Day 1
The drive from Moshi to the trailhead takes about 3 hours. You will hike through the rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge. At lower elevations, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters and trekking poles are a good idea here. You will continue hiking for a short distance until you reach the Shira Camp.
Day 2
Starting from the Shira Plateau, you will keep on hiking to the east up a ridge, fleeting the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As you hike, you will change your way to the southeast toward the Lava Tower, called the "shark's tooth" (elevation range around 4,650 meters / 15,250 feet).
Shortly after the tower, you will come to the second junction which goes to the Arrow Glacier. You will now continue down to the Barranco Camp. Although you end the day at around the same elevation as when you began, this day is very important for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for the summit day.
Day 3
Following breakfast, you will go from Barranco Camp and continue on a steep ridge up to the Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley and the crossroads which connects with the Mweka Trail.
Day 4
You will keep on hiking up to the Barafu Camp. At this point, you have accomplished the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here, you will build your camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day.
Day 5
Extremely early in the morning around midnight to 02:00, you will go up to the summit by passing between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You will begin in a northwesterly direction and climb through a deep scree towards Stella Point on the crater edge. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek.
At Stella Point, you will stop for a short rest and will be happy with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to observe. Closer hikers may view the sunrise from the summit.
Starting from Stella Point, you may come across snow all the way on your 1-hour way up to the summit. Once you are at Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point of Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa.
Afterward, from the summit, you will begin your drop by continuing straight down to the Mweka Camp and stopping at Barafu for lunch en route. You may want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. Once you arrive at Mweka Camp, you will enjoy your last evening on the mountain.
Day 6
After breakfast, you will continue the drop down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will be helpful. 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 your hotel.
