Arusha → Lake Natron

Leave Arusha in the morning in a private 4×4 and head north to Lake Natron. The green highlands and small farms give way to a dry, volcanic plain as the road drops into the Rift Valley. Your guide explains the geology, wildlife and local history along the way, with scenic stops.

You reach your lodge in the afternoon and get your first view of Ol Doinyo Lengai rising from the valley floor. In the evening, your guide briefs you on the night climb: the route, the pace, what to wear and carry, safety and what to expect at the summit.

• Private 4×4 drive into the Rift Valley
• Afternoon at the lodge
• Volcano ascent briefing

Ol Doinyo Lengai Night Ascent

Please note: The climb is steep and tiring. It isn't technical, but you need good cardiovascular fitness. Trekking poles, a headlamp and warm layers are essential. Your guide sets a steady pace.

After an early dinner and a few hours of sleep, you set out around midnight. You climb the steep slopes by headlamp, under a very clear Rift Valley sky. Ol Doinyo Lengai is the only volcano in the world known to erupt natrocarbonatite lava. It's cooler than normal lava, below 600°C, and looks almost black, which gives the crater a strange, lunar look.

You reach the summit around sunrise. Lake Natron glitters below, the Serengeti is a faint line to the west and other volcanoes rise from the morning haze. Your guide names the landmarks and explains how the valley formed. Then descend carefully to base camp by late morning and have brunch back at the lodge. The afternoon is free to rest, take photos or watch the light change on the volcano you just climbed.

• Midnight start with a local mountain guide
• Sunrise from the summit at 2,962 m
• Brunch and a free afternoon

Lake Natron Walks, Waterfall & Maasai Culture

After breakfast and a rest from the climb, spend the day on foot around the lake. Natron's extreme alkalinity comes from volcanic minerals. It keeps most animals away, and that is exactly why lesser flamingos breed here in the hundreds of thousands. Walk the shore with your guide, watch the colonies and learn how the lake works. The morning light is best for photos.

Next, hike through a narrow volcanic gorge, cool and shaded between red rock walls, to a hidden waterfall. In the afternoon, visit a nearby Maasai community, where your guide helps you learn about pastoral life in one of East Africa's harshest landscapes. Then return to the lodge for sunset over the Rift Valley.

• Lake Natron shoreline walk and flamingo colonies
• Volcanic gorge and waterfall hike
• Maasai community visit and sunset at the lodge

Lake Natron → Arusha

Have a last breakfast with the volcano and lake in view, then check out and drive back to Arusha. Seeing the Rift Valley in daylight on the way back shows you things you missed on the way out: the volcanic formations on the valley floor, the big sky and Maasai herders along the road. We arrive in Arusha in the late afternoon.

• Scenic stops on the way back
• Arrive in Arusha in the late afternoon