Mount Meru, Tanzania’s second-highest peak, rises dramatically within Arusha National Park and offers a rewarding trek that is quieter and shorter than Kilimanjaro, while still delivering serious mountain scenery. The route climbs through montane forest alive with colobus monkeys and forest birds before opening onto the mountain’s exposed volcanic ridges.
Most itineraries take three to four days, camping in mountain huts along the way and often combining the ascent with a short game drive at the base of the park, where giraffes, buffalo, and zebras roam. The final push to the summit begins before dawn to catch sunrise views over the crater and, on clear days, Kilimanjaro itself.
Mount Meru is a popular acclimatisation climb before attempting Kilimanjaro, but it also stands on its own as one of Tanzania’s most scenic and rewarding treks.
