$2,198 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateMoshi to Lemosho gate, Hike to Mti mkubwa camp
After breakfast, drive to Londorossi Gate, where you will meet your porters and complete registration formalities at the Ranger’s Office. The hike will start in the rainforest along a lovely trail until reaching Mti Mkubwa (which means big tree in Swahili) Camp (2895m), where we will spend the night.
Trekking distance: 6 kilometers
Trek time: 3 to 4 hours
Environment: Montane Forest
Elevation: From 2360 meters to 2895 meters.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Mti Mkubwa camp to Shira one camp
We soon leave the forest behind and enter the moorland zone. The trail climbs steadily with wide views reaching the rim of the Shira Plateau. With ever-decreasing vegetation along the way, Shira One Camp (3600m), your camp for the night is within sight. There is a tangible sense of wilderness, especially if afternoon mists move in.
Trekking distance: 9 kilometers
Trek time: 6 to 7 hours
Environment: Moorland
Elevation: From 2895 meters to 3600 meters.
Shira one camp to Shira 2 camp
This is a fairly easy day to help acclimatize and explore the volcanic rock formations of the Shira Plateau. Shira was once Kilimanjaro's third and lowest volcanic peak but has eroded to a high plateau since it last erupted eons ago. With the ever-decreasing vegetation along the way, Shira Two Camp (3900m), with stunning views of Mt. Meru and the glaciers of Kibo comes into view.
Trekking distance: 8 kilometers
Trek time: Around 5 hours
Environment: Moorland
Elevation: From 3600 meters to 3900 meters.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Shira two Via Lava tower to Barranco camp
After waking up on the beautiful Shira Plateau, the hike starts east toward Kibo and gradually ascends to Lava Tower, the highest point of the day. After lunch at Lava Tower, we continue on the trail which slowly descends toward Barranco Valley Camp (3950m). “Climb high but sleep lower” is the best way to acclimatize to high altitude.
Highest point: 4600 meters (at Lava Tower)
Trekking distance: 12 kilometers
Trek time: 6 to 7 hours
Environment: Semi-desert
Elevation: From 3900 meters to 3950 meters.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Barranco camp to Karanga valley camp
Today is a shorter day and starts with a steep climb, requiring an occasional hand scramble up the Barranco Wall. The ground changes into scree with only the hardiest of vegetation surviving at this altitude. Again, we will descend for the night and sleep lower in the Karanga Valley Camp (3930m).
Highest point: 4200 meters (top of the Barranco Wall)
Trekking distance: 7 kilometers
Trek time: About 4 hours
Environment: Alpine desert
Elevation: From 3950 meters to 3930 meters.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Karanga Valley camp To Barafu (Base camp)
This is another short day. Leaving Karanga Valley Camp the trail continues to gain altitude until reaching Barafu Hut, which marks the end of the Southern Circuit, and from where the final ascent will start in the early morning hours (Midnight)
Trekking distance: 6 kilometers
Trek time: Around 3 hours
Environment: Alpine desert
Elevation: From 3930 meters to 4600 meters.
Barafu base camp to Summit uhuru peak and descend back to Mweka camp
Today will be the most difficult day, both mentally and physically. The final ascent will start at about 0100 in the morning. A slow and steady climb of 5-6 hours, the path zigzagging across the volcanic scree of the crater rim, leads to Stella Point (5752m) just in time for sunrise. From here a one-hour climb, passing the stunning glaciers and ice cliffs alongside the crater rim, will lead to the summit, named Uhuru Peak (5895m). From Uhuru Peak, descending back to Barafu Camp is much shorter. After refreshing briefly at Barafu, the trail continues steadily downward, to Mweka Camp (3100m) the final campsite on the mountain before returning to Moshi the following day.
Highest point: 5895 meters (Uhuru Peak)
Trekking distance: 20 kilometers (7 kilometers ascent / 13 kilometers descent)
Trek time: 12 to 15 hours (6 to 8 hours ascent / 6 to 7 hours descent)
Environment: Alpine desert/Volcanic scree/Ice-capped summit
Elevation: From 4600 meters to 3100 meters.
- Main Destination:
- Uhuru Peak (Mt Kilimanjaro)
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- Meals & Drinks:
Descent from Mweka camp to Hotel in Moshi
After a good night’s rest, a continued descent will lead back into the lovely rain forest on the lower slopes of the Mountain, with the route winding down toward Mweka Gate (1800m). From there, a short drive past coffee plantations and banana farms will take us back to Moshi town.
Trekking distance: 8 kilometers
Trek time: 3 to 4 hours
Environment: Montane forest
Elevation: From 3100 meters to 1800 meters.
- Main Destination:
- Moshi (Town)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks: