Kilimanjaro Northern Circuit route 8 Days

You will be picked up from Kilimanjaro International Airport and transported to your accommodation in Moshi town, where you will meet your guide who will educate you on your forthcoming trip and do an equipment check to ensure that you have all of the required mountain gear.

On this day, you may hire the missing equipment.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner are all Included

DAY 1: LONDOROSSI GATE (2,100 METERS) – START POINT 2,360 METERS TO MTI MKUBWA CAMP (2,820 METERS)

The Lemosho Route and the Northern Circuit Route both start at Londorossi Gate (2,100 meters) in the west. From Moshi, the journey to Londorossi Gate takes around two hours, while from Arusha, it takes much longer. At the gate, you will be required to register with the Kilimanjaro National Park officials before being transported higher up the mountain to the trailhead starting point.

Before starting the short first day hike to Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,820 meters), most tour companies offer lunch here. As you walk towards your first camp, you may get fortunate and see big animals like elephants and buffalo emerge from the jungle onto the trail. When you arrive at Mti Mkubwa Camp, dinner will be provided.

The Lemosho Route and the Northern Circuit Route both begin at Londorossi Gate (2,100 meters) in the west. From Moshi, it takes around two hours to go to Londorossi Gate, while it takes much longer from Arusha. You will be transported higher up the mountain to the trailhead starting point after registering with the Kilimanjaro National Park officials at the gate. Before the short first-day hike to Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,820 meters), most tour companies offer lunch here. As you walk towards your first camp, you may be fortunate enough to see big animals like as elephants and buffalo emerge from the jungle onto the trail. When you get to Mti Mkubwa Camp, dinner will be provided.

The journey traverses the Shira Plateau from Shira Camp 1 to Shira Camp 2 for lunch on the third day. Nine-day hikers typically spend the night at Shira Camp 2, where they will meet up with Machame Route hikers.

However, for the next eight days, trekkers will continue east, passing through the ‘Garden of the Senecios’ and then entering the high alpine desert zone, before joining the northern circuit and going down to Moir Camp at 4,200 meters.

A fairly hard ascent out of Moir Valley awaits you on day five. Before returning to the Northern Circuit route, hikers may take a short diversion to the top of Little Lent Hill, which stands at 4,375 meters.

From here, the trail continues a succession of inclines and dips to Buffalo Camp, skirting the northern slopes of Kibo (4,020 meters). The trip offers spectacular views of the plains north of Kilimanjaro, which extend all the way to the Kenyan-Tanzanian border.

After a hard day of trekking, you’ll arrive at Buffalo Camp just after noon, where you’ll have lunch and relax.

The sixth day begins with a climb over the Buffalo Ridge and then a descent to Porfu Camp, where lunch is typically given. The trail then heads east along the northern slopes to the 3,800-meter Rongai Third Cave.

The hike is shorter than the day before, and you should be fully acclimatized to the altitude by this point. Around mid-afternoon, you’ll arrive at the Third Cave.

On day seven, you’ll climb steadily up and across the Saddle, which lies between Kibo and Mawenzi Peaks. The trekkers then go south-west to School Hut (4,800 meters). You will be given an early supper after arriving to School Hut, and then you should get some rest since you will be awakened before midnight to begin your summit attempt. Before going to bed, make sure you have all of your gear ready, including warm clothing, insulated water bottles, food, a flashlight, and a camera.

Around 11:30 a.m., you’ll be awakened with hot tea and cookies, and you’ll begin the arduous ascent up Kibo’s hills under the cover of darkness. Hans Meyer Cave will be your first stop, where you will take a brief rest. As you reach Gilman’s Point (5,681 meters), which will be about 5-6 hours after leaving School Hut, the climb becomes steeper.

Take a time to appreciate the coming dawn and the magnificent view out and over to Mawenzi Peak, but keep in mind that you still have 2 hours of hiking ahead of you to reach Uhuru Peak. As you go west around the crater rim, the slope flattens out, and you should reach at the top just after dawn.

Because your time here will be limited, take as many photos as you can of the breathtaking vistas and nearby glaciers. You’ll next return around the crater rim to Stella Point (5,739 meters), where you’ll turn south and descend Kibo’s highly scoured slopes to Barafu Camp (4,680 meters).

Most hikers stop here for a brief rest before heading down to Millennium Camp (3,950 meters) for your last night on the mountain. On day eight, you will be hiking for a total of 14-16 hours, so pace yourself, stay hydrated, and keep your blood sugar levels up. Note that some tour companies take the Marangu Route back to Horombo Hut via Gilman’s Peak.

The last day is a short walk from Millennium Camp (3,950 meters) to Mweka Gate in thick montane rainforest (1,640 meters). You must sign out with the officials at the gate, who will also give you your official certificate — a green certificate for those who made it to Gilman’s Point and a gold certificate for those who made it to Uhuru Peak. Before being taken back to your accommodation in Moshi, it is traditional to tip your guide and porter.

After the hike, you’ll have the rest of the day free to relax before your trip home. Depending on flight schedules, you may want to go sightseeing around Moshi and pick up some souvenirs before going to the airport.

*If you want to continue exploring Tanzania, safaris, Zanzibar, and other add-ons are available.

• Breakfast is included in the price.