Day 1 - Nairobi to Arusha
From Nairobi, you will depart for Arusha aboard the shuttle bus at 8 a.m. with lunch en-route. For participants arriving in Kilimanjaro Airport, you will be picked up and transferred to Arusha. Overnight and breakfast are at Arusha Center Inn Hotel. Lunch and dinner are not included.
Day 2 - Arusha to Machame Camp
- Elevation: 1830 meters to 3100 meters
- Distance: 18 kilometers
- Hiking time: Five to seven hours
- Habitat: Montane Forest
The drive from Arusha to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park gate will take about 50 minutes. The journey passes through the village of Machame, which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. You will leave the park gate and walk through the rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters and trekking poles are a good idea here. You will continue a short distance until you reach the Machame Camp.
Day 3 - Machame Camp to Shira Camp
- Elevation: 3100 meters to 3840 meters
- Distance: 9 kilometers
- Hiking time: Four to six hours
- Habitat: Moorland
After breakfast, you will leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, cross the little valley, walk along a steep rocky ridge covered with heather, until the ridge ends. The route will turn west onto a river gorge. Overnight stay and dinner are at Shira campsite.
Day 4 - Shira Camp - Lava Tower - Barranco Camp
- Elevation: 3840 meters, 4630 meters, 3860 meters
- Distance: 15 kilometers
- Hiking time: Five to seven hours
- Habitat: Semi-desert
From the Shira Plateau, you will continue the journey to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As you continue, your direction will change to the south east towards the Lava Tower, called the "Shark's Tooth." Shortly after the tower, you will come to the second junction, which will bring you up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 4876 meters.
Continue down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 3860 meters. Here, you will rest, enjoy dinner, and stay overnight. Although you will end the day at the same elevation, as when you started, it is very important for you to acclimatize and prepare body for summit.
Day 5 - Barranco Camp to Karanga Valley Camp
After breakfast, you will leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley campsite.
Day 6 - Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
- Elevation: 3860 meters to 4600 meters
- Distance: 13 kilometers
- Hiking Time: Eight hours
- Habitat: Alpine Desert
After breakfast, you will leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge up the Barranco Wall, through the Karanga Valley with a quick lunch en-route at 4200 meters and the junction, which connects the Mweka Trail. You will continue up to the Barafu Hut. By then, you will have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles.
Here, you will camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit the next day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position.
Day 7 - Barafu Camp - Uhuru peak - Mweka Hut
- Elevation: 4600 meters to 5895 meters (Uhuru peak) to 3100 meters
- Distance: Seven kilometers ascent and 23 kilometers descent
- Hiking time: Six to eight hours’ ascent and seven to eight hours’ descent
- Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
Very early in the morning, around midnight to 2 a.m., you will be on your way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You will be headed in a northwesterly direction and ascended through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek.
At Stella Point (5685 meters), you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all they way on your one-hour ascent to the summit. By the time you reach Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa.
Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit. It can be very cold at night at these elevations, but it will be quite warm by the end of the hiking day. You will want clothing for both extremes with you. From the summit, you will make your descent straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, with a stop at Barafu for lunch. %You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon.
Day 8 - Mweka Camp to Arusha or Moshi
- Elevation: 3100 meters to 1830 meters
- Distance: 15 kilometers
- Hiking Time: Three to four hours
- Habitat: Forest
After breakfast, you will continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificate. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy). From the gate, you will continue for another hour to Mweka Village.
A vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive you back to hotel in Arusha or Moshi for an overnight stay at bed and breakfast accommodation.
Day 9 - Departure
After breakfast, depart at your own pleasure for your onward journey.
