Mt. Kilimanjaro Expedition

Distance: 10 km
Time Taken: 6 Hours
Altitude: 3,020 m (9,908 ft)

We will start the day by having a delightful breakfast and prepare to start the trek to the Mt. Kilimanjaro summit. We will be meeting the local guide and porters today. We will drive to the Machame Gate in a shared taxi. Machame Gate is the road head for the start of the Mt. Kilimanjaro Expedition. It takes around an hour to reach Machame gate from Moshi. 

We will start our trek after having an early lunch. It is a gentle trail through the magnificent rainforest where you can spot several vibrant colored bird species. Keep your cameras handy.

We will reach Machame camp by evening, where snacks and tea await you. Relax in the tents. 

Distance: 5 km
Time Taken: 6 hours
Altitude: 3,830 m (12,565 ft)

On the trail today, we will emerge out of the rainforest and ascend over the steep ridge into the lower alpine moorland. The vegetation from here becomes scarce, and the color of the ground changes as we move above the tree line over to the Shira Plateau. 

At this altitude and harsh environment, only the strong and dominating species of plants, such as giant groundsel and lobelia, survive. The campsite at the edge of the plateau offers spectacular sunset views with the golden glow over the snow-covered Kibo peak. 

Overnight stay at Shira camp. 

Distance: 9 km
Time Taken: 6 hours
Altitude: 3,970 m (13,024 ft)

Today, we will be continuing our ascend to the more rugged and challenging section of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The slow ascend through the constantly changing landscape, and deep river valley helps in the acclimatization process by slowly adjusting your body to the higher altitude and lower atmospheric pressure.

The overnight stay will be in Barranco Camp.

Distance: 8 km
Time Taken: 10 hours
Altitude: 4,650 m (15,255 ft)

We will start a little early today for the Barafu campsite so that we can reach the Barafu campsite by noon and have enough rest before our final summit push very early next morning.

From Karanga valley camp, follow the trail up to the intersection of the south circuit and the Mweka route. From the intersection, we need to ascend towards the Barafu hut.  Barafu means ice in the Swahili language. It is named aptly as it gets very cold during the night! Try to get sleep and rest before the final summit push of the Mt. Kilimanjaro expedition.

We will have the briefing session for the final summit push. 

Total Distance: 16 km
Total Time Taken: 13 hours
Mt. Kilimanjaro Summit Altitude: 5,895 m (19,340 ft)
Mweka Camp Altitude: 3,070 m (10,072 ft)

Today is the most important day of your expedition. At midnight, our guide and trek leader will wake you up with hot tea, biscuits, and an early breakfast. You’ll need to eat enough at this hour to get enough energy for the challenging climb to the summit.

It is a long, arduous climb through the scree and snow to Stella Point (5780 M). You need to traverse this giant Rebmann glacier and try to reach Stella Point before the sun breaks. The sunrise view from Stella point is spectacular, with the crater and the glistening glacier under the beautiful morning sun. 

Take some rest at the viewpoint and eat some chocolate/snack for quick energy. It is another 1-hour trek along the rim of the crater to the summit of Uhuru Peak (Mt Kilimanjaro), at 5,895 M, the world’s tallest freestanding mountain & Africa’s tallest peak located at the border of Kenya and Tanzania. From the summit, you can see the crater, ice fields, and the vast east African plains on the horizon. Let the views imprint on you and capture these unforgettable beautiful moments. 

After we successfully summit the peak and celebrate at the top of the mountain, we begin descending to the lower camps. We will rest at Barafu camp and have our hot and nutritious lunch after the challenging climb. After lunch, we will start descending to the Mweka camp, where we’ll camp for the night and get a well-deserved delicious dinner and rest. 

Distance: 9 km
Time Taken: 6 hours
Altitude: 950 m (3,116 ft)

After breakfast, we’ll continue gradually descending from the mountain and traverse the alpine meadow and the rainforest till we reach the Mweka park gate. We will descend around 1300 M from the Mweka camp. 

We will check out from the Mweka park gate and enjoy our lunch. The transport will take us back to the hotel, where you can have a relaxing shower after spending several days out in nature and after physical and mental exertion. 

We will have a team get-together and debriefing session where you can share your experience and memories of the last week on the highest mountain in Africa.

Distance: 41 km
Time Taken: 1 hour (Drive)

After breakfast, you can check out from the hotel, and your vehicles will drop you off at the airport. If you want to continue your travels in Africa, you are free to depart for your respective destination.