Northern Circuit – 11 Days

Arrive at your lodging in Moshi, Tanzania, at your convenience. Airport pick-up and private transfers to your lodge can be arranged with prior notice from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). Alternatively, you can make your own way by taxi. In the evening, we’ll gather for a pre-climb briefing, ensuring you have all the necessary essentials. Our Kilimanjaro trek begins and ends in Moshi, spanning 9 days.

After breakfast at the lodge in Moshi, transfer to the gate and complete necessary
registration at Londorossi National Park gate. Drive through varied farmland with open views over the plains to reach the Lemosho road head. Enjoy lunch in the glades before embarking on an easy day of walking through a beautiful and lush forest. Camp at Lemosho Forest Camp. [2-3 hours walking]

Leave the forest behind and enter the moorland zone of giant heather. The trail climbs steadily with wide views, reaching the rim of the Shira Plateau. Experience a tangible sense of wilderness as you camp in the center of the plateau at Shira One. [6-7 hours walking]

Explore the grassy moorland and volcanic rock formations of the plateau. Walk to the summit of Shira Cathedral, a massive rock buttress surrounded by steep spires and pinnacles. Camp near Shira Hut and enjoy breathtaking views of Mt. Meru. [5-7 hours walking]

Follow the main trail up to Lava Tower (14,900 ft) in the morning, with an optional climb to Arrow Glacier (15,700 ft) for the strong. Continue to Moir Hut for the night. [5-7 hours walking]

Climb out of the Moir Valley, summit Lent Hills (15,400 ft), and trek eastwards around the northern circuit trail. Pass through a field of rock slabs and reach Buffalo Camp, where the vast Kenyan plains stretch out below. [4-7 hours walking]

Climb up Buffalo Ridge, cross numerous ribs and gullies, and traverse a landscape with sparse vegetation. Reach Third Cave Camp. [5-7 hours walking]

Ascend steadily to reach the saddle, a lunar landscape between Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. Continue to Kibo Hut (15,500 ft) in the early afternoon, resting and preparing for summit day. [4-5 hours walking]

Start the final climb by torchlight around 12 a.m. Reach Gilman’s Point (18,600 ft) at the crater rim and, for the strong, make the three-hour round trip to Uhuru Peak (19,345 ft). Descend through Barafu Camp to reach Millennium Camp. [11-15 hours walking]

Descend through a lovely tropical forest, alive with birdsong and lush undergrowth. Reach Mweka Gate (5,400 ft), sign out, and transfer to Moshi for an overnight stay. [4-6 hours walking]

Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport at your preferred time for your journey back home.