Itinerary
Click to expand the various itinerary options for this route. Itineraries indicated as * Recommended * are chosen for their duration, acclimatization and good route profile
Day 1 - Arrival and pre-climb briefing day
Today has no planned activities and is only an arrival day for you to reach your base lodge in time for a pre-climb briefing (time to be confirmed) with your mountain guide. A shared shuttle airport transfer is included from Kilimanjaro International Airport (time and flight to be confirmed) to Moshi.
- Approx driving distance: 1-2 hours
- Approx trekking time: None
- Approx trekking distance: None
- Start Altitude: Unknown
- End Altitude: Unknown
- Highest Altitude reached: Unknown
- Altitude +gain / -loss: Unknown
- Meals included: None
Overnight (optional) at Bristol Cottages
Style: Mid-range lodge
Location: Moshi, town center
Altitude: Unknown
Overnight (optional) at Chanya Lodge
Style: Mid-range lodge
Location: Moshi, outside of town center
Altitude: Unknown
Day 2 - Moshi town to Umbwe gate to Umbwe cave camp
You will be transferred by road from Moshi town (09:00am) to Umbwe gate in the remote Umbwe village already inside of the mountain forest. After registration you begin your trek through the rain forest zone with your guide. The forest is thick and diverse with flora / fauna, and you may experience rain this afternoon which is common in this zone making the path slightly slippery. A steep hike takes you to the edge of the forest and heather zone.
- Approx driving distance: 1-2 hours
- Approx trekking time: 4-6 hours
- Approx trekking distance: 11km / 7mi
- Start Altitude: 1640m or 5380ft
- End Altitude: 2930m or 9610ft
- Highest Altitude reached: 2930m or 9610ft
- Altitude +gain / -loss: +1290m or +4320ft
- Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Overnight at Umbwe Cave Camp
Style: Shared Public campsite
Location: Rainforest, Kilimanjaro National Park
Altitude: 2930m or 9610ft
Day 3 - Umbwe Cave camp to Barranco camp
Your hike today takes you straight towards to Kibo cone climbing steep up and through the heather and moorland zone over a rockier terrain. Today you get your first clear views of the Kibo peak. The route continues through the beautiful Kilimanjaro Scenecio forest and taking you into the Barranco valley till your overnight campsite at the base of the Barranco wall.
- Approx driving distance: None
- Approx trekking time: 4-6 hours
- Approx trekking distance: 6km or 4mi
- Start Altitude: 2930m or 9610ft
- End Altitude: 3960m or 12990ft
- Highest Altitude reached: 3960m or 12990ft
- Altitude +gain / -loss: +1030m or +3380ft
- Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner
Overnight at Barranco Camp
Style: Shared public campsite
Location: Heather & moorland, Kilimanjaro National Park
Altitude: 3960m or 12990ft
Day 4 - Barranco camp to Barafu camp
This morning you will leave the camp and ascend the Barranco wall. This is an impressive non-technical scramble and gives a feeling of mountain climbing (without any previous experience or advanced equipment required) and is rewarded with a superb view from the top back into the camp and the Heim glacier on the peak. The remainder of the hike will be through the alpine desert winding around the mountain then through the Karanga valley. From the Karanga camp you continue on the path until Barafu camp where you will prepare for your summit attempt tonight.
- Approx driving distance: None
- Approx trekking time: 7-8 hours
- Approx trekking distance: 10km or 6.5mi
- Start Altitude: 3960m or 12990ft
- End Altitude: 4640m or 15225ft
- Highest Altitude reached: 4640m or 15225ft
- Altitude +gain / -loss: +680m or +2235ft
- Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner
Overnight at Barafu Camp
Style: Shared public campsite
Location: Alpine desert, Kilimanjaro National Park
Altitude: 4640m or 15225ft
Day 5 - Barafu Camp to Stella point to Uhuru peak to Mweka camp
In the early morning (around 00:00am) you begin your final ascent to the summit of Uhuru peak through the arctic zone. The trek is a steep hike over loose volcanic scree through the dark and cold night and takes a slow pace in a zig-zag pattern towards Stella point (5685m or 18650ft) which is your first stop on the Kibo crater rim. From here a short (but difficult) hike remains to take you to Uhuru Peak (5895m or 19341ft), the highest point in Africa. You usually don’t spend that long at the peak due to the extreme altitude and will descend back down to the base camp for your breakfast / brunch. After your gear is packed up you continue the descent through the alpine desert, heather and moorland and eventually stopping at Mweka camp in the rain forest zone for a well-deserved rest.
- Approx driving distance: None
- Approx trekking time: 14-18 hours
- Approx trekking distance: 19km or 12mi
- Start Altitude: 4640m or 15225ft
- End Altitude: 3700m or 12220ft
- Highest Altitude reached: 5895m or 19431ft (Peak!)
- Altitude +gain / -loss: +1255m or +4206ft / -2195m or -7211ft
- Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner
Overnight at Mweka Camp
Style: Shared public campsite
Location: Rainforest, Kilimanjaro National Park
Altitude: 3080m or 10105ft
Day 6 - Mweka camp to Mweka gate to Moshi town
Your final day on Kilimanjaro is a descent through the southern rain forest until Mweka gate where our vehicle will be waiting to take you back to Moshi town. Usually, the crew will leave you at Mweka gate and it’s a perfect opportunity to say goodbye to your crew who all generally head directly home from the end gate.
- Approx driving distance: 1 hour
- Approx trekking time: 3-4 hours
- Approx trekking distance: 10km or 6mi
- Start Altitude: 3080m or 10105ft
- End Altitude: 1630m or 5350ft
- Highest Altitude reached: 3080m or 10105ft
- Altitude +gain / -loss: -1450 or -4755ft
- Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight (optional) at Bristol Cottages
Style: Mid-range lodge
Location: Moshi, town center
Altitude: Unknown
Overnight (optional) at Chanya Lodge
Style: Mid-range lodge
Location: Moshi, outside of town center
Altitude: Unknown
Day 7 - Departure day or continue with next activity
Today has no planned activities and is only a departure day for you head home (time and flight to be confirmed), continue with your next tour activity or book extra nights to recover. Speak to a tour consultant for all of your options.
- Approx driving distance: 1-2 hours
- Approx trekking time: None
- Approx trekking distance: None
- Start Altitude: Unknown
- End Altitude: Unknown
- Highest Altitude reached: Unknown
- Altitude +gain / -loss: Unknown
- Meals included: Breakfast
No overnight accommodation included
Day 1 - Arrival and pre-climb briefing day
Today has no planned activities and is only an arrival day for you to reach your base lodge in time for a pre-climb briefing (time to be confirmed) with your mountain guide. A shared shuttle airport transfer is included from Kilimanjaro International Airport (time and flight to be confirmed) to Moshi.
- Approx driving distance: 1-2 hours
- Approx trekking time: None
- Approx trekking distance: None
- Start Altitude: Unknown
- End Altitude: Unknown
- Highest Altitude reached: Unknown
- Altitude +gain / -loss: Unknown
- Meals included: None
Overnight (optional) at Bristol Cottages
Style: Mid-range lodge
Location: Moshi, town center
Altitude: Unknown
Overnight (optional) at Chanya Lodge
Style: Mid-range lodge
Location: Moshi, outside of town center
Altitude: Unknown
Day 2 - Moshi town to Umbwe gate to Umbwe cave camp
You will be transferred by road from Moshi town (09:00am) to Umbwe gate in the remote Umbwe village already inside of the mountain forest. After registration you begin your trek through the rain forest zone with your guide. The forest is thick and diverse with flora / fauna, and you may experience rain this afternoon which is common in this zone making the path slightly slippery. A steep hike takes you to the edge of the forest and heather zone.
- Approx driving distance: 1-2 hours
- Approx trekking time: 4-6 hours
- Approx trekking distance: 11km / 7mi
- Start Altitude: 1640m or 5380ft
- End Altitude: 2930m or 9610ft
- Highest Altitude reached: 2930m or 9610ft
- Altitude +gain / -loss: +1290m or +4320ft
- Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Overnight at Umbwe Cave Camp
Style: Shared Public campsite
Location: Rainforest, Kilimanjaro National Park
Altitude: 2930m or 9610ft
Day 3 - Umbwe Cave camp to Barranco camp
Your hike today takes you straight towards to Kibo cone climbing steep up and through the heather and moorland zone over a rockier terrain. Today you get your first clear views of the Kibo peak. The route continues through the beautiful Kilimanjaro Scenecio forest and taking you into the Barranco valley till your overnight campsite at the base of the Barranco wall.
- Approx driving distance: None
- Approx trekking time: 4-6 hours
- Approx trekking distance: 6km or 4mi
- Start Altitude: 2930m or 9610ft
- End Altitude: 3960m or 12990ft
- Highest Altitude reached: 3960m or 12990ft
- Altitude +gain / -loss: +1030m or +3380ft
- Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner
Overnight at Barranco Camp
Style: Shared public campsite
Location: Heather & moorland, Kilimanjaro National Park
Altitude: 3960m or 12990ft
Day 4 - Barranco camp to Karanga camp
This morning you will leave the camp and ascend the Barranco wall. This is an impressive non-technical scramble and gives a feeling of mountain climbing (without any previous experience or advanced equipment required) and is rewarded with a superb view from the top back into the camp and the Heim glacier on the peak. The remainder of the hike will be through the alpine desert slowly winding around the mountain till the Karanga valley which you descend into and again up till your camp. Karangu valley is the last water point.
- Approx driving distance: None
- Approx trekking time: 3-5 hours
- Approx trekking distance: 6km or 4mi
- Start Altitude: 3960m or 12990ft
- End Altitude: 4040m or 13255ft
- Highest Altitude reached: 4250m or 13945ft
- Altitude +gain / -loss: +290m or +955ft /
-210m or -690ft
- Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner
Overnight at Karanga Camp
Style: Shared public campsite
Location: Alpine desert, Kilimanjaro National Park
Altitude: 4040m or 13255ft
Day 5 - Karanga camp to Barafu Camp
Today you climb almost casually through the empty landscape of the alpine desert where you keep a slow pace even though the path is not extremely steep. Kibo cone starts to near and you may finally glimpse the Mawenzi peak (Kilimanjaro’s second peak) in the east. The short distance means you have plenty of time at your summit camp to rest and prepare for the summit attempt tonight.
- Approx driving distance: None
- Approx trekking time: 3-4 hours
- Approx trekking distance: 4km or 2.5mi
- Start Altitude: 4040m or 13255ft
- End Altitude: 4640m or 15225ft
- Highest Altitude reached: 4640m or 15225ft
- Altitude +gain / -loss: +600m or +1970ft
- Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner
Overnight at Barafu Camp
Style: Shared public campsite
Location: Alpine desert, Kilimanjaro National Park
Altitude: 4640m or 15225ft
Day 6 - Barafu Camp to Stella point to Uhuru peak to Mweka camp
In the early morning (around 00:00am) you begin your final ascent to the summit of Uhuru peak through the arctic zone. The trek is a steep hike over loose volcanic scree through the dark and cold night and takes a slow pace in a zig-zag pattern towards Stella point (5685m or 18650ft) which is your first stop on the Kibo crater rim. From here a short (but difficult) hike remains to take you to Uhuru Peak (5895m or 19341ft), the highest point in Africa. You usually don’t spend that long at the peak due to the extreme altitude and will descend back down to the base camp for your breakfast / brunch. After your gear is packed up you continue the descent through the alpine desert, heather and moorland and eventually stopping at Mweka camp in the rain forest zone for a well-deserved rest.
- Approx driving distance: None
- Approx trekking time: 14-18 hours
- Approx trekking distance: 19km or 12mi
- Start Altitude: 4640m or 15225ft
- End Altitude: 3700m or 12220ft
- Highest Altitude reached: 5895m or 19431ft (Peak!)
- Altitude +gain / -loss: +1255m or +4206ft / -2195m or -7211ft
- Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner
Overnight at Mweka Camp
Style: Shared public campsite
Location: Rainforest, Kilimanjaro National Park
Altitude: 3080m or 10105ft
Day 7 - Mweka camp to Mweka gate to Moshi town
Your final day on Kilimanjaro is a descent through the southern rain forest until Mweka gate where our vehicle will be waiting to take you back to Moshi town. Usually, the crew will leave you at Mweka gate and it’s a perfect opportunity to say goodbye to your crew who all generally head directly home from the end gate.
- Approx driving distance: 1 hour
- Approx trekking time: 3-4 hours
- Approx trekking distance: 10km or 6mi
- Start Altitude: 3080m or 10105ft
- End Altitude: 1630m or 5350ft
- Highest Altitude reached: 3080m or 10105ft
- Altitude +gain / -loss: -1450 or -4755ft
- Meals included: Breakfast
Overnight (optional) at Bristol Cottages
Style: Mid-range lodge
Location: Moshi, town center
Altitude: Unknown
Overnight (optional) at Chanya Lodge
Style: Mid-range lodge
Location: Moshi, outside of town center
Altitude: Unknown
Day 8 - Departure day or continue with next activity
Today has no planned activities and is only a departure day for you head home (time and flight to be confirmed), continue with your next tour activity or book extra nights to recover. Speak to a tour consultant for all of your options.
- Approx driving distance: 1-2 hours
- Approx trekking time: None
- Approx trekking distance: None
- Start Altitude: Unknown
- End Altitude: Unknown
- Highest Altitude reached: Unknown
- Altitude +gain / -loss: Unknown
- Meals included: Breakfast
No overnight accommodation included
Price, includes, add-ons and excludes
Prices depend on your group size, exact route chosen, dates of travel and much more. Please contact our sales team for a tailor made quote! You can see our standard includes, optional extras / add-ons / comfort upgrades and standard excludes below.
Standard packages usually include
- All taxes and VAT applicable
- 1 night(s) before the climb at a pre climb lodge in Moshi on bed and breakfast basis
- 1 night(s) after the climb at a post climb lodge in Moshi on bed and breakfast basis
- All National Park conservation, park entry, camping and rescue fees for applicable
- Trained, certified, and experienced English-speaking Mountain guide/s
- 1 x luggage porter carrying personal luggage of 15kg per person max
- Specialist tent crew and luggage porters to service and set-up campsites and carry all camping equipment and food provisions.
- Four season mountain tent (sharing, or single for 1 person groups), chairs, tables, dedicated group dining tent
- Trained and experienced personal mountain cook and waiter porter
- All meals on the mountain and eating utensils and cutlery
- Pre-climb briefing and equipment check with the guide in Moshi
- 1 x transfer from a Moshi based lodge to park gates per group including crew transfer for remote gate (Rongai or Lemosho gates)
- 1 x transfer from park gates to a Moshi based lodge per group
- Luggage storage while on trek
- Boiled drinking water on trek (from 1st camp onwards)
- Twice daily health checks with guides and a high-grade medical oximeter
- 1 Emergency oxygen cylinder per group and first aid kit
- Hand washing station, sanitizers, and small personal wash basin
- Shared public toilet facilities at public campsites
- 1 x approx. 100Ltr rubberized hold all bag / packsack for personal duffel bag
- Basic sleeping mattress per person
Optional extras, add-ons and comfort upgrades
- Extra Pre climb or post climb accommodation
- Single tent (if not already indicated as included)
- Additional emergency oxygen cylinders
- Comfort upgrades such as a portable toilet, foldable bed, larger tent, upgraded menu, celebration items etc.
- Shared or private airport / non-group gate transfers and out of Moshi transfers
- Domestic flights
- One day trips
- Flying Doctors Emergency Evacuation membership
- Extra guides or porters
- Personal mountain equipment such as sleeping bags, walking poles, duffel bags etc.
- Pre-included tip / fair living wage salary
- Extra days on the mountain
Standard packages usually exclude
- Tips / gratuities
- Beverages such as soft drinks, alcohol etc.
- International flights
- Insurance
- Visas
- Items of a personal nature
- Water on first day of trek
- Metal & hard plastic water bottles, water bladders etc. (note: soft plastics are not permitted on the mountain)
KPAP and fair treatment of your crew
The exploitation and mistreatment of porters can be a troubling challenge in the climbing industry. By climbing with us - a qualified KPAP Partner company - you can be assured that your porters are well taken care of.
An 'undercover' KPAP porter monitors us on each and every Kilimanjaro trek.
- Porters and crew are paid at least a fair minimum wage agreed with their unions.
- Salaries are all paid within 2 working days from the descent of a climb.
- Transparent tipping procedures to ensure porters receive the full tip intended for them.
- Fair tipping recommendations for both the climber and crew.
- Loads carried by our porters do not exceed 20kg of company gear.
- Porters are provided with three meals per day on the mountain.
- Crew are provided with proper shelter and sleeping dedicated for them.
- Equal climbing opportunities to all porters registered with our company
- We inspect crew gear each trek to ensure proper kit is taken for a safe trek.
- Transport for crew is provided to remote gates (Rongai / Lemosho).
The Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project independently monitors everyone of our treks for fair treatment standards to ensure unbiased reporting of our treks and the best working conditions for your crew. Click to read more.
When to visit
These recommendations are based on weather patterns and trends. Mountains are extremely unpredictable and we always recommend you to be prepared for any weather outcome regardless of the predicted season.
Excellent time
January, February, July, August, September, October
Within our predicted dry season, these months generally have dry conditions and good mountain weather making the trek more achievable. These are also the busiest months and you may find all routes are busy in this period.
Good time
March, June, November, December
These months generally are between our dry season and wet season where conditions are generally dry on the mountain however you may still experience some rain. These are generally great months for those looking to avoid the crowds as most will travel in the excellent time above.
Mixed time
April, May
Our predicted 'long rain' season in Tanzania where the chances of rain are high and downpours can be heavy (tropical!) and make trekking very difficult. For a seasoned mountaineer this can be a great time to avoid all of the crowds who usually skip these months.
Other routes
If this isn't the right route for you, some of the below are alternative routes to consider.
Combine with
This package is usually combined with one of the below. We can also tailor a custom itinerary combining any of our packages for you.
Need some help planning a Kilimanjaro trek?
Please visit our dedicated section below to find out more about private or group treks, when to climb, getting to Kilimanjaro / Tanzania, visas, documents, choosing a route, training for your climb, health and vaccines, Kilimanjaro packing list, hiking boots, rental equipment, tipping, insurance, money:
Want to find out more about what to expect from a Kilimanjaro trek with Shah Tours?
Please visit our dedicated section below to find out more about your mountain crew, safety on the mountain, AMS and mountain sickness, food, drink, equipment, comfort upgrades, toilets and bathrooms, emergency oxygen, communicating on the trek, weather, park rules and luggage:
Why choose Shah Tours for your Kilimanjaro trek?
As one of Kilimanjaro's oldest and longest serving Kilimanjaro operators, we are one of the best providing: 35+ years experience, family owned and operated, high quality equipment and fleet, responsible and externally monitored, superior & experienced guides, safe, secure and reliable with over 2000+ happy clients each year:
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