuring you have an excellent experience throughout your journey and create life-changing moments through adventure travel. For an adventure tour operator you can trust, look no further than Kandoo Adventures.

What are you waiting for? Your next adventure awaits!

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