Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arusha to Machame Gate

   • Drive from Arusha to Machame Park Gate for registrations formalities with your Tanzanian mountain guide.

   • Start the walk 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. 

   • Continue a short distance until we reach the Machame Camp.

2. Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira Camp

   • Eat breakfast.

   • Leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the valley along a steep rocky ridge. The route now turns west onto a river gorge.

   • Arrive at the Shira Campsite.

3. Day 3: Shira Camp to Barranco Camp

   • Go from the Shira Plateau and continue to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. 

   • Continue, and the direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower called the Shark’s Tooth (4650 m/15,250 ft). 

   • Come shortly after the tower to the second junction, which goes to the Arrow Glacier, with your Tanzanian mountain guide. 

   • Continue down to the Barranco Camp. Although you end the day around the same elevation as when you began, this day is very important for acclimatisation and will help your body prepare for summit day.

4. Day 4: Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp

   • Leave Barranco after breakfast and continue on a steep ridge up to the Barranco Wall (4250 m/13,900 ft), through the Karanga Valley (4050 m/13,250 ft) to the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. 

   • Continue up to the Barafu Camp. You have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. 

   • Make camp with views of the summit in the distance.

5. Day 5: Summit to Mweka Camp

   • Continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers very early in the morning (midnight to 2 am). 

   • Head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. 

   • Stop for a short rest at Stella Point, and you will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see. Faster hikers may view the sunrise from the summit.

   • Encounter snow all the way from Stella Point on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. 

   • Reach Uhuru Peak, the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa.

   • Begin the descent after enjoying the views by continuing straight down to the Mweka Camp. 

   • Stop at Barafu for lunch. You may want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. 

   • Arrive at Mweka Camp and enjoy our last evening on the mountain.

6. Day 6: Mweka Camp to Arusha

   • Eat breakfast.

   • Continue the descent 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 help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear.

   • Get dropped back to the hotel in Arusha by our driver to end your best Kilimanjaro trekking tours.