Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival and Climb Briefing

   • Today has no planned activities and is only an arrival day for you from Moshi to reach your base lodge in time for a pre-climb briefing with your mountain guide.

2. Day 2: Lemosho Gate to Mti Mkubwa (Big tree) Camp

   • You will be transferred by road from Moshi (or Arusha) to Lemosho gate. 
   • After registration, you continue on the 4x4 track until the trailhead, where you begin your trek through the rainforest zone with your guide. The forest is thick and diverse with flora and fauna, and you may experience rain this afternoon, which is common in this zone, making the path slightly slippery. A short and winding path takes you steadily to the first camp.

3. Day 3: Big tree (Mti Mkubwa) camp to Shira one camp

   • This morning, you quickly leave the forest zone on a steep path as the dense vegetation slowly eases into the Heather and Moorland zone. The remainder of the day takes you on a steady hike across the Shira ridge, where views of the Shira peak (the third of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones) give you the spectacular jagged scenery of this eroded peak.

4. Day 4: Shira One camp to Shira Cathedral Peak to Shira Two camp

   • Today's hike takes you gradually across the Shira Plateau within the heather and moorland and an optional extra hike to the Shira Cathedral peak (3880m) before gradually taking you to Shira Two camp. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones and has been shaped by lava and volcanic activity to create a stunning jagged peak and offer a unique western view of Kibo, the highest of the peaks and your final destination on the tour.

5. Day 5: Shira Two camp to Barranco Camp

   • Your hike today takes you to Kibo Cone. You will steadily climb up and over the edges of the alpine desert to your first high altitude at the lava tower (4630m or 15190ft). Today will help you acclimate and is a great indicator of how your body can handle higher altitudes.
   • From the Lava Tower, you begin your steep descent anti-clockwise around Kibo and into the Barranco Valley, passing the giant flowering mountain cacti (Kilimanjaro Senecios) unique to Kilimanjaro. The day ends around the same elevation as you started on the edge of the heather and moorland.

6. Day 6: Barranco Camp to Karanga camp

   • This morning, you will leave the camp and ascend the Barranco wall. This impressive, non-technical scramble gives a feeling of mountain climbing (without any previous experience or advanced equipment required). It is rewarded with a superb view from the top back into the camp and the Heim glacier on the peak.
   • The remainder of the hike will be through the alpine desert, slowly winding around the mountain till the Karanga valley you descend into and again until your camp. Karanga Valley is the last water point.

7. Day 7: Karanga camp to Barafu camp

   • Today, you climb almost casually through the empty landscape of the alpine desert and keep a slow pace even though the path is not excessively steep. Kibo cone starts to near, and you may finally glimpse the Mawenzi peak (Kilimanjaro’s second peak) in the east. The short distance means you have plenty of time at your summit camp to rest and prepare for tonight's summit attempt.

8. Day 8: Barafu Camp to Stella point to Uhuru peak to Mweka camp

   • In the early morning (around 00:00 am), you begin your final ascent to the summit of Uhuru peak through the arctic zone. The trek is a steep hike over loose volcanic scree through the dark and cold night and takes a slow pace in a zig-zag pattern towards Stella Point (5685m or 18650ft), your first stop on the Kibo crater rim. 
   • From here, a short (but challenging) hike continues to take you to Uhuru Peak (5895m or 19341ft), the highest point in Africa. You usually don’t spend that long at the peak due to the extreme altitude, so you descend back down to the base camp for breakfast/brunch.
   • After packing up your gear, continue the descent through the alpine desert, heather, and moorland. 
   • Eventually, you will stop at Mweka camp in the rainforest zone for a well-deserved rest.

9. Day 9: Mweka camp to Mweka gate

   • Your final day on Kilimanjaro involves descending through the southern rain forest until Mweka gate, where our vehicle will wait to take you back to Moshi town. 
   • Usually, the crew will leave you at Mweka gate, and it is a perfect opportunity to say goodbye to your crew, who generally head directly home from the end gate.

10. Day 10: Maybe Departure

    • On the 10th day of your itinerary, it is time to say goodbye and depart. However, if you are interested, we would be delighted to arrange a post-climbing Safari trip or a day trip for you to continue your African adventure.
    • Please let us know if you want to extend your stay with us.