No matter where you’ve been, Tanzania will overturn all your previous travel experiences. The impressions of an ancient continent and its people and animals are so great that the experiences will make your head spin. The Kilimanjaro, the Usambara Mountains, Tarangire National Park,Lake Natron – riding a motorcycle in Tanzania is simply unbelievably beautiful.
This exciting motorbike tour takes you from Africa's highest mountain Mt. Kilimanjaro to the Usambara Mountains, through the Rift Valley to Tarangire National Park for extensive game viewing and to the flamingos at Lake Natron. You will experience fantastic and impressive wildlife, varied landscapes and have the opportunity to meet local people. You will see starry night skies like never before.
The ancient Great Rift Valley is a geographical and geological phenomenon that begins in Lebanon and ends in the center of Mozambique. At the edges of this immense valley are volcanoes, of which Ol Doinyo Lengai near Lake Natron is the only active volcano in Africa. The Boma (community enclosures) of the Maasai are scattered over the rounded tops of the hills. On our way you will encounter wildlife such as zebras, giraffes, gazelles and possibly even elephants. On this trip we ride on dirt road surfaces for 75% of the time. The riding is pure and rough, you will love it. Want to know more about this motorcycle tour in Tanzania? Find out more in the day to daysection.
Kilimanjaro: Circum navigation of Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain
Enduimet Wildlife Area: Exploration of the Enduimet Wildlife Area on Two Wheels
Lake Chala: An Excursion to the Border with Kenya
Usambara Mountains: Adventure Off the Beaten Path in the Para and Usambara Mountains
Tarangire National Park: Spotting the "Big Five" on a Jeep Safari
Lodge accommodation: Enjoying wildlife right at your doorstep
Lake Natron: a salt lake with flamingos
Masaai Culture: Learning about the Maasai way of life
Great Rift Valley: Ride through stunning landscapes of the world’s largest rift.
Ol Donyo Lengai: Witness Africa’s only active natrocarbonatite volcano.
Off-Road Tracks: Exciting and Diverse Off-Road riding with wildlife encounters at times
Enjoy the unique landscape and culture of Tanzania on this unforgettable motorcycle journey!
Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro JRO airport you will be picked up and transferred to your hotel in Arusha. Here you will meet your group and tour guide. There will be a briefing about your motorbike tour and if you want to, you can explore Arusha.
Early in the morning our motorbike group leaves Arusha behind. Initially we take a paved road and then we will ride some trails near Mount Meru. Later that morning we take a break near the Mererani Township. The roads today are a mix of all terrains and some parts are challenging. Our lunch today is at a natural hot spring where we can bathe. After lunch we continue to West Kilimanjaro where we spend the night on a farm with guestrooms.
We will leave the cattle and vegetable farm and ride from the leeward side of Kilimanjaro to the windward side. We hope to see the two peaks, Mawenzi and Kibo, which are usually only visible in the morning and evening. This is a chance to see various Chagga tribes, considered the typical conservators of Kilimanjaro. We stop for a picnic on the way and if we are lucky, we may see mountain primates such as black and white columbus monkeys and blue monkeys in the forest reserve. We ride on newly paved roads as well as dirt tracks and spend the night in a lodge.
After breakfast at Lake Chala, we head south to the Pare Mountains. We take a winding gravel road that is easy to ride. After a lunch break we continue on a gravel road to lake Jipe, on the border with Kenya. We make our way uphill to the Pare Mountains with a beautiful view of the small towns and villages scattered over the hills. Then we proceed downhill on dirtroads with many sharp turns until we reach the motel. This day serves as a rehearsal day for the next day when we will ride very intensively. The motel in Same has spectacular views of the South Pare Mountains and its location makes it the ideal gateway to Mkomazi National Park, the South Pare Mountains and Shengena Forest.
Stony, sandy and hilly trails along amazing views await us today. After breakfast, we will explore the eastern Pare mountain range, where we will descend to the southern ranges and find no more paved roads. Our route leads through untouched savannah to Lake Kalimawe, which is surrounded by small villages and rice plantations. Our ride continues into the Mkomazi National Park area. After lunch we start exploring the Usambara Mountains, the small villages of Mnazi and Mlalo and the palm forests. The zigzag road takes us upwards into the Usambara Mountains at Mtae (Mambo village) to over 2300m above sea level. Here we enjoy our reward of unique views of this region. This is an exhausting day and we will all be tired at the end of this adventure and certainly deserve a cold beer and a rest.
People seeking pure, authentic cultural experiences get their kicks today as we visit The Maasai Steppe Conservancy. It lies between the Tarangire National Park and the Simanjiro Plains within the Northern Safari Circuit. Safaris in the Maasai Steppe offer a wonderful and diverse experience you won’t forget any time soon. This area is vital and ecologically important for the wildlife and people of northern Tanzania. Nearly 92% of this critical ecosystem is designated as Maasai land, where livestockproduction is the main source of income. Maintaining healthy grazing areas for their cattle is crucial for both the Maasai and the wildlife dependents in this arid environment. Our downhill zigzagging leads us over some gravel and partly tarred road surfaces.
Today you have the unique opportunity to experience and explore the Tarangire and Manyara ecosystems. The Maasai steppe provides a permanent moving sanctuary around the grasslands between Tarangire National Park and the village. A visit to this area is a must for anyone interested in the evolution and origins of mankind, as well as explaining the Rift Valley and the bigger picture of Africa. It is a complete semi-desert experience you won’t forget. We stay overnight in a beautiful tented camp.
We leave the motorbikes behind today to go on a 4x4 safari in Tarangire National Park. Founded in 1970 from former hunting grounds, this national park is home to the largest population of wild animals outside the Serengeti. Around 2,600 km² of wilderness awaits us as this is one of the five largest parks in Tanzania. This area offers an abundance of prey for predators all year round. What we find here is a large population of mainlandantelopes like the tufted-eared spike buck and graceful giraffe gazelles. But Tarangire National Park is also known as the park of elephants, with herds of up to 300elephants pawing around. Imagine that!
Today it gets rocky, dusty and sandy, as we ride165 km east on winding gravel surfaces and out into the savannah landscape of the Maasai plains. We make our way to the Great Rift Valley, at the foot of which stands the mighty Ol Donyo Lengai volcano. The Ol Donyo Lengai is an active volcano that last erupted in 2008. The Maasai see it as the seat of their god "Ngai". The almost-perfect cone of this big boy rises above an area of astonishing barren beauty. At the foot of the mountain is an area of stony desert. Here we will find the cones of small extinct volcanoes and Lake Natron, a huge soda lake that stretches to the Kenyan border. Flamingos come here to breed, and in the late midday sun the colourful flamingo colonies make a spectacular sight, adding a splash of colour on the shimmering water.
You will wake up refreshed after a night under the incomparable beauty of the African starry sky. After a hearty breakfast, you can go for a hike to explore the gorge where our camp is located, ride to the hot springs or to the shores of the lake to see the flamingos up close. We return to Arusha this day, and will take at least 6 hours to ride there. We then return the rental bikes and enjoy a farewell dinner together.
This epic motorcycletour has come to an end. You will be transferred to the airport or you could extend the trip with a safari roundtrip to Serengeti and Ngorogoro or Zanzibar.
Changes to the route can be adapted to the current conditions on the ground
During this trip, we’ll be riding Sinoray 250cc adventure motorcycles (or equivalent), featuring a seat height of 840 mm. These lightweight and easy-to-handle bikes are well-suited to the varied terrain of East Africa.
During this motorcycle tour through Tanzania we do not reach considerable heights. The day trips are sometimes long, but easily doable. You should feel comfortable riding on dirt roads, but you don't need to be a professional. On our way we always have time and opportunities to stop and take pictures or visit villages. We ride an average of 6 to 8 hours a day in temperatures between 25 and 32 degrees Celsius.
This trip is suitable for any healthy motorcyclist who is not afraid to ride off-road. We alternately follow the paved main roads and then regularly swerve onto narrow side roads. About 75% of our route is on dirt roads and tracks, sometimes over rocks, sand, through the mountains and across the savannah. Off-road riding experience is necessary. Basic off-roadtraining is very useful as preparation. It teaches you how to best handle your motorbike off-road. It will certainly increase your confidence and therefore your riding pleasure. Your motorcycle will be a light enduro bike easy to handle and perfect for the local dirt tracks. Even though we do a lot of off-roading, you don’t need to be a pro. The focus of our trips is on getting to know the country and its people.
During this guided motorcycle tour we stay incomfortable mid-range hotels, resorts or tented camps where tents, towels and bed linen are included.
Tanzania is close to the equator, so it is pleasantly warm all year round with temperatures between 25 and 32 degrees. Ofcourse, this depends on the altitude and location where you are. In some regions it also cools down considerably during the day in the Tanzanian winter, such as in the Usambara Mountains. The climate in Tanzania is determined by two dry periods and rainy seasons. The best time for safaris is from June to September and from December to February. During these two dry seasons, there is little water in most game parks and the animals stay close to the remaining waterholes. Most rainfall is expected from late March to early June and from mid-November to mid-December.
A helmet is mandatory, as well as protective clothing with protectors, good gloves and boots or sturdy, high shoes. Because of the heat, it is advisable to wear breathable protective clothing. Because of the dust, bring a decent pair of goggles.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry into Tanzania. Most nationalities need a visa for Tanzania. The visa for Tanzania must be applied before the start of the trip via an online system and currently costs USD 50 for a single entry. Further information can be found here https://visa.immigration.go.tz/ Those who fly on directly via Nairobi or Addis Ababa without leaving the airport do not need to apply for a transit visa for Kenya or Ethiopia. Contact the embassy in your country well be ore your departure about possible deviating entry regulations.
An international driving license is required.
For direct entry from most European countries to mainland Tanzania, no compulsory vaccinations are required. It is recommended that you are up to date on routine vaccinations. Either way, please check with a specialist doctor in good time.
We must point out to you that you, as our tourparticipant, are responsible for observing the health and entry regulations of all countries you visit (including transit countries). You should also ensure that you have all the necessary travel documents with you. We strongly recommend that you check for any changes before you travel https://www.traveldoc.aero/
The motorcycles are covered by liability insurance. This insurance covers personal injury and property damage caused to third parties. In the event of damage to the motorcycle caused by the rider, the rider is responsible for the material costs. A security deposit of 200 USD/EUR is required. You are required to have international health and accident insurance that includes repatriation. Additionally, you have the option to take out supplementary insurance through Amref Flying Doctors, which provides emergency medical air rescue and evacuation from remote regions in Africa.
Further details about the trip and what you should pack can be found in the handbook, which you will receive about one month before departure.
Price per driver from: €3.190,-
Price codriver from: n/a
Single room occupancy additional charge: € 450,-
Pocket money to bring with you: € 450,-*
Minimum number of riding participants: 6
Maximum number of riding participants: 10
Maximum number of pillion riders: 0
* Pocket money: This amount is an indication of how much cash you may need to take with you on this trip. It covers food, drink, souvenirs, optional excursions and fuel.
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Tanzania Kilimanjaro motorcycle tour
Tanzania Kilimanjaro motorcycle tour
Duration: 11 Days | 3 September 2027 until 13 September 2027
Our travel prices are insured
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