After breakfast, you will drive to Londorossi Gate on Kilimanjaro’s western flank. After registration and briefing at the park gate, the trek begins through the lush rainforest, with chances to spot colobus monkeys, birds, and other wildlife. As you ascend gently, you reach Big Tree Camp, surrounded by towering trees and rich vegetation. Dinner and overnight are at camp.

The trek continues through the dense rainforest before emerging into the heath and moorland zone, where giant lobelias and groundsel plants create a surreal landscape. The climb is steady but rewarding, with wide-ranging views across the Shira Plateau. You will reach Shira 1 Camp in the afternoon, enjoy dinner, and rest for the night.

Today’s trek traverses the Shira Plateau, one of Kilimanjaro’s most scenic sections. The trail offers panoramic vistas of the western peaks, valleys, and distant plains. The route gradually ascends to Shira 2 Camp, allowing for continued acclimatization. The afternoon is free to relax and take in the mountain scenery before dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, you will hike to Lava Tower (4,630m), a significant acclimatization point with dramatic volcanic rock formations. After lunch at Lava Tower, the route descends to Barranco Camp through moorland and semi-desert terrain. This descent helps your body adjust to the altitude while providing spectacular views. Dinner and overnight are at Barranco Camp.

The day begins with the Barranco Wall, a steep but manageable climb that is both scenic and rewarding. After crossing the wall, you descend briefly into Karanga Valley before ascending to Barafu Camp, the final base camp before the summit. Dinner is early, and you will rest and prepare for the midnight summit push.

After breakfast, we will leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail and then continue up to the Barafu Hut. At this point, you would have completed the South Circuit, which offers stunning views of the summit from various angles. This is also where we will camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day.

The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position.

Elevation (ft): 13,100ft to 15,300ft
Distance: 4 km
Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert.
Main destination: Mount Kilimanjaro
Accommodation: Budget camping
In or near Mt Kilimanjaro
Meals & drinks: All meals included

At around 2 am, we will continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. We will head northwest and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim, the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek.

At Stella Point, we stop for a short rest and take in the magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see. You may encounter snow all the way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, you would have reached the highest point of Mount Kilimanjaro and the whole continent of Africa.

From the summit, we descend straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site and stop at Barafu for lunch. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, we will have our last dinner claim our well-deserved sleep.

Elevation (ft): 15,300ft to 19,345ft (and down to 10,000ft)
Distance: 5 km ascent / 12 km descent
Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ascent / 4-6 hours descent
Habitat: Arctic.
Main destination: Mount Kilimanjaro
Accommodation: Budget camping
In or near Mt Kilimanjaro
Meals & drinks: All meals included

After breakfast, we will continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy but gaiters and trekking poles will help. It is also best to keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy. From the gate, you will continue for another hour to Mweka Village.

From there, a vehicle will meet you at mweka to drive you back to your hotel in Arusha where dinner and accommodation awaits. Now is the best time to celebrate!