Mt. Meru

Mt. Meru is Tanzania’s second-highest mountain standing tall at 4,566m. It is located in Arusha National Park and offers some of the most spectacular scenery and wildlife diversity of any mountain in Tanzania. Mt. Meru is a challenging trek due to its steepness but is a great way to acclimatize before attempting Mt. Kilimanjaro. Climbers are accompanied by an armed ranger due to the abundance of wildlife on the lower slopes. Mt. Meru also has some historical significance to it whereby some have suggested that it was the resting place of Noah’s Ark when it came to rest after the biblical flood receded. Mt. Meru is a great trekking option for those who want to take on a climbing challenge and get the sense of being out in the wild, but are not quite ready to tackle Mt. Kilimanjaro.

• Elevation: 4566m
• Location: Tanzania, Africa
• Number of Climbers: 15,000 annually.

How to get there
By road:123 km, a two hours drive from the city of Arusha or 48 km, an hour drive from Moshi town to Marangu Gate and 86km one hour and a half drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport.

Best time to visit
Mountain climbing can be done throughout the year. However, the best time is mid-June-October and December-mid March.

Tourism activities
Mountain climbing –Climbing Kilimanjaro is not just a climb but a journey from the tropics to the Arctic. The higher you climb, the colder it gets with change in vegetation zones.

Birding
There are about 179 bird species inhabiting different vegetation zones, thus giving an opportunity to view them in different climatic zones. Birds like White Necked Raven, Lammergeyer, and Alpine Chat are commonly seen in high-altitude zones.

Camping
There are 31 camping sites along the seven hiking routes: Off all the camping sites are wilderness with toilets and a park staff house.
On the mountain stations, there are toilets, kitchens, dining, and rooms for clients. Advance booking through a licensed mountain tour operator is mandatory.