Start your day with breakfast and a briefing before a 2.5-hour drive to Londorossi Park Gate. Once there, you will need a 4WD vehicle to navigate the forest track leading to Lemosho Glades. From there, take a leisurely walk along forest trails until you reach the Mti Mkubwa campsite, named after the big tree.

• Elevation: 1830m/6000ft to 2650m/8700ft
• Distance: 6km/4mi
• Hiking Time: 2-3 hours
• Habitat: Montane Forest

Meals and Accommodation 

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Budget Accommodations: Mti Mkubwa Camp

After breakfast, we continued on the trail as it gradually became steeper and entered the giant heather moorland zone. We crossed several streams before arriving at the Shira Ridge, then descended gently towards Shira 1 camp, near a creek on the Shira Plateau. After breakfast, we proceed on our trek as the trail gradually gets steeper, and we enter the vast heather moorland area. We cross several streams and then go over the Shira Ridge before descending gently towards the Shira 1 campsite. The campsite is situated by a stream on the Shira Plateau.

• Elevation: 2650m/8700ft to 3500m/11,500ft
• Distance: 8km/5mi
• Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
• Habitat: Moorland

Meals and Accommodation 

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Budget Accommodations: Shira 1 Camp

After breakfast, you can gently hike across the Plateau to reach the Shira 2 camp. The camp is situated on moorland meadows beside a stream. Various hikes are available on the Plateau, making it an excellent acclimatization day.

• Elevation: 3500m/11,500ft to 3850m/12,600ft
• Distance: 8km/5mi
• Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
• Habitat: Moorland

Meals and Accommodation 

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Budget Accommodations: Shira 2 Camp

After leaving the Shira Plateau, we headed east along a ridge and passed the junction leading to the peak of Kibo. Our direction then changed to the southeast, leading us to the Lava Tower, also known as the “Shark’s Tooth” (elevation 4650m/15,250ft). Soon after passing the tower, we reached a second junction that heads towards the Arrow Glacier. From there, we descended towards the Barranco Camp. Although we ended the day at the same elevation as we started, this day was crucial for acclimatization and helped our bodies prepare for summit day.

• Elevation: 3850m/12,600ft to 4000m/13,000ft
• Distance: 8km/5mi
• Walking Time: 5-6 hours
• Habitat: Semi-desert

Meals and Accommodation 

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Budget Accommodations: Barranco Camp

After breakfast, we leave Barranco and climb up a steep ridge to the Barranco Wall. We then proceed to the Karanga Valley, connecting with the Mweka Trail.

• Elevation: 4000m/13,000ft to 4050m/13,250ft
• Distance: 5km/3mi
• Hiking Time: 34 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert

Meals and Accommodation 

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Budget Accommodations: Karanga Valley Camp

We reach Barafu Camp after completing the South Circuit, providing various angles to view the summit. Here, we rest, have dinner, and prepare for summit day.

• Elevation: 4050m/13,250ft to 4700m/15,350ft
• Distance: 4km/2mi
• Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert

Meals and Accommodation 

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Budget Accommodations: Barafu Camp

We start our journey toward the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers in the early morning, between midnight and 2 a.m. Heading northwesterly, we climb through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This part of the trek can be mentally and physically challenging, but it’s worth it. At Stella Point, we will briefly rest and enjoy the breathtaking sunrise. If you’re a fast hiker, you may even catch the sunrise from the summit. Expect to encounter snow on your 1-hour ascent to the summit.

Reaching Uhuru Peak means you’ve reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the entire continent of Africa!

On our way down from the summit, we’ll go straight to Mweka Camp, stopping for lunch at Barafu. We should use gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel while descending. Once we arrive at Mweka Camp, we can enjoy our last evening on the mountain.

• Elevation: 4700m/15,350ft to 5895m/19,340ft and down to 3090m/10,150ft
• Distance: 5km/3mi up / 13km/8mi down
• Hiking Time: 5-7 hours up / 5-6 hours down
• Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

Meals and Accommodation 

• Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Budget Accommodations: Mweka Camp

Once we finish breakfast, we will proceed with our descent towards the Mweka Park Gate, where you can collect your summit certificates. The lower elevations can be muddy and damp, so using gaiters and trekking poles is advisable. While shorts and T-shirts are suitable, keeping rain gear and warmer clothing close by is better. After reaching the gate, it will take another hour to get to Mweka Village. A vehicle will be waiting for you at Mweka Village to transport you back to your hotel in Moshi, approximately 30 minutes away.

• Elevation: 3090m/10,150ft to 1680m/5500ft
• Distance: 10km/6mi
• Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
• Habitat: Forest

Meals and Accommodation 

• Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner
• Mid-Range Accommodations: Pink Flamingo Boutique Hotel