Day 1: Arrive in Tanzania
You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Arusha town; you will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. The missing gear can be rented on this day.
- Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 2: Machame Gate (1790 m) to Machame Camp (3010 m)
One hour’s drive from Arusha to Machame gate, where you complete park formalities, meet your crew of porters and start to climb! The first section of the route climbs steadily and passes through magnificent, dense rainforest. This path is less welltrodden so it can get somewhat overgrown in places and it is often wet and muddy underfoot.
- Distance covered: 10.8 km / 6.7 mi
- Approximate time taken: 6 hours
- Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 3: Machame Camp (3010 m) to Shira Camp (3845 m)
The route continues on up through the forest until you reach the steep ascent onto the Shira Plateau, where there are rewarding views of the mountain. Looking back, you will be able to see Mt Meru rising high above Arusha town in the distance.
- Distance covered: 5.4 km / 3.4 mi
- Approximate time taken: 5 hours
- Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 4: Shira Cave (3845 m) to Barranco Camp (3960 m)
Walking now on high moorland, the landscape changes the entire character of the trek. You traverse the southwest side of Kilimanjaro, passing underneath the Lava Tower and the final section of the Western Breach and finally reach camp. The day has been spent at altitude (up to 4600 m), but you have followed the mountaineering code of ‘walk high, sleep low’ to aid your body’s acclimatization to altitude.
- Distance covered: 10.8 km / 6.7 mi
- Approximate time taken: 8 hrs
- Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 5: Barranco Camp (3960 m) to Karanga Camp (3963 m)
The day starts by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. You then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides you from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, you head towards the Karanga valley. From here you have a steep climb up from Karanga valley to your night’s camp at Karanga camp, set at 3963 m. For those feeling strong you will go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200 m before descending back to camp for the night.
- Distance covered: 5.5 km / 3.4 mi
- Approximate time taken: 5 hours
- Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 6: Karanga Camp (3963 m) to Barafu Camp (4640 m)
After a good night’s rest and breakfast, you set off on your walk to Barafu camp at 4640 m. The climb will take you across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around you at all. It’s a tough steep walk made more difficult by the altitude. On arriving at camp you eat and spend the afternoon resting as you prepare for a long night and day ahead. It is important to keep hydrated and warm. You have an early dinner and then try to get some sleep as you will be getting up at between 11 p.m. and 12 p.m. to start the climb to the summit.
- Distance covered: 3 km / 1.9 mi
- Approximate time taken: 3 hours
- Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 7: Barafu Camp (4640 m) to Uhuru Peak (5895 m) and down to Millennium Camp (3790 m)
You start off at around midnight, and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. You will be climbing scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. You should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5739 m) as the first rays of the sun hit you. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround you and the views to jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking.
Another hour’s walking takes you to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895 m). You begin your descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast, before finally heading down to Millennium Camp for a long well-earned rest.
- Distance covered: 13.4 km / 8.3 mi
- Approximate time taken: 12 – 15 hours
- Meals: breakfast, lunch, ad dinner
Day 8: Trek Millennium Camp (3790 m) to Mweka Gate (1630 m)
A gentle trek takes you down through the rain forest to Mweka Gate, where you complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride! You are then met by your vehicles and return to the hotel in Moshi, where you can treat yourself to a welcome hot shower.
- Distance covered: 12.1 km / 7.5 mi
- Approximate time taken: 6 hours
- Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 9: Depart Tanzania
The day is left free to wind down after the trek before your flight home. Depending on flight times you could go and explore Arusha town and grab some souvenirs before heading to the airport.
- Safari, Zanzibar and other add-ons are available if you wish to continue exploring Tanzania.
- Meals: Breakfast