Epic Tanzania Motorcycle Adventure: Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar – 13 Days

Pick up at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to your hotel for the night located on the outskirts of the city of Arusha town. Check in and settle into your accommodation followed by a meet by your host.  Overnight in Arusha at Forest Hill Hotel. 

Total Distance to Cover:  Tar road – 0 km; gravel road: 0 km.  Total – 0 km.

Transfer to our Nyange Adventures Office to meet your motorcycle for the trip and have a comprehensive trip briefing.  Start the trip by 11.00 hrs and head northward for 30 or so km on a good tar road to then head eastward on a gravel road so as to ride around the northern side of Mount Meru, a beautiful freestanding extinct volcano. Enjoy scenic vistas and scenery.  You will ride through bush, open landscapes and forest areas.  Your destination for the day is on the foothills of iconic Mount Kilimanjaro.  There will be the opportunity for some wildlife viewing during the ride and plenty of opportunity to meet locals. Arrive at your destination by late afternoon to complete your first warm up day of the trip.  

Check into your accommodation for the night and fire, dinner and overnight at Simba Farm Lodge. 

Total Distance to Cover:  Tar road – 60 km; gravel road: 45 km.  Total – 105 km.

Enjoy a hearty early breakfast and prepare your motorcycle for the day’s ride.  Today is one of the longest ride days of the trip. Ride out from your lodge by 09.00 and head west away from Mount Kilimanjaro and into the open plains.  You will then ride northward and this first section will provide you with some excellent wild game viewing from your motorcycle. Ride all day on gravel roads through African bushlands, grasslands and eventually desert landscapes as you approach the Lake Natron area.  Stop for a packaged lunch along the way and continue on with the impressive active volcano of Ol Doinyo Lengai in front of you and the dormant volcano of Gelai to your right.  Once well into the gravel road there is a good chance of encountering wildlife, from Giraffe and Elephant to Antelope, Gazelle, Wildebeest, Zebra and the elusive and highly endangered Cheetah.  Arrive at Lake Natron by late afternoon and check in to your comfortable accommodation consisting of large safari style tents, close by the lake.  Enjoy the spectacular views of the lake, Ol Doinyo Lengai while enjoying a sundowner.

Dinner and overnight at Africa Safari Lake Natron. 

Total Distance to Cover:  Tar road – 30 km; gravel road: 200 km.  Total – 230 km.

Today is a day to ride the spectacular surrounds of Lake Natron.  Do a wildlife viewing game drive on your motorcycle.  Hike through a river gorge and cool off in the chilly waters of a spectacular waterfall.  Explore the lake shores on your motorcycle and get up close and personal with Lesser Flamingos.  Visit a Maasai village and learn about their culture and way of life.  Or rather just stay in camp and enjoy a relaxing day by the pool. 

Overnight at Africa Safari Lake Natron. 

Total Distance to Cover:  Tar road – 0 km; gravel road: 50 km.  Total – 50 km.

Ride out from your tented camp at Lake Natron by 09.00 and head south along the Great Rift Valley escarpment.  During the ride you will ride among wildlife and pass the foothills of Ol Doinyo Lengai.  This is a gravel road with spectacular desert like scenery along the way.   You will ride past Maasai tribal villages and have a chance to meet the locals.  Visit a large crater along the way.  Stop for a packed lunch along the way and ride up the escarpment to a higher altitude as you get closer to destination.  Overnight at

Hhando Coffee Lodge at the foot of Ngoro Ngoro

Crater. Total Distance to Cover:  Tar road – 5 km; gravel road: 115 km.  Total – 120 km.

Depart Lake Manyara by 09.00 hrs and ride towards beautiful Lake Eyasi.Ride once again up the beautiful Rift Valley Escarpment towards Ngoro Ngoro Crater and veer off into a gravel road that will take you through scenic forests and vistas towards Lake Eyasi.  Arrive at Lake Eyasi in time for lunch and settle into your lodge for the night.  Afternoon optional visit to the Hadzabe tribe or ride along the lake shore (approximately 60 km). 

Return to your lodge by sunset and overnight at Lake Eyasi Safari Lodge. 

Total Distance to Cover:  Tar road – 40 km; gravel road: 40 km.  Total – 80 km.

This will be a full day off-road riding down trails and rugged roads leading from Lake Eyasi and circumnavigating Lake Manyara.  Depart from your lodge after a hearty breakfast and ride eastward from Lake Eyasi to the escarpment above Lake Manyara.  These are challenging tracks and rugged roads rarely driven by cars.  Enjoy some challenging riding with dry or wet river crossings, encounters with magnificent vegetation and peoples, and breathtaking views of Lake Manyara and the plains below.  Stop for lunch at a local restaurant and then proceed to ride down the escarpment and join the trunk road network on the south side of Lake Manyara so as to ride to Lake Burunge on the outskirts of Tarangire National Park.  You are once again in wildlife areas and encounters with wildlife while riding your motorcycle are likely. 

Dinner, fire and overnight at Winter’s Tented Lodge.

Total Distance to Cover:  Tar road – 60 km; gravel road: 140 km.  Total – 200 km.

Today you exchange your motorcycle for a seat in a purpose build 4 x 4 vehicle for an experience of a lifetime; a wildlife safari into Tarangire National Park.  Depart in a 4 x 4 vehicle early morning from your lodge and drive into nearby Tarangire National Park where you will partake in a full day wildlife game drive. Tanzania is famous for it’s iconic African wildlife and Tarangire National Park is home to a multitude of animals, including Elephant, Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Buffalo and much more.  Return to your lodge by late afternoon in time to relax before a savoury dinner with stunning views of the African Bush. 

Dinner, fire and overnight at Winter’s Tented Lodge.

Total Distance to Cover (by motorcycle):  Tar road – 0 km; gravel road: 0 km.  Total – 0 km

Leisurely wake up and breakfast by 09.00.  Then set off on your motorcycle for a short but scenic ride back to Arusha.  Return to our base so as to return the motorcycle before dark and complete formalities.  Transfer to your hotel for the last night of the Mainland Tanzania tour, settle in and then head for a beautiful evening dinner at The Blue Heron restaurant for a last night in Arusha.  

Overnight in Arusha at  Forest Hill Hotel.

Total Distance to Cover:  Tar road – 145 km; gravel road: 5 km.  Total – 150 km.

Early breakfast and transfer to the Arusha airport (or Kilimanjaro International Airport) for a short one hour fifteen minute flight to the legendary Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar.  Arrive in Zanzibar and collect your motorcycle to ride so as to explore the island for the remaining three days of the tour. Complete formalities and set off towards the south east coast of the island.  You will ride through the urban outskirts of the main city of the island, Zanzibar, and into more remote green and lush forest areas.  Your first stop will be to travel to Uzi Island, a satellite island connected to the main island by a tidal coral road carved through a mangrove forest.  Uzi is away from the hustle and bustle of the main tourist areas and leads to some Swahili Villages inhabited mainly by fishermen.  Ride around the island to some beautiful outer beaches and visit the site where traditional boat builders still ply their trade, building anciently designed boats mostly unchanged by time. Lunch on Uzi Island and then set off for a ride back out of Uzi Island (remember, the island is connected by a tidal road so it is only accessible during low tides) and head towards the southern point of the island.  The ride is through some beautiful tropical and lush forests and you will arrive at your lodge at the southern tip of the island of Zanzibar by mid afternoon. 

Enjoy a stunning sunset over the ocean and a hearty dinner before retiring for the night to your sea view cottage at The One Zanzibar. 

Total Distance to Cover:  Tar road – 90 km; gravel road: 15 km.  Total – 105 km.

Today is an easy day of riding aimed at sightseeing the beautiful south east coast of the island.  For those that are up to it, wake at sunrise and take a short ride to the village of Kizimkazi Mkunguni to witness the night fishing fleet land its catch on the beach.  The fish is auctioned on the spot, making for a very interesting early morning activity.  Ride back to the lodge for breakfast and meet those that opted to sleep in.  Enjoy a hearty breakfast before getting back in the saddle of your motorcycle and head to the nearby village of Kizimkazi Ndimbani to visit Zanzibar’s oldest mosque and hear the heartwarming tale of the ‘Mzee’ that built it and how the area came to be named what it is.  Then back in the saddle and ride some 15 km to the east side of the island.  Arrive at Mtende Village and have a quick view of a magnificent Baobab tree that is the centre of the village. The tree must be anywhere between 800 – 1,000 years old and a truly magnificent sight.  From there ride a little further through the village to Eden Rock, a small hotel on the cliffs of the area.  Enjoy the beautiful views of the ocean, walk on the beach lined by interesting rock formations, and enjoy a simple lunch at the small eco lodge.  After lunch ride some 60 km northward along the east coast to Pongwe Village and to check in at your beautiful villa on the beach. 

Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at the villa with its stunning beach and sea view.  Dinner and overnight at Season’s Lodge. 

Total Distance to Cover:  Tar road – 45 km; gravel road: 5 km.  Total – 50 km.

Leisurely morning with delicious breakfast overlooking the ocean.  Take time to go for one last swim and/or walk along beautiful Pongwe beach.  Then set off towards the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Stone Town.  Ride a 20 km stretch of gravel road seldom visited by tourists to visit a beautiful Spice Farm, where spices the Zanzibar Archipelago was aptly known as – ‘The Spice Islands’ – are grown.  Lunch on the spice farm and ride into Stone Town to check into your hotel in the heart of the historic town. 

Overnight at Mizingani Sea Front Hotel. 

Total Distance to Cover:  Tar road – 80 km; gravel road: 5 km.  Total – 85 km.

: Enjoy one last breakfast with the rest of the group and check out from your accommodation.  If time is available, take a guided tour through the historic Stone Town.  Airport transfers and end of Trip