Itinerary
- Day 1
Arusha/Moshi to Mount Kilimanjaro
You'll get picked up from your hotel in Arusha or Moshi and driven through Machame village to reach Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate. From there, your trek starts by heading into rainforest on a winding ridge trail. The path gets muddy and slippery in spots, so bring gaiters and trekking poles to help with traction. You'll cover about 11 km over 5 to 7 hours walking through the rainforest zone, gaining elevation as you go.
- Start point
- Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (kilimanjaro crane hotel, 00:00 - 00:00)
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Camping (machame camp)
Included Activities
- Guided hike through rainforest on winding ridge trail to Machame Camp
- Professional guide services throughout the day
Landmarks Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Machame - Day 2
Mount Kilimanjaro Moorlands
The landscape opens up today as trees thin out and you move into moorland terrain. You're heading toward Shira Camp, which sits on a small plateau in the high moorlands where you'll get clear views of Kibo peak to the northeast and Mount Meru to the west. White-necked ravens show up throughout the day if you're watching for them. After you settle at camp, there's a short walk to the Shira Caves. Today's hike covers roughly 5 km over 4 to 6 hours through moorland.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Camping (Shira Camp)
Included Activities
- Guided hike through moorlands to Shira Camp
- Optional walk to Shira Caves near campsite
Landmarks Shira Camp Shira Caves Kibo Peak Mount Meru - Day 3
Mount Kilimanjaro Lava Tower to Barranco
Your route turns east into semi-desert with rocky ground around Lava Tower. After grabbing lunch at a set spot, you'll tackle the rocky path climbing up to Lava Tower, which sits at 4,600m. This gives your body good time to adjust to the altitude. Then you'll drop back down for about 2 hours to reach Barranco Camp. The descent is worth it for photos of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The full day comes to about 10 km over 6 to 8 hours through semi-desert terrain.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Served in designated area before ascending to Lava Tower), Dinner
- Accommodation
- Camping (Barranco Camp)
Included Activities
- Guided hike through semi-desert landscape to Lava Tower
- Ascent to Lava Tower at 4,600m altitude
- Descent to Barranco camping area with photography opportunities
Landmarks Lava Tower Barranco Camp Western Breach - Day 4
Mount Kilimanjaro Barranco to Barafu
After breakfast, you'll make a short scramble up to the top of Great Barranco, then traverse over scree and ridges down into Karanga Valley under the icefalls of Heim, Kersten, and Decken Glaciers. You'll take a break here before moving on toward the Mweka Trail junction (which you'll use for descent). From that junction, you continue climbing up to Barafu Camp. Rest, dinner, and preparing for the next day's summit push happen here. Barafu gives you great views of both Mawenzi and Kibo volcanic cones. Today's hike totals roughly 9 km over about 8 hours through alpine desert.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Camping (Barafu camp)
Included Activities
- Guided scramble to top of Great Barranco
- Traverse over scree and ridges to Karanga Valley
- Hike to Barafu Camp with views of Mawenzi and Kibo peaks
Landmarks Great Barranco Karanga Valley Heim Glacier Kersten Glacier Decken Glacier Barafu Camp Mawenzi Peak Kibo Peak - Day 5
Mount Kilimanjaro Summit Day
You'll start early in the morning for the push to Kibo Crater's rim, moving between Rebmann and Ratzel Glaciers. The final bit before the rim might have snow, and an ice axe or ski stick helps with balance. Once you hit Stella Point at the rim, it's about another hour to Uhuru Peak, Kilimanjaro's summit. After time for photos, you'll head back down to Barafu Hut for rest and lunch, then continue past Millennium Camp down to Mweka Hut in the giant heather forest zone. If you're feeling strong, you can add a visit to Reusch Crater to see the ice pinnacles of the Eastern Ice-fields. This day involves roughly 5 km going up over 7 to 8 hours, then 12 km descending over 4 to 6 hours through Arctic terrain.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Rest and lunch at Barafu Hut during descent), Dinner (Last dinner on the mountain)
- Accommodation
- Camping (Mweka Hut)
Included Activities
- Guided ascent to Kibo Crater rim
- Hike to Stella Point
- Summit climb to Uhuru Peak
- Descent to Mweka Hut in heather forest zone
Optional Activities
- Descent to Reusch Crater to visit ice pinnacles of Eastern Ice-fields (for climbers with remaining strength)
Landmarks Kibo Crater Rebmann Glacier Ratzel Glacier Stella Point Uhuru Peak Barafu Hut Millennium Camp Mweka Hut Reusch Crater Eastern Ice-fields - Day 6
Mount Kilimanjaro Descent to Moshi
After breakfast, you'll head down the final stretch to Mweka Park Gate where you'll pick up your summit certificates. From there, one more hour of hiking takes you down to Mweka Village. A vehicle meets you there to drive back to your hotel in Moshi. This final descent covers about 10 km over 3 to 4 hours through rainforest, wrapping up your Kilimanjaro trek.
- End point
- Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (kilimanjaro crane hotel, 00:00 - 00:00)
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Guided descent to Mweka Park Gate
- Summit certificate presentation at park gate
- Hike from park gate to Mweka Village
Landmarks Mweka Park Gate Mweka Village
