8 Days Northern Circuit Route Kilimanjaro Climbing

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be welcomed by our Safari Nuggets representative and assisted with your luggage. Enjoy a comfortable private transfer to your hotel in Moshi town, located at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. After check-in, take some time to relax and unwind from your flight. Tonight, you can simply rest in preparation for the adventures ahead.

You will be picked up at your hotel in Moshi by our mountain crew and drive to Londorossi gate. After registration you continue upwards towards their drop off point by off-road vehicles (reaching 3,500 meters). Here you can see stunning views of the Shira Plateau for the first time. 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 short and winding path takes you steadily to the camp. By the time you reach the camp, our professional mountain crew will prepare everything necessary, put tents and cook dinner for you.

Today only a modest altitude gain of 300 m on the way from Shira 1 to Shira 2 Camp. The low physical demands of the trek will leave you with both time and energy to enjoy Kilimanjaro’s flora and the view of Mount Meru (if the weather is favourable), which is the 5th-highest mountain on the continent.
A further acclimatisation walk towards Lava Tower will follow lunch and a 2-hour rest period. This allows you to experience a further gain of 300 m.

Early morning after breakfast you will leave Shira Camp and head towards Lava Tower’s 4,630m. This part of the route is rife with ups and downs and may bring some discomfort. You will need to spend one or two hours at higher altitude in order to properly acclimatize yourself, so the lunch break will take place at Lava Tower itself.
The afternoon part of the route climbs slightly before descending to Moir Hut Camp. Your guide may decide to bypass Lava Tower altogether, taking the porter trail instead, if any of the members of the group do not appear to have acclimatized properly. In this case the highest altitude reached will be 4,400, rather than 4,630 meters.

Leaving behind the Moir valley you trek on a relatively steep path to the summit of the Lent Hills (if you didn’t reach here the day before) before circling around north of the Kibo cone into the Alpine desert and enjoying this remote part of the mountain with unique scenery of the Northern Kilimanjaro peak and the Kenyan plains below with amazing views of the Tsavo and Amboseli Valleys.

You will finish trekking up the northern slope of Kilimanjaro and stop for the night in Third Cave Camp, where the route will meet up with the traditional Rongai route. On this day the trekking will be shorter than on the day before, and by this time your body will already have become completely acclimated to an altitude of 4,000 meters.

Today you will be trekking to the School Hut Summit Camp (4,750 m). The actual trekking is not very hard, but remember to just choose an appropriate pace in order to retain your strength for the summit trekking. When you reach the camp, we recommend you sleep well, avoid forceful activity and drink as many fluids as you can, because that very night you will complete the trekking to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m).

The summit attempt climb, which starts at School Hut 4,750m around midnight, though relatively easy technically, poses a challenge due to high altitude. A walk upon the nearest glacier is an option upon successful summiting. The group then descends to Barafu Camp for a two-hour lunch and rest break. The day ends at Millennium Camp’s 3,820m.
Please keep in mind, that 9/10 accidents occur during descent. Mind your step to avoid potential any accidents.

The millennium camp is situated in a tropical rain-forest, so today when you wake up, you will feel relief from the reduction of the height and the victory of reaching the summit. After a warm breakfast, you will head for the park’s exit: Mweka Gate (1,640 m). After your descent the whole group will gather to congratulate you, followed by offering you a chance to share your opinions on the climb in the guestbook. Lastly, we will present you with your commemorative certificates and provide you a transfer back to the hotel.

After a successful Kilimanjaro trekking expedition, enjoy a relaxed morning at your hotel before checking out. You will then be picked up for a private transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Our team will ensure you arrive in good time for your outbound flight. Thank you for trekking with us, and we hope to welcome you back to Tanzania for more adventures in the future.