On your arrival, you’ll be picked up from Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to Moshi, the famous gateway to Mount Kilimanjaro. At the base hotel in Moshi or Arusha city, you’ll have accommodation and get trekking briefings from your mountain guide and final preparation to embark on the journey to the roof of Africa.

Trekking from Machame Gate to Machame Camp

• Distance: 11 km/7 miles
• Mountain Elevation: 5,380 ft to 9,350 ft
• Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
• Habitat: Rain Forest

The group will leave Moshi to Machame Gate takes less than an hour to arrive. The drive passes through Machame villages located on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro Mountain. After completing all necessary registration and briefing procedures, we will exit the park gate and trek through the thick rainforest along the winding trails until we arrive at the Machame Camp.

Trekking from Machame Camp to Shira 2 Camp

• Distance: 5 km/3 miles
• Mountain Elevation: 9,350 ft to 12,500 ft
• Hiking Time: 4-6 hours
• Habitat: Heath

We leave the rainforest openings and continue our trek on an ascending path to a steep, rocky ridge. During our journey on the Shira Plateau, we will traverse through the heather and open moorlands before crossing a substantial river gorge to reach Shira 2 Camp.

Trekking from Shira 2 Camp to Lava Tower

• Distance: 7 km/4 miles
• Mountain Elevation: 12,500 ft to 15,190 ft
• Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert

Trekking from Lava Tower to Barranco Camp

• Distance: 3 km/2 miles
• Mountain Elevation: 15,190 ft to 13,044 ft
• Hiking Time: 2-3 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert

We will continue a trek to the east up a ridge and then head southeast approaching Lava Tower, a volcanic rock formation at 300 ft. Afterwards; we will descend to Barranco Camp through the strange but spectacular Senecio Forest to an altitude of 13,000 ft. Although you will have begun and ended the day at the same elevation, this time spent at a higher altitude is beneficial for acclimatization.

Trekking from Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

• Distance: 5 km/3 miles
• Mountain Elevation: 13,044 ft to 13,106 ft
• Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert.

A day will start by descending into a ravine to the bottom of the Great Barranco Wall. Then we will hike the non-technical but steep cliff, nearly 900 ft.

From the highest reaching point of the Barranco Wall, we will cut across several hills and valleys until we arrive at Karanga Valley with a sharp descent. And then, with just one steep climb, we will reach Karanga Camp. This is also a shorter day specifically meant for acclimatization

Trekking from Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

• Distance: 4 km/2 miles
• Mountain Elevation: 13,106 ft to 15,331 ft
• Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert

We will depart from Karanga and make our way to the junction which connects with the Mweka climbing Trail. We will continue up to the very rocky section, and later in the day, we will arrive at Barafu Hut. Reaching this point, you will have completed the Southern Circuit, which gives you amazing views of the Kilimanjaro summit from many angles.

We will make camp, rest and enjoy an early dinner as we organize for the summit day. From Barafu camp, you will get a perfect glimpse of the Mawenzi and Kibo, two Kilimanjaro peaks that offer enough motivation for the summit day.

Trekking from Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak

• Distance: 5 km/3 miles
• Mountain Elevation: 15,331 ft to 19,341 ft
• Hiking Time: 7-8 hours
• Habitat: Arctic
• Descend from Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp
• Distance: 12 km/7 miles
• Mountain Elevation: 19,341 ft to 10,065 ft
• Hiking Time: 4-6 hours
• Habitat: Rain Forest

Around midnight, we will ascend slowly, pushing towards Uhuru Peak. This part of trekking is the most demanding, both mentally and physically. You will experience extreme wind and cold at this elevation as you prepare for your peak ascending.

We will keep climbing in the darkness for several hours while taking very brief short breaks once in a while.
Approaching Stella Point, 18,900 ft, you will enjoy the most glorious sunrise from Mawenzi Peak. And lastly, we will have arrived at Uhuru Peak, the Mount Kilimanjaro summit; you will get the experience of being on the roof of Africa, looking downward for a glorious view.

Once you reach Uhuru Peak and view the African plains, we will go down to the Mweka Hut campsite. Along the way, we’ll stop at Barafu for a lunch break. It’ll be a triumphant moment to savor. The track is very rocky and can be pretty challenging on the knees. Using trekking poles will be helpful.

The Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest, and it’s common to experience mist or rain during late afternoons.
After a short descent, we will have our last meal together on the mountain in the evening, sharing experiences and telling stories of the more remarkable achievement. We will later take a well-deserved sleep.

Descend from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate

• Distance: 10 km/6 miles
• Mountain Elevation: 10,065 ft to 5,380 ft
• Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
• Habitat: RainForest

On this final day of descent, we will go to Mweka Gate to obtain our success certificates for reaching the summit. Trails can be wet and muddy at this lower elevation of the mountain.

After leaving the gate, we will continue for an additional hour until we reach Mweka Village. We will meet vehicles there that will transport us back to a base hotel in Moshi.

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