Tanzania · Trekking

7-Day Kilimanjaro Climb via Umbwe Route to Uhuru Peak

7 Days Round trip from R76H+2VW Hard pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Admire the magnificent views of Kilimanjaro Peak
02 Summit at Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa
03 Trek the less-travelled Umbwe Route for a more remote climbing experience
04 Pass through dense rainforest, giant Erica and heathland, and semi-desert terrain

Embark on an adventurous voyage to summit Mount Kilimanjaro via the Umbwe Route, a less-travelled trail with beautiful panoramas. Enjoy stunning views on this steep but rewarding climb to the top, passing through rainforest, heathland, and alpine terrain. Reach Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa, and experience incomparable natural beauty and breathtaking landscape vistas.

Wake at 11:30 PM for tea or coffee and biscuits, then depart Barafu on your bid for the peak.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 7 Days

Tour type Shared

Activity level Hard

Accommodation Included · Budget

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Not applicable

Cities Moshi, Mount Kilimanjaro

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Umbwe Gate to Umbwe Camp Through Rainforest

Breakfast will be provided early, and you will have a briefing from your guide at 9 am. Our staff will then take you on the hour-long drive from your hotel in Moshi to Umbwe village, where your guides and porters will prepare your equipment and supplies.
Once registration to enter Kilimanjaro Park is completed, you will also receive your lunch pack.
After registration, you will begin your ascent from Umbwe Gate and continue on a small vehicle path until you reach the sign marking the start of the Umbwe Trail.
You will then climb for 5-6 hours through dense rainforest. It is impossible to miss the giant fig trees and rubber trees, and in some places their roots have overtaken the path. Although sometimes slippery, they can make good footholds when the trail becomes muddy after rain. Inside the forest, you will first stop at Umbwe Camp.
When you arrive, you will find your camp and tent already set up by the porters who ran ahead. They will bring you boiled drinking water and washing water in preparation for dinner.

Day 02

Umbwe Camp to Barranco Camp

Rise early for coffee or tea. After breakfast, pack up for the day's trek. Your climb begins steeply through the disappearing rainforest glades before ascending into the drier air of Giant Erica and heathland terrain, where the vegetation becomes sparse with small shrubs.
You will continue on an exposed ridge that offers your first view of Uhuru Peak, if the clouds have parted enough.
After lunch, you will enter semi-desert terrain as you trek through a garden of Senecio plants. These odd-looking groundsels resemble something like a prehistoric cactus.
Once you reach Barranco Camp, your porters will boil drinking and washing water before serving dinner. While waiting for your meal, you will have a chance to experience one of the most memorable sunsets you have ever seen as the sun drops through the valley. Pay attention to your body and keep your guide informed of any signs of altitude sickness.

Day 03

Barranco Camp Acclimatization Day

An extra day is required for acclimatization. Adding this day to your schedule will reduce your effort and speed up your acclimatization.

Day 04

Acclimatization Around Barranco Camp

You will spend Day 3 exploring near Barranco Camp for much-needed acclimatization. Keep your camera handy to capture the scenery of the groundsel-clad campsite. Many trekkers rank this as their favourite camp on this trail, which is another reason this is the perfect spot for your acclimatization day. If you are highly confident in your body's ability to acclimatize well, you can choose the 6-Day Umbwe itinerary.

Day 05

Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

After breakfast, you'll head east, crossing multiple ridges and valleys until you join the Mweka Route and turn left to continue up the ridge for an hour to reach Barafu Hut.
You will arrive at camp to find your tent pitched on a rocky ridge with high winds. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the camp before dark for safety. Also, keep your headlamp or flashlight handy if you need to leave the tent after dark.
You will prepare your equipment, including replacing batteries for your headlamp and camera, before going to bed by 7 PM and trying to catch a few hours of sleep before your summit attempt.

Day 06

Summit Day to Uhuru Peak and Descent to Mweka Camp

Wake at 11:30 PM for tea or coffee and biscuits, then depart Barafu on your bid for the peak.
You will climb for 6 hours through thick scree, following multiple switchbacks between the Ratzel and Rebmann glaciers until you reach Stella Point (18,650 ft/5,685 m). You have now completed what most climbers consider the most challenging part of the trek.
Depending on your pace to this point, you may get the chance to enjoy the majestic sunrise during your short rest here. Although you will be fatigued, it is important to keep moving due to the extreme cold. At Stella Point, you join the final section of the Marangu Route.
You will hike along the rim for another 1-2 hours until you reach your ultimate goal, Uhuru Peak. You will have time to take pictures with the world-famous Uhuru Peak sign, but it is important to begin your descent soon to allow yourself enough time to rest at Barafu Camp.
After a 3-hour descent down sliding scree, you will reach Barafu for a short rest while you collect your gear, then continue down the path back into the forest camp of Mweka. You might experience a little rain in the afternoon, so be sure to have your rain gear in your daypack. Enjoy some dinner and some well-deserved sleep.
At Mweka Camp, the office sells bottled water, soft drinks, candy bars, and beer.

Day 07

Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate and Return

Wake up for breakfast, pack as usual, and descend on a short scenic 3-hour hike to Mweka Gate. Wait until you and all of your gear have reached the gate before tipping your staff. After registering at the gate, you will wait to receive your summit certificates - green for those who reached Stella Point and gold for those who reached Uhuru Peak.
From the gate, if the road is too muddy for vehicles, you will continue hiking for 1 hour to Mweka Village, 3 km away. There, you will enjoy a hot lunch before being driven back to Moshi, where you can have your first hot shower in days.
Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport.