Welcome to Tanzania! Upon arrival at the Kilimanjaro airport (JRO), your driver will transfer you about one hour to Moshi for your overnight stay. Located at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, Moshi serves as the primary gateway for climbers tackling Africa's highest peak. Smaller and more relaxed than nearby Arusha, it's the perfect place to meet your guides, prepare your gear, and begin your expedition.Settle in before our Welcome Dinner of fantastic traditional cuisine and cultural education. In the evening, rest up for our first climbing day tomorrow!
Note: Some travelers like to acclimate before the climb, either with an extra night in Moshi or a pre-trek safari. You can see options in the add-on section when you book and we’re always happy to customize.
We strongly recommend arriving in Tanzania at least one full day before beginning your Kilimanjaro climb. While this day is not part of the official climbing itinerary, it is an important part of your overall experience. After a long international journey, especially from the United States, your body needs time to recover from travel, adjust to the time change, hydrate, rest, and prepare for the adventure ahead.
Taking an extra day to acclimate to your new surroundings, attend your pre-climb briefing, complete a gear check, and get a good night's sleep will ensure you begin your trek feeling rested, refreshed, and ready for the challenge.
Meals: D
After breakfast we’ll drive to Machame Village where your guides & porters will prepare your equipment and supplies. After registering at the park office, you will start your ascent and enter the rainforest. You’ll enjoy a lunch stop halfway up before we arrive at Machame Camp in the late afternoon. Your tents and in the evening enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by your cook. Nights can be below freezing, so layer on the clothes and get comfy in your sleeping bag for a good night's sleep.
Meals: B, L, D
Peak Elevation: 9,400 feet Distance: 6.8 miles Hiking Time: 5-7 hours Habitat: Montane Forest
After breakfast we’ll leave the glades of the rainforest and continue on an ascending path, crossing a little valley along a steep, rocky ridge covered in heather. After lunch and a rest stop, we’ll continue on to the Shira Plateau where you can see Kilimanjaro’s great Western Breach with its stunning glaciers. You’ll be west of the Kibo volcano cone where the Uhuru Peak is located with views of Mount Meru in the East. After a short hike westward, you’ll reach the Shira Camp 2 campsite. Enjoy a nourishing dinner before bundling up in your tent to rest.
Meals: B, L, D
Peak Elevation: 12,600 ft Distance: 3.1 miles Hiking Time: 4-6 hours Habitat: Moorland
After a hearty, healthy breakfast we’ll continue on our way. From the Shira Plateau through the “Garden of the Senecios” we’ll continue to the east up a ridge, past the junction toward the peak of Kibo. As we continue, our direction changes to the southeast toward the Lava Tower, called the Shark’s Tooth. Shortly after the tower, we’ll arrive at a second junction that heads to the Arrow Glacier at an elevation of 16,000 feet. We’ll continue down to the Barranco Hut to rest, enjoy dinner and an overnight stay. Though we end today at the same elevation that we started, it is very important for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for summit day.
Meals: B, L, D
Peak Elevation: 13,000 feet Distance: 6.2 miles Hiking Time: 6-8 hours Habitat: Low-High Alpine
After spending the night under the Great Barranco Wall, we’ll climb over this obstacle, a challenging trip highlight. We’ll top out just below the Heim Glacier where you can really appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro is. The Machame route then windes down through the Karanga Valley through intervening ridges & valleys to join the Mweka route, which you will use later to descend the mountain. You have now completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. We’ll rest at the Karanga Camp for a stop for lunch then continue on the Mweka Trail to Barafu Camp.
Meals: B, L, D
Peak Elevation: 15,350 feet Distance: 5.9 miles Hiking Time: 8-10 hours Habitat: High Alpine Desert
Today is summit night (and day!). After a few hours rest Day 6 we’ll warm up with tea and biscuits at 23:30 starting our trek at midnight. We’ll continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. We’ll head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree toward Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally & physically challenging portion of the trek. At Stella Point – 18,600 feet – we’ll stop for a short rest before a magnificent sunrise with possible snow along the 1-hour ascent to summit. At Uhuru Peak, you’ll be at the highest point on Mt Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa.
After the summit, we’ll make our descending climb to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. We’ll end back with the upper forest, likely with light rain and mist. Later in the evening, we’ll enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
Meals: B, L, D
Peak Elevation: 19,300 feet Distance: 10 miles Hiking Time: 11-14 hours Habitat: Arctic
After breakfast, we’ll continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate where you’ll receive your summit certificate. We’ll continue another hour to the Mweka Village where our driver will be waiting to take us back to the hotel in Moshi. Settle back in to our comfy B&B, get some food in town, and celebrate your accomplishment!
Meals: B, L
End Elevation: 5,400 feet Distance: 6.2 miles Hiking Time: 3-4 hours Habitat: Rainforest
After breakfast, we will visit our community partner, Give a Heart to Africa, a local co-operative that empowers women via education & entrepreneurship. From there we’ll continue to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for your departure flight. Plan to depart after 5 p.m.
Many travelers like to add-on a three-day safari or a relaxing getaway to Zanzibar after their trek. For those that have a bit more time, you can also consider one of our customized add-ons including a longer safari in either Tanzania or Kenya, a Mount Meru Climb, Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda and or Uganda or other beach holidays like Pemba or the Seychelles.
Meals: B