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Clear turquoise spring water at Chemka hot springs

Day Excursions

For the day your safari has not started yet.

Some flights land too late to reach the parks, and some guests simply want a soft landing after twenty hours in the air. These short excursions around Arusha and Moshi let you rest, stretch or explore — and you choose which one suits the day.

Choose your day

Four ways to spend an arrival or rest day.

Every excursion is private, guided by our own team, and can be added to any itinerary — before your safari begins, or on the day you fly home.

Colourful fabrics and crafts at a busy Arusha market street
Half day — 3 to 4 hours Gentle pace Arusha town or Kilimanjaro Airport hotels

Arusha City & Culture Tour

Markets, coffee and Maasai craft in Tanzania's safari capital

The gentlest possible introduction to Tanzania. A guided walk through the central market, the Maasai craft market and the cultural heritage centre, with a proper Tanzanian coffee stop and time to change money or pick up anything you forgot to pack. No early start, no long drive — you can do this on the afternoon you land.

Highlights

  • Central market: spices, textiles, fruit and everyday Tanzanian life
  • Maasai curio market with a guide who keeps the bargaining friendly
  • Cultural Heritage Centre gallery and its Makonde carvings
  • Arusha coffee tasting from farms on the slopes of Mount Meru

Included

  • • Private vehicle and driver-guide
  • • Walking guide
  • • Bottled water
  • • All entrance fees

Best for

Late arrivals, families, first afternoon in Tanzania

Perfect for guests whose flight lands mid-morning and who are not ready for a full park day. We keep it flexible — if you would rather sleep, we simply move it.

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A canoe on the still water of Lake Duluti with forested shoreline
Half day — 3 hours Easy pace Arusha, Usa River and airport-side lodges

Lake Duluti Canoe & Forest Walk

A quiet crater lake twenty minutes from town

Lake Duluti is a small forested crater lake in the coffee country between Arusha and the airport. A slow canoe paddle along the shoreline brings you close to kingfishers, herons, cormorants and monitor lizards, followed by an easy walk on the forest rim trail. It is calm, green and about as restful as a first day gets.

Highlights

  • Guided canoe paddle with over 130 recorded bird species
  • Shoreline monitor lizards and, with luck, the resident fish eagles
  • Forest rim walk under fig and croton trees
  • Views to Mount Meru on a clear afternoon

Included

  • • Private transfer
  • • Canoe, life jackets and local guide
  • • Conservation fees
  • • Bottled water

Best for

Rest days, birders, couples, jet-lagged arrivals

Very low effort — no climbing, no long drive. Ideal for guests who want fresh air and something to look at without committing to a park day.

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Materuni waterfall falling into a green pool surrounded by jungle
Full day — 6 to 8 hours Active pace Moshi, Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport area

Materuni Waterfall & Chagga Coffee Tour

A jungle waterfall and coffee made the way it has always been made

On the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro, the Chagga village of Materuni sits above a seventy-metre waterfall in dense green forest. A guided walk of roughly forty-five minutes each way takes you down to the pool — cold, clear and swimmable — then back up to the village for a hands-on coffee session: picking, pounding, roasting and drinking, with singing that is far better than it has any right to be.

Highlights

  • 70m Materuni Falls with a swim for those who want it
  • Chagga coffee process from cherry to cup, done by hand
  • Village lunch of local Tanzanian dishes
  • Kilimanjaro foothill views on the drive up

Included

  • • Private vehicle and driver-guide
  • • Village and waterfall guide
  • • Coffee experience
  • • Local lunch
  • • All fees

Best for

Guests with a spare day, walkers, culture-first travellers

The trail is steep in places and slippery after rain — bring shoes with grip and a towel. Best combined with Chemka Hot Springs as a very full day.

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Clear turquoise water of Chemka hot springs surrounded by fig tree roots
Full day — 5 to 7 hours Easy pace Moshi, Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport area

Chemka (Kikuletwa) Hot Springs

Turquoise spring water under fig trees

An oasis in dry savannah about an hour from Moshi: warm, astonishingly clear spring water rising from underground Kilimanjaro melt, held in a palm-and-fig pool with rope swings and small fish that will nibble your feet. It is the single best thing to do after a long-haul flight or after dusty days in the parks.

Highlights

  • Swimming in 25–27°C crystal-clear spring water
  • Rope swing and shaded picnic spots under the figs
  • Snorkelling in the deeper channel
  • Easy, flat access — no hiking involved

Included

  • • Private 4x4 and driver-guide
  • • Entrance fees
  • • Picnic lunch on request
  • • Bottled water

Best for

Post-safari recovery, families, hot afternoons

The last stretch of road is rough, so allow travel time. Bring swimwear, a towel and reef-safe sunscreen; changing facilities are basic.

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Not sure which fits your arrival time?

Tell us your flight and we will suggest the right one.

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