• After eating breakfast at your hotel, your guide will brief you about the day. You will be driven from Moshi (1400 m) to Londorossi Park Gate (2100 m). In the village near Londorossi Gate, you will receive a packed lunch and can buy mineral water for the hike. Then the final 45 minutes of the drive will lead you up to the gate - ride here will be on a bumpy forest track that requires 4WD vehicles.

• At the entrance gate, the guides and porters distribute the supplies and register with the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA).

• Begin your 3-hour hike into the rainforest. Be on the lookout for Colobus monkeys!

• Along the way, you will stop for an afternoon lunch break and arrive at Mti Mkubwa (“Big Tree”) Campsite (2750 m) in the early evening. The porters, who arrive at the campsite before the clients, will set up your tent and boil water for drinking and washing. The chef will prepare a snack then dinner for the clients. At nighttime, mountain temperatures may drop to freezing, so be prepared!

Hiking time: 3 hours
Habitat: Montane forest

• After early morning breakfast, you will begin your ascent out of the rainforest and into the heather moorland zone. You will cross many streams and walk over a plateau that leads to Shira 2 Camp (3840 m). At this campsite, you will be next to a stream and have a spectacular view of the Western Breach and its glaciers in the East. Similar to the first night, your tents will be set up prior to arriving at camp, and the porters will prepare drinking and washing water for you.

• Enjoy evening snacks and then dinner prepared by our chef. Be prepared for a cold night as temperatures drop below freezing at this exposed camp.

Hiking time: 6.5 hours

Habitat: Moorland

• Following an early morning breakfast, you will leave the moorland environment and enter the semi-desert and rocky landscape.

• After 5 hours of walking east, you will come face to face with the Lava Tower (4630 m). Packed lunches are served at the Tower, and hikers have the option of climbing the massive Lava Tower if weather permits. At this point of the hike, it is normal for hikers to start feeling the effects of the altitude, including headaches and shortness of breath.

• After lunch, you will descend from Lava Tower (4630 m) to the Barranco Campsite (3950 m). The 6800 m descent gives hikers a huge advantage to allow their bodies to adjust to high altitude conditions. The descent to camp takes around 2 hours to reach. It is located in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall (“Breakfast Wall”). Drinking and washing water and dinner will be served as hikers view the sunset here.

Hiking time: 7 hours

Distance: Approximately 15 kilometres

Habitat: Semi-desert

• This is a short hiking day meant for acclimatization. After early morning breakfast, it is now time to conquer the Great Barranco Wall! Although it may look intimating at first glance, hikers state that this Class 2 hike is usually much easier than anticipated. At the top of the Wall, you will have a view of Heim Glacier and will be above the clouds. The trail then winds up and down in the Karanga Valley.

• Spend the night at Karanga Camp (3950 m) and enjoy dinner and washing at the site.

Hiking time: 4-5 hours

Distance: Approximately 5 kilometres

Habitat: Alpine desert

• After breakfast, you will begin your ascent. The trail intersects with the Mweka Route, which is the trail used to descend on the final two days.

• As you continue hiking for an hour, you will reach Barafu Hut. This is the last water stop for the porters because there is no accessible water at Barafu Camp (4550 m). The word “barafu” in Swahili means “ice”, and this camp is located on a rocky, exposed ridge. Tents will be exposed to wind and rocks, so hikers need to familiarise themselves with the campsite before dark. An early dinner will be served so hikers can rest before attempting the summit the same night. Your guide will brief you in detail on how to prepare for summit night. Get to sleep by 19:00!

• Hiking time: 2-3 hours

  Distance: Approximately 4 kilometres

  Habitat: Alpine desert

• Wake you around 23:30 for tea and biscuits. You will then begin your summit attempt. The route heads northwest, and you will ascend over stone scree. During the ascent, many hikers feel that this is the most mentally and physically challenging part of the climb.

• In about 6 hours, you will reach Stella Point (5685 m), located on the crater rim.

• After enjoying the magnificent sunrise, you will continue ascending for about 2 hours on a snow-covered trail to Uhuru Peak (5895 m). Reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro is a lifetime accomplishment! You will be able to spend a short time on the summit taking photographs and drinking tea before the descent to Barafu begins. The hike down to Barafu Camp takes about 3 hours.

• At camp, you will rest and enjoy a hot lunch in the sun.

• After eating, you will continue descending to Mweka Hut (3100 m). The Mweka Trail will lead you through the scree and rocks to the moorland and eventually into the rain forest. Mweka Camp (3100 m) is located in the upper rain forest, so fog and rain should be expected. You will have dinner, wash, and rest soundly at camp.

Hiking time: 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak, 7-8 hours to descend to Mweka

Distance: Approximately 7 kilometres ascent and 23 kilometres descent

Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

• Following a well-deserved breakfast, your staff will have a big celebration full of dancing and singing. It is here on the mountain that you will present your tips to the Tanzanian guide, assistant guides, chef(s), and porters.

• After celebrating, you will descend for three hours back to Mweka Gate. The National Park requires all hikers to sign their names to receive certificates of completion. Hikers who reached Stella Point (5685 m) receive green certificates, and hikers who reached Uhuru Peak (5895 m) receive gold certificates.

• After receiving certificates, hikers will descend into the Mweka village for 1 hour (3 kilometres), where you will be served a hot lunch.

• Drive back to Moshi for long overdue showers and more celebrations.

Hiking time: 3 hours

Distance: Approximately 15 kilometres

Habitat: Forest