Chemka Hot Springs Day Trips from Moshi and Arusha Compared

A Chemka hot springs day costs US$60 to US$150 per person, and the price mostly reflects where you start and what is in it: the US$60 trip meets you at the springs, the US$130 day from Moshi includes the drive, lunch and entry, and the US$150 day adds Materuni waterfall and a coffee visit. Below are the seven trips we run, what each publishes about pickup, lunch and entry, and who each one suits.

Chemka and Kikuletwa are the same springs

The names get used interchangeably. Apex Expeditions calls the place Kikuletwa (Chemka) Hot Springs, or Maji Moto, near Rundugai in the Kilimanjaro Region. The water is clear and turquoise under fig and palm trees, and Apex describes it as pleasantly warm rather than hot, so this is a swimming day, not a soak in a steaming pool. There is no demanding hike: you park, take a short walk to the water and stay as long as the tour allows. Several hosts mention rope swings, and Ismani Tours adds tyre tubing and jumps from the trees.

The seven day trips side by side

Where a cell says "ask us", the host publishes nothing on that point, and we check it with them before you pay.

From Moshi, the US$130 Apex day has the clearest package

Apex Expeditions' Kikuletwa Hot Springs: A Hidden Oasis near Kilimanjaro is the only trip here that publishes a timetable and a full inclusions list. Your guide and driver collect you from your Moshi hotel at 8am. Apex says the drive is commonly around one to one and a half hours, with arrival at the springs at 10am. You swim, swing and sit in the shade until 1pm, eat a picnic or prepared local lunch, then have free time until 3.30pm before the drive back, reaching Moshi between 5pm and 5.30pm.

US$130 per person covers lunch, drinking water, private transfers between stops, an English-speaking guide, a local host, the driver, all entrance fees and first-aid support. Alcohol, tips and personal items are extra. It needs a minimum of two people and takes ages 5 and up, so it is wrong for a solo traveller who cannot find a partner for the day. Apex also publishes a cancellation policy with a full refund or free rebooking more than 30 days out; ask us for the exact terms before you book a date you might move.

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Experience

Kikuletwa Hot Springs — A Hidden Oasis Near Kilimanjaro

Discover the magical Kikuletwa (Chemka) Hot Springs (Maji Moto), also known as Chemka Hot Springs, near Rundugai in Tanzania's Kilimanjaro Region. Surrounded by beautiful fig and palm trees, the springs create a peaceful natural oasis with clear, turquoise, comfortably warm water. Despite the name “Hot Springs,” the water is generally described as pleasantly warm rather than scorching hot. It is an excellent day experience for travelers who want to swim, relax, take photographs and enjoy Tanzania's natural beauty without a demanding hike. Kikuletwa is more than a swimming stop.It gives travelers a chance to slow down after the excitement of safari or trekking and experience a different side of northern Tanzania. It can also be combined with experiences such as Materuni Waterfalls and a Chagga coffee experience for travelers who want a fuller day of nature and culture.

per person

Minimum 2 guests

• Pickup Dropoff

$130

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The US$60 Ismani trip meets you at the springs

Ismani Tours and Safaris' The best 1-day trip to Chemka Hot Springs is the cheapest way in, at US$60 per person, but read the meeting point: it is the springs themselves, on Hot Springs Road in Chemka. That means you organise your own transport from Moshi or Arusha and the price covers the day at the water, with the rope swings, tyre tubing and tree jumps Ismani describes. Nothing is published about lunch or the entry fee, so ask us about both. Add the cost of a car and driver before you compare it with the Apex day, which already includes the drive.

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Experience

The best 1-day trip to Chemka Hot Springs

The 1-day trip to Chemka Hot Springs Tour takes you to the Kikuletwa Hot Springs, located approximately 1-2 hours drive from Moshi town. While recovering from multi-day tours and hiking trips one of the best day trip to take is a day trip to the Chemka Hot Springs, also known as the Kikuletwa Hot Springs. Just 40 Minutes from Moshi Town and 1.5 Hours from Arusha, this is one of the hidden gems of Tanzania that you need to visit. The water was crystal clear in this jungle oasis where you can relax all day and even enjoy rope swings, tire tubing, and some high jumps out of the trees. This beautiful mineral spring originates from Kilimanjaro ground waters

per person

$60

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Private days and group days from Arusha

Africa Pathways Expeditions' Private Kikuletwa Hot Springs Day Tour is US$100 per person and the only trip here sold as private. The host confirms the pickup point after booking, and the trip is described as a day tour from Moshi. Ask us whether lunch and entry are in the price.

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Experience

Private Kikuletwa Hot Springs Day Tour

Relax at Kikuletwa Hot Springs on a day tour from Moshi. Swim in crystal-clear turquoise water and discover Tanzania’s hidden oasis near Kilimanjaro.

per person · 1 day

$100

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Kin Grand Safari's Chemka Hot Springs Day Trip is also US$100 per person, meets in Arusha and takes up to 12 people. Its group discounts are unusually steep: 40 percent off from two people, 50 percent from four and 60 percent from six, so a group of friends pays far less per head than the headline price. The description is a single line, so ask us what the day includes.

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Experience

Chemka Hot Springs Day Trip

Spend a relaxing day swimming in the clear, warm waters of Chemka Hot Springs near Moshi.

per person

$100

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Serengeti Wildlife Safaris' Chemka Hot Springs Day Trip (US$120 per person, up to 28 people) is the one to look at if you are flying out that evening: the host collects you from your Arusha accommodation in the morning and can return you to your accommodation or straight to the airport. A picnic lunch or local meal can be arranged. Its meeting instruction names the arrivals area of Kilimanjaro International Airport, so confirm your actual pickup point with us.

Combine the springs with a Maasai village or Materuni

If one swimming stop is not enough for a day, two trips add a second element. Africa Pathways' Maasai Village and Chemka Hot Springs (US$120 per person) pairs a Maasai village visit with the springs. Kin Grand's Materuni, Coffee and Chemka Hot Springs (US$150 per person, up to 12, meets in Arusha) does the Materuni waterfall walk and a coffee visit before the springs. It is a long day with more road in it, and that waterfall walk is a real walk, so it is the wrong choice if you want the whole day in the water. Group discounts of 13 percent from two people and 33 percent from five apply. For what the Materuni part involves, read our Materuni waterfall and coffee guide.

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Experience

Materuni, Coffee & Chemka Hot Springs

Combine Materuni Waterfalls, a local coffee experience and time at Chemka Hot Springs in one full-day package.

per person

$150

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What to bring, and who the day is wrong for

Bring swimwear and a towel, and something to sit on under the trees. Serengeti Wildlife Safaris describes the area as well shaded, and Apex points out that people who do not want to swim can simply sit, photograph and rest, so a non-swimmer in the group is fine. Children are welcome on the Apex day from age 5; ask us about ages on the others. If your aim is a hot soak, this is not that: the water is warm, not hot. And if you want wildlife, choose a park day instead; the springs are a swimming and resting day, which is why Apex pitches them for the day after a safari or a trek.

More on Tanzania: Materuni waterfalls and coffee from Moshi, one free day in Arusha before safari, a Kilimanjaro day hike before safari, Arusha National Park day trips and Ngorongoro Crater day trips from Arusha.

Prices checked 30 October 2026.