Itinerary

1. Day 1: Machame Gate (1800m) – Machame Camp (3000m)

   • It starts early with breakfast, followed by a 45-minute drive from Moshi (910m) to the Machame Gate (1800m) with your Mt. Kilimanjaro mountaineering instructor. The guides and porters prepare and pack the supplies and your equipment at the gate.

   • After registering at the gate office, start your ascent and immediately enter the rainforest. There is a strong possibility of rain in the forest, transforming the trail into a very soggy, muddy and slippery experience.

   • Have a welcome lunch.

   • Stop about halfway and on the route, experience an incredible rainforest with ancient trees, primaeval ferns, liana & lichen, to mention a few. 

   • Look out for the black and white thumbless colobus monkeys. Your porters (arriving at the campsite long before you) will have erected your tent on arrival.

   • In the evening, the porters will bring a small bowl of washing water to your tent, and the cook will prepare dinner before you retire to your tent for the night. Night temperatures can already drop to freezing point at this campsite.

   Elevation: 1800m – 3000m

   Distance: 10.8km

   Hiking Time: 7 hours

   Habitat: Montane Forest

   Meals: Lunch and dinner

2. Day 2: Machame camp (3000m) – Shira Camp (3850m)

   • Rise early at Machame camp, and after breakfast, climb an hour or so to the top of the forest and then for 2 hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone.

   • After a short lunch and rest, continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. By now, you will be able to see, in an easterly direction, the Western Breach with its stunning glaciers.

   • Proceed towards the west of Kibo, and after a short hike, you will reach the Shira campsite. The porters will again supply you with a small bowl of washing water before serving dinner. The glacier of Kibo also lights up as the sun sets for the evening.
     The night at this exposed camp will be colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to below freezing.

   Elevation: 3000m – 3850m

   Distance: Approximately 5.2

   Hiking Time: 6 hours

   Habitat: Moorland

   Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

3. Day 3: Shira Camp (3847m) To Lava Tower (4642m) To Barranco Camp (3984m)

   • Follow the route that now turns east into a semi-desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4600m after about a 5-hour trek.

   • Enjoy the lunch, which is served in a designated area. This is the most challenging day so far. It usually is at this point where, for the first time, some climbers start experiencing symptoms of breathlessness, irritability, and headaches.

   • After lunch, descend again by almost 658m to the Barranco camping area.

   • After reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, the true acclimatization benefit of this day becomes clear. This descent to Barranco camp takes about 2 hours and offers excellent opportunities to take beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall.

   • Enjoy a stunning sunset from your camp in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall as you prepare your dinner.

   Elevation: 3850m – 4600 m lava tower to Barranco camp 3950m

   Distance: 10. 7 km

   Hiking Time: 7 hours

   Habitat: Semi-desert

   Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

4. Day 4: Barranco Camp (3984m) – Barafu Camp (4681m)

   • After spending a night at the great Barranco Wall (a very imposing sight at first), make your way up this awesome-looking obstacle, which, in the end, usually turns out to be easier than anticipated. Topping out just below the Heim Glacier, you will now appreciate how beautiful Mount Kilimanjaro is. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley over intervening ridges and valleys and joins the Mweka route. This is the preferred route down from the summit, so remember it. Turn left up to the ridge; after another hour or so, you should reach Barafu Hut.

   • Stop on the route is the Karanga Valley, as no water is available at Barafu camp. Barafu is the Swahili word for 'ice', a bleak and inhospitable camping area to spend the night. Exposed to the ever-present gales, the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge. Make sure you familiarise yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid accidents.

   • Commence with your final ascent attempt the same night (the summit is now a further 1214m higher). Prepare your equipment, hiking poles and thermal clothing for your summit attempt. This should include the replacement of your headlamp and camera batteries, and make sure you have a spare set available as well. It will be wise to carry your water in a thermal flask to prevent freezing.

   • Go to bed at around about 19h00 and try to get some precious rest and sleep.

   Elevation: 3950 – 4600 m

   Distance: 9.4 km

   Hiking Time: 8 hours

   Habitat: Alpine Desert

   Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

5. Day 5: Summit Attempt, Barafu Camp (4681m) - Uhuru Peak (5895m) - Mweka (3090m)

   • You will get up around 23h20, and after some tea and biscuits, you shuffle off into the night.

   • Head north-westerly and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. For many climbers, the 6-hour walk to Stella Point is mentally and physically the most challenging on the route.

   • Stop for a short rest at Stella Point (5739m) and be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point, you typically encounter snow on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. The time you spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions. Please do not stop here too long, as it will be tough to get going again due to cold and fatigue.

   • Enjoy your accomplishment and a day to remember for the rest of your life.

   • Take a walk back to Barafu from the summit, about 3 hours long. Here, you will have a well-earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear before heading down to Mweka hut (3090m).

   • Begin on the not-so-difficult route, which will take you down the rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest. The camp is situated in the upper forest, and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Dinner and washing water will be prepared.

   Elevation: 4600 – 5895 m

   Distance: Approximately 4.5 km ascent and 10.8 km descent

   Hiking Time: 7 to 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak, 6 to 8 hours to descend to Mweka Camp

   Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

   Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

6. Day 6: Mweka Camp (3090m) – Mweka Gate (1641m)

   • After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short 4 to 6-hour scenic hike back to the park gate. Some hikers do experience knee problems, which could make the descent longer than planned.

   • At Mweka gate, you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. 

   • From the Mweka Gate, continue into the Mweka village, usually a muddy 3 km (1 hour) hike.

   • In the Mweka village, you will be served a delicious hot lunch! After lunch, you drive back to Moshi for a long overdue hot shower, dinner and celebrations!

   Elevation: 3100 – 1650m

   Distance: 8.5 km

   Hiking Time: 3 to 5 hours

   Habitat: Forest

   Meals: Breakfast and lunch