Day 1 – Hotel to Umbwe Gate to Umbwe Cave Camp

After breakfast and loading up your gear into our vehicles, you will be driven to Umbwe Gate. On the way, you’ll see the banana farms and coffee plantations of Umbwe village.  Upon signing into Kilimanjaro National Park, you’ll begin your trek from Umbwe entrance gate.  The trail will be a gentle climb through the rainforest, with some steeper sections.  There will be a chance to see some monkeys and birds, as well as endemic flowers and trees.  Your first night will be spent at the Umbwe Cave campsite in a forested area.  

• Start point Umbwe Gate elevation 1800 m (5906 ft)
• End point Umbwe Cave Camp elevation 2850 m (9350 ft)
• Daily elevation gain 1050 m (3445 ft)
• Distance covered 11 km
• Trekking duration (approximately) 5 to 6 hours
• Climatic zones Montane Forest

Day 2 – Umbwe Cave to Baranco Camp

After waking up early and having breakfast, you will have a challenging hike to Baranco Camp.  The trail is quite steep and rocky, and it can be slippery in the morning dew.  However, on a clear day, you’ll be rewarded by some magnificent views of Mount Meru and the summit of Kili.  You will enjoy the picturesque landscape of scenic valleys and waterfalls below.  Day 2 ends at Baranco Camp, where you’ll spend the night.  

• Start point Umbwe Cave Camp elevation 2850 m (9350 ft)
• End point Baranco Camp elevation 3900 m (12,796 ft)  
• Elevation gain 1050 m (3445 ft)
• Distance covered 9 km
• Trekking duration (approximately) 4 to 5 hours
• Climatic zones Moorland

Day 3 – Baranco Camp to Karanga Camp

At Baranco Camp, Shira Route now joins with Lemosho and Machame Routes as one common ascent trail. This will be a shorter day of hiking to allow for acclimatization. After breakfast, you will begin to ascend the Baranco Wall and hike glacial valleys – but don’t worry, it is easier than it looks! From the top of the wall, you will then cross a series of hills and valleys before descending into Karanga Valley. After one steeper climb, you’ll reach Karanga Camp in time to relax before dinner.

• Start point Baranco Camp elevation 3900 m (12,796 ft)  
• Highest point reached Baranco Wall elevation 4200 m (13,780 ft)
• End point Karanga Camp elevation 3995 m (13,107 ft)
• Elevation gain 300 m (984 ft)
• Elevation loss 205 m (673 ft)
• Distance covered 6 km (3.7 miles)
• Trekking duration (approximately) 4 to 5 hours
• Climatic zones Alpine desert

Day 4 – Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

After departing Karanga Camp, you will slowly ascend to Karanga Ridge, and then continue along the level ridge for a while.  The trail becomes steeper again when approaching Barafu Camp, where you will begin to encounter descending trekkers using the Mweka Route on their descent after their successful summit. If the weather is clear, Barafu Camp offers stunning views of Mt. Kilimanjaro’s summit from various angles. Your tents will be pitched along a narrow and rocky ridge with high winds. It’s therefore worth taking some time to familiarize yourself with your surroundings before it gets dark. You will have time to rest for the afternoon and evening at Barafu Camp and prepare for your upcoming climb to the summit.

• Start point Karanga Camp elevation 3995 m (13,107 ft)
• End point Barafu Camp elevation 4673 m (15,331 ft)
• Elevation gain 678 m (2224 ft)
• Distance covered 4 km (2.4 miles)
• Trekking duration (approximately) 3 to 4 hours
• Climatic zones Alpine Desert 

***For the 5-day option, the hike from Baranco Camp to Barafu Camp is completed in one day instead of two; there is no overnight stop at Karanga Camp.  This can be a long day and you will have only a few hours to rest before beginning your summit ascent.***

Day 5 -Summit Day! Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp

This is where the going gets tough! But you can do it! Just before midnight at the beginning of Day 6, you will venture into the night and begin your final ascent to Uhuru Peak, the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.  Head northwest through the stone scree following multiple switchbacks between Ratzel and Rebmann glaciers until you reach  Stella Point (5,756 m / 18,885 ft).  This section is probably the most challenging part of the route and will require great physical and mental effort. Continue to move slowly, always listening to your guide.  After a short rest at Stella Point, when the sun may be starting to rise, you will hike along the crater rim for another hour or less before reaching your ultimate goal – Uhuru Peak! Congratulations! You have now made it to the “Roof of Africa”.  Weather conditions on the summit will determine how long you will be able to spend there, but it is important to start your descent within good time to ensure you get enough rest back at Barafu Camp. After a short sleep and a meal,  you’ll begin your descent to your next campsite via Mweka Route.  Normally that next campsite is Mweka Camp, which is a 4 hours descent from Barafu.  Sometimes our clients are very tired after the long summit day, and we can stop early at Millenium Camp, which is only two hours from Barafu.

• • Start point Barafu Camp elevation  4673 m (15,331 ft)

• Highest point reached Uhuru Peak, the Summit of Mount Kilimanjaro elevation 5895 m (19,341 ft)

• End point Mweka Camp elevation 3100 m (10,171 ft)
• Elevation gain 1222 m (4010 ft)
• Elevation loss 2795 m (9170 ft)
• Distance covered 17.5 km (10.5 miles)
• Trekking duration (approximately): Total 11 to 14 hours or more.  It can be a long day.
  • Ascent from Barafu Camp to Summit 6 to 7 hours
  • Descent from Summit to Barafu Camp 2 to 3 hours
  • Descent from Barafu Camp to Mweka Camp 3 to 4 hours
• Climatic zones Alpine Desert, Arctic Zone, and Moorland

Day 6 – Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate to Hotel

After eating breakfast you will begin the easiest part of your adventure on Mount Kilimanjaro via a scenic path through the forest to Mweka Gate. Successful hikers who made it to Stella Point and Uhuru Peak will be awarded certificates from Kilimanjaro National Park. After having a hot lunch at the gate, it’s time to drive back to your hotel to enjoy a shower, dinner and celebrations with a Kilimanjaro beer! (or beverage of your choice)

• Start point Mweka Camp elevation 3100 m (10,171 ft)
• End point Mweka Gate elevation 1640 m (5381 ft)
• Elevation loss 1460 m (4790 ft)
• Distance covered 10 km (6.2 miles)
• Trekking duration (approximately) 3 to 4 hours
• Climatic zones Montane forest

After your climb

After your celebrations and a well-deserved sleep at your hotel, we will be pleased to transfer you to the airport for your departure.  Or, better yet, extend your stay in Tanzania for a few more days.  Allow us to arrange a trip to the white sand beaches of Zanzibar or a safari to one of our magnificent national parks.  Karibu sana!

What’s included

All our trips on Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro include the following, which is covered in the cost of the trip.

• Mountain guide, cook, and porters
  • fair wages for all team members
• Quality camping equipment
  • Sleeping tents
  • Dining tent
  • Tables and chairs
  • Dishes and utensils
• All park fees.  
  • The Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) charges various fees for activities within the park.  Some of these fees include: conservation fee (entry fee?), rescue fee, camping (or hut) fee.  We include all the park fees in the cost of your trip.
• Transportation
  • We will transport you from Kilimanjaro International Airport to your hotel upon arrival, and we will bring you back to the airport at the end of your trip.  (If you don’t require this service, we can offer a reduction on the cost of your trip.)
  • We will transport you from your hotel to the start point of your trek and return you to your hotel after your climb.

• Food and water while on the mountain:
  • 3 meals per day. 
  • Treated drinking water.  Water is drawn from natural sources during the climb and we filter and use chlorine / iodine (boil?).  While we are confident our water is safe to drink, many climbers prefer to bring their own treatment methods, which you are free to do.
• Health and Safety equipment
  • Satelite phone? Or other communication?
  • Oximeter.  Used to measure blood oxygen levels.
  • First Aid Kit. (what’s included?) Note, climbers are expected to bring their own first aid kit to treat minor injuries.
  • Emergency oxygen tank (and mask etc?0
• Hotel accommodations
  • 2 nights of hotel accommodations are included.  The night before your climb and the night after.  
  • For Mount Kilimanjaro treks, your hotel will be located in either Arusha or Moshi.  We will consider the proximity to the entrance and exit gates of the chosen route as well as the rest of your itinerary.  
  • For Mount Meru, your hotel will be in Arusha.
  • Your hotel will be a mid-range option; we will include the specific hotel details in your quote.  If you prefer either a luxury hotel or budget hotel, we can easily accommodate that. 

What’s not included

• Tips
  • Tipping is customary on Kilimanjaro and provides a significant proportion of a guide or porter’s salary.  We recommend x per day per person.  (For example, if a group of 4 climbers treks the 6-day Machame route, the tip should be in the range of xxx USD.   
• Some food and drinks are not included:
  • Personal snacks that you may wish to eat while hiking. The type of food is personal preference and many of the types of food you are familiar with from your own country can be obtained in Tanzania. (Granola bars, candies, chocolate).  We especially recommend having some snacks on hand during the long summit hike.
  • Alcohol, soft drinks, bottled water etc. are at your own cost
  • Meals eaten at your hotel
• Personal hiking equipment and clothing.
  • We will provide a detailed recommended packing list xxx when we give you a quote).   Items like your clothing, include cold weather gear and rain gear, hiking boots, sleeping bag, hiking poles, are not included.  Some of these items are available to rent at a reasonable cost. 
• Personal spending money for souvenirs and discretionary spending
• Travel insurance
  • Ensure that your travel medical insurance covers high-altitude hiking up to 5895 metres (Mount Kilimanjaro) and xxx (Mount Meru)
  • Coverage should include trip cancellation or interruption. Read your policy carefully
• International travel costs
  • Your flight
  • Your entrance visa.  US residents pay $100 USD while most other nationalities pay $50 USD.  
  • Pre-departure expenses such as passport photos or passport renewal, vaccinations and travel medicine

Pricing and Payment Overview

• Contact us for a quote. (We need to update the contact form to enter more details)
• Accommodation options
• Payment method.  We currently accept payment by bank transfer.  Although our quote will be in USD, we accept payment in either USD or the local currency, Tanzania Shillings.  We will provide our bank account details to receive the payment.  You should be able to set up a bank transfer via your home bank.  There are also many trusted third party transfer services (Wise, World Remit, Xoom, Western Union) who may offer better exchange rates or a more streamlined process.  We plan to provide credit card payment in the future, but we’re not there yet.
• Payment and Cancellation Policy:
  • 30 days in advance of your start date, we require a non-refundable deposit of 25% of the total cost of your trip.
    • Date change?
    • Cancellation?
  • We require full payment 15 days in advance.
    • Date or itinerary change?
    • Cancellation outright?