Itinerary

1. Day 1: Moshi/Arusha to Umbwe Gate to Umbwe cave campsite.

   • Elevation: 1200m to 1700m to 2850m, Distance: 11 km, Hiking time: 6 hours, Habitat: Montana forest.
   • Pick up from your hotel by our vehicle, and drive to Umbwe Gate. After completing check-in procedures at the gate, begin the trek through the rainforest to Umbwe Cave Camp, where you will find all the tents already set up, then stop for dinner and overnight. Today you hike through ridges and valleys into a dense forest.

2. Day 2: Umbwe cave campsite to Barranco hut campsite.

   • Elevation: 2850m to 3950m, Distance: 6 km, Hiking time: 4 hours, Habitat: Montana forest and heather
   • After breakfast, you will trek through the remaining forest to the moorland and heath area, enjoying magnificent views of the Barranco valleys and the ice cap on top of Kilimanjaro. You will then arrive at Barranco Camp for dinner and an overnight stay.

3. Day 3: Barranco campsite to Karanga campsite

   • Elevation: 3950m to 3900m, Distance: 6 km, Hiking time: 4 hours, Habitat: Moorland
   • Today you have a short day hike, and in the late morning, you start climbing the Barranco wall, reach 4200m for acclimatization, and continue crossing ridges and valleys to Karanga camp for a hot lunch. After lunch, take a short break and continue acclimatization by hiking the slopes of the Ruler toward the southern ice field, then return to camp for dinner and overnight.

4. Day 4: Karanga campsite to Barafu campsite

   • Elevation: 3900m to 4620m, Distance: 4 km, Hiking time: 4 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert
   • Today the trek to Barafu Ridge Camp is challenging due to the altitude. Walking time is short and steep, so it is necessary to stroll to avoid fatigue and altitude sickness. You will hike through the alpine desert with a strong cold wind because there are no trees and you will get close to the Kibo Glaciers. You will have an early lunch and dinner around 5:00 PM and then rest until midnight as you make your way towards the summit of Uhuru Peak.

5. Day 5: Barafu hut campsite to Uhuru peak to Mweka hut campsite

   • Elevation: 4620m to 5895m to 3100m, Distance: 15km, Hiking time: 10 – 12 hours, Habitat: Desert and ice
   • The day hike to Uhuru Peak begins around midnight with a light breakfast and final preparations for the climb to the summit. The goal is to run before sunrise to reach Uhuru Peak just before or after sunrise. Departure to the top at 12:00 p.m. m., change down steep sill or possibly snow and reach Stella Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m between 4 and 5 am. m. At this point, you have a view of the legendary crater, its polar caps, and its spectacular surroundings. Then, after an hour's hike along the rim of Kibo Crater, near the snow, the true summit of Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak, is reached. Here you will spend some time taking photos. After your summit activities, climb back to Barafu Huts Camp, have lunch, rest, gather your gear and continue your trek through the moorland and heathland to Mweka Huts Camp, then have dinner and spend the night at Mweka Hut Camp.

6. Day 6: Mweka hut campsite to Mweka gate to Arusha/Moshi

   • Elevation: 3100m to 1700m, Distance: 9km, Descending time: 4 hours, Habitat: Montana forest
   • After breakfast, today is your last day on the mountain, so descend through Montana forest to the gate of Mweka Park. This descent takes 4 hours. Then, check out at the gate and prepare to board the vehicle for transfer back to Moshi/Arusha.