Kikuletwa Hot Springs Day Trip From Moshi
Safari at a Glance
Kikuletwa Hot Springs: Clear Turquoise Water at Around 27 °C, an Hour From Moshi — No Hike Required
🏆 TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice 2024, 2025 & 2026 · ✅ Kenya TRA Licensed No. TRA1/47/C01/25895 · 🏛️ TOSK (Tour Operators Society of Kenya) Member #0082 · 🇹🇿 Operated in Tanzania by our TALA-licensed partner — licence 037480. Certificate available on request.
Full Day · From Moshi · From $155 per person
Why the Kikuletwa Hot Springs Day Trip?
The Kikuletwa Hot Springs Day Trip from Moshi is a swimming day. Kikuletwa (also known as Chemka) hot springs lie in the lowlands below Kilimanjaro, at roughly 850 m, about 40 km from Moshi in Hai District. Chemka is Swahili for boiling; the place is also called Maji Moto, hot water. Neither name is quite accurate. The water is about 27 °C — warm, not hot — and it holds that temperature all year. What the springs really have is clarity. On a quiet morning you look straight down through turquoise water to the bottom of a pool six to ten metres deep. The Chagga regarded the site as sacred.
You drive out, the last stretch on rough dirt, and you spend the middle of the day in the water: swimming, floating, dropping in off the rope swing, holding your feet still while the small fish nibble at them. Catfish and red garra live in the pools and they do go for dead skin. The springs feed the Kikuletwa River, which is where the name comes from. The site has basic toilets, a simple changing shelter, food vendors and shaded seating. It is not a spa, and nobody should arrive expecting one.
Two things to know before you book. First, it is deep. The main pool is six to ten metres and there are very few places to touch the bottom; weak swimmers use a float — they are hired on site — and children need an adult within reach. Second, it gets busy. Weekends and late mornings fill up, and the water loses some of its clarity once many people are stirring the bottom. Ask us for an early weekday start if your dates allow. If you want to walk somewhere, this is not that day — Materuni or Marangu are. If you want to get into warm, clear water and do very little else, this is exactly that day.
📋 Kikuletwa Hot Springs Day Trip at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| ⏱️ Duration | Full day — roughly an hour's drive each way; the rest is yours at the water |
| 📍 Start Point | Pickup from your Moshi accommodation · pickup time confirmed with your booking |
| 🗺️ Where | Chemka village, Hai District · about 40 km from Moshi · reached via Boma Ng'ombe · outside Kilimanjaro National Park |
| 💪 Difficulty | Easy — no hike · deep water, so swimming ability matters |
| 🥾 Walking Involved | Minimal — this is a day in the water, not on a trail |
| 👀 What You'll See | Clear turquoise spring pools at about 27 °C · catfish and red garra · a rope swing · the Kikuletwa River |
| 🏊 Swimming | Yes — that is the point · floats for hire on site |
| 📅 Best Months | June–October and January–March · open year-round · the dirt road is slowest after rain |
| 👶 Children | No published minimum age · the water is deep — an adult within arm's reach at all times |
| 👥 Group Size | Private — your group only |
| 💰 Price | $155 per person with lunch · US dollars · site fee included |
🗓️ Your Day
🚐 Pickup in Moshi
Our guide collects you from your Moshi accommodation at the time confirmed with your booking. Ask for an early start. The pools are clearest and quietest before the late-morning crowd, especially on a weekday.
🛣️ The drive
About 40 km and roughly an hour. Main road out of Moshi, the turn at Boma Ng'ombe, then a last stretch of rough, rocky dirt that takes longer than the distance suggests — allow half an hour or so for it. After rain it is slower still.
🌴 Arrival at the springs
Your guide deals with the gate and the vendors; entry is included in your price. There is a basic toilet block and a simple changing shelter, then the water.
🏊 In the water
The main pool is six to ten metres deep and very clear. A connecting channel of about two metres leads to a smaller pool where you can stand in places. The rope swing drops you into the deep section. At about 27 °C you can stay in for a long time without getting cold. Keep your feet still and the fish will find them.
🍽️ Lunch
Lunch is included, eaten away from the water — food and drink are kept out of the pool area. Tell us about dietary needs when you book.
🏊 Back in
Another swim after lunch if you want it. The site fills from late morning onward, so by now you will have had the best of the water.
🚐 Back to Moshi
The same rough stretch, then the main road. Roughly an hour. You are at your accommodation the same afternoon.
💧 The Water in Numbers
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| 🌡️ Temperature | About 27 °C, steady all year — warm, not hot |
| 📏 Depth | Main pool 6–10 m · connecting channel about 2 m · you can stand only in the shallower parts |
| 👁️ Clarity | Very clear, turquoise · best in the morning before swimmers stir the bottom |
| 🐟 Fish | Catfish and red garra · they nibble dead skin from your feet |
| 🪢 Rope swing | Yes, over the deep section |
| 📍 Distance from Moshi | About 40 km |
| 🚗 Drive | Roughly an hour each way · the last stretch on rough dirt road |
| ⛰️ Altitude | Roughly 850 m — the lowlands below Kilimanjaro |
| 🛟 Floats | For hire on site · bring your own towel; don't count on hiring one |
| 🚻 Facilities | Basic toilets, a simple changing shelter, food vendors, shaded seating |
✅ What's Included
- Transport — pickup from and return to your Moshi accommodation, including the rough last stretch
- Drinking water for the day
- Guide for the whole day
- Lunch — eaten away from the water
- Entry fee — the Kikuletwa site fee
- Lunch is included. Prefer to skip it? The price drops by $10.
❌ What's Not Included
- Tips for your guide — at your discretion
- Travel insurance
- Accommodation in Moshi before or after the trip
- Drinks other than the water we provide
- Float hire at the springs — paid on the spot if you want one
- Anything you buy from the food vendors
- Anything not listed as included
🎒 What to Bring
- Swimsuit, worn under your clothes — the changing shelter is basic
- Towel — bring your own
- Dry clothes for the drive back
- Sandals you don't mind getting wet for the ground between the shelter and the water
- Sunscreen and a hat — you are in the lowlands at midday
- Sunglasses
- Insect repellent
- Goggles — the water is clear enough to make them worth carrying
- A dry bag for your phone and camera
- Cash in small notes for float hire and tips
- Your own float or armbands for children or weak swimmers, if you would rather not hire one
- Any personal medication
👍 Who This Trip Suits — and Who It Doesn't
It suits swimmers of any age; anyone who wants a day with almost no walking in it; families whose children are confident in deep water; and anyone the day after a climb whose legs have nothing left to give.
It does not suit anyone expecting a hot bath — 27 °C is swimming-pool warm, not hot-spring hot. Non-swimmers should think carefully: with a float and the shallower channel it works, but the water is deep, there are few places to touch the bottom, and we cannot promise a lifeguard on duty. Children need an adult within arm's reach at all times, in and out of the water. Anyone who dislikes crowds should go early on a weekday or choose another day. Anyone who gets carsick on rough roads should know that the last stretch is bumpy in both directions.
We cannot confirm wheelchair access at the site. The access road is rough dirt and the facilities are basic; if step-free access matters to you, ask us before you book and we will find out what is possible.
🔗 Combine it: Kikuletwa is the day with almost no walking. With another free day, add the Materuni Waterfalls & Coffee Tour From Moshi for a cold waterfall and coffee you roast yourself, or the Marangu Waterfalls & Chagga Caves Cultural Day Tour for a Chagga village and the refuge caves beneath it. For a real hike inside the national park there is the Marangu Day Hike To Mandara Huts & Maundi Crater, and higher still the Shira Plateau Day Trip Via Londorossi Gate. All five are listed on our Moshi Day Trips page. Kikuletwa also works as a rest day added to your Kilimanjaro climb — see the 7-day Machame route and the 7-day Lemosho route, and ask us to build it in.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How hot is the water at Kikuletwa Hot Springs?
About 27 °C, all year round. That is warm rather than hot — comfortable to stay in for a long time, but not a hot bath. If you are picturing steam, adjust the picture.
Can non-swimmers go in?
Yes, with care. Floats are hired on site, and the connecting channel is about two metres deep with places to stand. The main pool is six to ten metres deep with very few places to touch the bottom, and we cannot promise a lifeguard on duty. Non-swimmers stay in the shallower section with a float; children stay within reach of an adult.
Is Kikuletwa suitable for children?
Only for confident swimmers, with an adult within arm's reach at all times — the water is deep and there are few places to touch the bottom. There is no published minimum age; tell us their ages and how well they swim when you book.
Is Kikuletwa crowded?
It can be. Weekends and late mornings are the busiest, and the water is clearest before the crowd arrives. Early on a weekday is the quiet time. Ask for an early pickup when you book.
What is the road like?
Main road from Moshi to the turn at Boma Ng'ombe, then rough, rocky dirt for the last stretch — allow half an hour or so for it. It is slow and bumpy, and slower after rain.
Are there changing rooms and toilets?
Basic ones. A simple changing shelter and a toilet block. Wear your swimsuit under your clothes and bring your own towel.
What time is pickup?
Pickup time is confirmed with your booking. We recommend early, for the reasons above.
Can I cancel or move the date?
Yes. Full refund with 14 days' notice, and flexible rescheduling within 12 months. The springs are open year-round, so moving to a weekday for a quieter pool is easy to arrange.
📞 How to Book
A 50% deposit confirms the booking. The balance is due 14 days before the trip. Booking inside 14 days: full payment confirms it.
Cancellation: full refund with 14 days' notice, and flexible rescheduling within 12 months — the same terms as our Kenya trips.
Payment details are sent with your written invoice. We accept M-Pesa and bank transfer.
We never request payment through social media, personal phone numbers, or any account or link not confirmed in writing by our office. If in doubt, call us before paying anyone.
📱 WhatsApp / Call: +254 729 257 317 · +254 734 417 496
🇦🇹 Austria: +43 650 702 1313 · +43 676 676 8130
Or write to us through the contact page. Tell us your dates, how many you are, where you are staying in Moshi, whether you want lunch, and whether anyone in the group is a weak swimmer.
Operated in Tanzania by our TALA-licensed partner — licence 037480. Certificate available on request.
Where You Will Visit
This safari explores the following regions in
