Itinerary

1. Day 1: Kilimanjaro Airport – Arusha |Kizumba House

   • Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport.
   • Pick up and transfer to Kizumba House or similar for overnight bed and breakfast.

   Overnight at Kizumba House (bed and breakfast) or Similar.

2. Day 2: Arusha | Machame Park Gate | Machame Camp

   • Your day starts early with a briefing, followed by breakfast.
   • A 1:30 drive from Arusha to the Machame Park Gate.
   • Receive a packed lunch box at the gate (bottled water available for purchase at Kizumba House in Arusha).
   • After registering at the gate office, begin the ascent by entering the rainforest.
   • There is a possibility of rain in the forest, transforming the trail into a soggy, muddy, and slippery experience.
   • In the evening, the porters will boil drinking and washing water.
   • The cook will prepare dinner before you retire to your tent for the night.
   • Night temperatures can drop to freezing point at Machame camp.

   Altitude: 1,800 m – 3,100 m

   Hiking distance: 11 km

   Hiking time: 6 hours.

3. Day 3: Machame Camp | Shira Camp

   • You rise early at Machame camp.
   • After breakfast, climb for an hour to the top of the forest.
   • Experience a gentler gradient through the moorland zone for about 2 hours.
   • After a short lunch and rest, continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau.
   • From here, you can see the Western Breach with its stunning glaciers in an easterly direction.
   • Now due west of Kibo, after a short hike, you will reach Shira camp at 3,840m.
   • The porters will boil drinking and washing water before serving dinner.
   • The night at this exposed camp will be even colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping well below freezing.

   Altitude: 3,100 m – 3,840 m

   Hiking distance: 5 km

   Hiking time: 4–5 hours

4. Day 4: Shira Camp | Lava Tower | Barranco Camp

   • The route turns east, exposing you to a semi-desert and a rocky landscape around Lava Tower.
   • Reach an altitude of 4,630m after about a 5-hour walk.
   • Lunch is served in a designated area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4,600m).
   • This will be the toughest day so far. Some climbers may start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability, and headaches around this point.
   • After lunch, descend by almost 680m to the Barranco camping area.
   • The true acclimatization benefit of this day becomes clear after reaching the high altitude of 4,600m at Lava Tower.
   • The descent to Barranco camp takes about 2 hours, providing great opportunities for beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall.
   • The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, offering a memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of dinner and your eventual overnight stay at Barranco camp.

   Altitude: 3,840 m – 3,940 m

   Hiking distance: 11 km

   Hiking time: 7–8 hours

5. Day 5: Barranco Camp | Karanga Camp

   • After breakfast, leave Barranco camp, hiking up Barranco Wall, which takes about an hour.
   • Continue your way to Karanga camp, translating to “Peanut camp”.
   • This path includes varying ascents and descents, providing a perfect opportunity for an afternoon hike and acclimatization to your new surroundings.

   Altitude: 3,940 m – 4,035 m

   Hiking distance: 6 km

   Hiking time: 4–5 hours

6. Day 6: Karanga Camp | Barafu Camp

   • Totally exposed to ever-present gales, the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge.
   • Familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid accidents.
   • The summit is now a further 1,345m up, and you will make the final ascent the same night.
   • Prepare your equipment, ski sticks, and thermal clothing for your summit attempt.
   • This should include the replacement of your headlamp and camera batteries; ensure you have a spare set available.
   • To prevent freezing, it will be wise to carry your water in a thermal flask.
   • Go to bed at about 19h00 and try to get some precious rest and sleep, but remember not more than 5 hours of sleep.

   Altitude: 4,035 m – 4,670 m

   Hiking distance: 4 km

   Hiking time: 3–4 hours

7. Day 7: Barafu Camp | Summit | Mweka Camp

   • Rise around 23h30, and after some tea and biscuits, begin the ascent into the night.
   • Head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through the heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim.
   • This 6-hour walk to Stella Point is often the most mentally and physically challenging on the route.
   • At Stella Point (5,685m), take a short rest and enjoy a magnificent sunrise (weather permitting).
   • From Stella Point, encounter snow all the way on a 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak.
   • The time spent on the summit depends on weather conditions. Do not linger too long due to the difficulty of starting again in the cold and fatigue.
   • Enjoy your accomplishment and a day to remember for the rest of your life!
   • The walk back to Barafu from the summit takes about 3 hours. Have a well-earned but short rest at Barafu before collecting the rest of your gear.
   • Head down to Mweka camp for dinner and overnight.

   Altitude: 4,670 m – 5,895 m – 3,100 m

   Hiking distance: 17 km

   Hiking time: 15+ hours

8. Day 8: Mweka Camp | Mweka Park Gate | Arusha |Kizumba House

   • After breakfast, from the Mweka Gate, continue down into Mweka village, typically a muddy hour walk.
   • From Mweka village, be driven to Kizumba House where a delicious hot lunch will be served, and you can enjoy a long overdue hot shower.
   • Overnight at Kizumba House.
   • Tips are recommended and highly appreciated at your discretion, given to the guide at Kizumba House.
   • This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those who reached Stella Point (5,685m) receive green certificates, and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5,895m) receive gold certificates.

   Altitude: 3,100 m – 1,800 m

   Hiking distance: 10 km

   Hiking time: 4-5 hours

9. Day 9: Kilimanjaro Airport | Departure

   • After an early breakfast, transfer to Kilimanjaro airport for your departure flight back home.