I will be arriving in Arusha around noon and departing the following day also around noon.
I would like to see Mount Kilimanjaro, but not hike it. What is the minimum amount of time required to do this? Can you just drive out of the city for a few hours and get a view? Are their short tours that do this?
If all you want to do is see Kilimanjaro in the distance you can just drive out along the A23 a bit. Easily doable in the time you have. That's as close as I got so I'll let someone else add a more detailed answer.
The closest point of the A23 to Kilimanjaro is about 80km from downtown Arusha, and the road is a decent one. My memory is hazy, and we weren't coming from Arusha, but 1-2 hours would certainly get you there. Remember that is just to see Kilimanjaro in the distance.
If you are going to do that, it might be worth visiting Kilimanjaro National Park, at 128km from Arusha. I've never visited but there are day hikes available.
There are different vantage points to view Mount Kilimanjaro. If you are arriving at Kilimanjaro International Airport during the daytime hours, you can see the mountain out of the plane window. Otherwise, as you leave the airport onto the main highway (A23), you will see the mountain on a clear day.
Other vantage points are on the Machame road near Moshi or on the east side of Moshi going toward the national park road.
Please keep in mind that even from those locations seeing the mountain depends greatly on the weather. Also the best time to see it is either early morning or near dusk.
