Kilimanjaro
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Day One: Prepare to Climb
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro airport, you’ll be met and transferred to the pretty town of Moshi, at the base of the mountain. Here, you’ll get your first glimpse of Kilimanjaro’s snow-topped peak, and an idea of the scale of your impending adventure. After checking in to your hotel, you’ll meet your head guide for your Kilimanjaro climb, who will take you through a briefing and equipment check and answer any questions you may have about your forthcoming trek. Then the rest of the day is yours to relax and prepare.
Overnight in Moshi
We offer a variety of hotel classes to suit different budgets. You can choose the style that’s right for you.
Select from Classic, Premium or Deluxe when booking, and click hotel name below for more details.
Classic - Tembo Tamu B&B
Premium - Ameg Lodge
Meals included: None
Day Two: Upwards and Onwards
After breakfast, the head guide will meet you for the 45-minute drive to Machame Gate, where you will register to begin your hike. From here, at 1,800m, you’ll begin to climb through lush green rainforest on a trail overhung by criss-crossing trees: expect cooling afternoon showers, as this is the rainiest stretch en route – and watch out for slippery parts of the trail! The climb is steady, and gradually eases as you approach your home for the night, Machame Hut. Here, in an incredible setting on the edge of the forest surrounded by outsized sprinklings of heather, you will rest for the night. The camps on the trek are basic, with limited facilities, but warm bowls of water will be provided for washing every morning and evening.
Overnight at Machame Camp
Altitude: 3,000m
Hours hiking: 6-7 hours
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch; dinner
Day Three: Peak Vistas and Lava Plateaus
The climb is slightly shorter today, as you navigate towards other-worldly scenery and dramatic, volcanic sights. You’ll begin with a steep climb up a ridge to reach the small, semi-circular cliff known as Picnic Rock, thanks to its stunning views towards Kibo (the summit cone of Kilimanjaro) and the jagged rim of the Shira Plateau (the remains of a volcanic caldera which expired half a million years ago). After yesterday’s shady rainforest, the heather-strewn cool of higher altitude is striking. Following the Shira Plateau along a gentler trail towards Shira Camp, you’ll wander an empty landscape of grassy moorland and strange lava formations. Finally, you’ll reach your home for the night, at the edge of the Shira Plateau. The camp has incredible views over the Kilimanjaro Valley on clear days, especially during its neon sunsets.
Overnight at Shira Camp
Altitude: 3,840m
Hours hiking: 5-6 hours
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch; dinner
Day Four: Dizzying Heights
Today is about acclimatising to altitude, on a steady trek up and over the expansive ridgelines of the high desert towards the soaring Lava Tower, a volcanic plug which reaches into the sky at 4,550m. If you’re still feeling energetic after the four-hour trek at altitude to reach it, you can clamber to the top for even more jaw-dropping vistas. After that, it’s a steep descent into the Barranco Valley, where your home for the night is at a slightly less challenging altitude. You’ll pass hardy patches of flowering shrubs, cactus-like groundsel flowers, and outsized, other-worldly flowering senecios (surreal shrubs that look like fat-fingered palm trees) on a trek that makes the perfect preparation for your descent from the summit in a few day’s time. Eventually, you’ll reach your home for the night, Barranco Camp, from where the summit of Kilimanjaro seems incredibly near as it looms above you. Fall asleep above the clouds, ready for a challenging trek tomorrow.
Overnight at Barranco Camp
Altitude: 3,850m (after climbing to the Lava Tower at 4,550m)
Hours hiking: 5-6 hours
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch; dinner
Day Five: Scenic Scrambles
After breakfast, you’ll bid goodbye to Barranco Camp as you begin the climb up the steep, flat cliff face of the Barranco Wall. Soaring forebodingly into the air, it’s best tackled with both hands and feet, but is not as hard a climb as it looks: watch the porters as they nimbly navigate the steep rock face with all the camping equipment and you should find the motivation you need! Your reward is a stunning view back towards camp from the top. After that, you’ll follow the undulating path that trims the mountainside, surrounded by unforgettable views towards Kibo and Mount Meru if the day is clear. After descending into the Karranga Valley, you’ll pass Karranga Camp on your way to Barafu, where your camp for the night balances on the ridge below the summit. Congratulate yourself – you’ve completed Kilimanjaro’s South Circuit, with its incredible vistas of the summit. Relax over dinner with the crew: tomorrow is the most challenging day yet.
Overnight at Barafu Camp
Altitude: 4,600m
Hours hiking: 5-6 hours
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch; dinner
Day Six: On Top of the World
Rising long before dawn, you’ll begin to climb in the dark, on your final ascent to Uhuru Peak. At this point, temperatures are freezing and the final push towards the top can quickly turn into a battle of mind over matter. However, the reward when dawn breaks and a fiery red band spreads across the sky below you is truly worth the pain. In this half-light, you’ll catch a breathtaking glimpse of Mawenzi, another of Kilimanjaro’s cones, before joining the rim of its crater at Stella Point. From this lunar-like landscape, you’ll spot its glaciers and, if the weather’s fine, far-reaching views of the plains below. After that, it’s a more gentle ascent to Uhuru Peak, the highest point on the mountain. Be sure to have your photo taken at the summit sign – you’ve earned a souvenir. After this morning’s endeavours, the six-hour descent to Mweka Hut comes as an adrenaline-fuelled relief. You’ll break for lunch on the way, finishing your trek this evening with a final dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
Overnight at Mweka Camp
Altitude: 3,110m (from 5,885m)
Hours hiking: 12 hours +
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch; dinner
Day Seven: Final Footsteps
After breakfast, your hiking boots get a final farewell, as you make the 2-3 hour trek through rainforest to Mweka Gate, scanning the trees for monkeys as you go. You’ll be transferred back to Moshi for a rest, lunch, and a very enjoyable post-trek shower, before your onward trip to Kilimanjaro Airport.
Hours hiking: 2-3 hours
Meals included: Breakfast; lunch
Overall meals included: 6 Breakfasts; 6 lunches; 5 dinners
What's included:
- Private English-speaking guides unless stated otherwise
- Private transfers unless stated otherwise
- Meals as listed
- Mandatory taxes and service fees
What's not included:
- International flights to/from experience: call 0208 432 0885 for AX specially negotiated flight rates
- Tips for guides, drivers, porters and other staff
- Any visa, customs, airport taxes or similar charges before or after the holiday
- Drinks during meals unless stated otherwise
- Personal expenses, such as laundry and equipment to hire
We will send you a detailed packing list upon booking, or you can hire equipment locally.
If you intend to travel solo, contact us on 0208 432 0885
GETTING THERE
Typical return Economy flights from London cost around £500 per person and take approximately 16 hours depending on exact flight configurations and layover times.
Experience start point: Kilimanjaro (JRO). Arrive any time.
End point: Kilimanjaro (JRO). The trip finishes in the afternoon on day seven, and we suggest an evening departure.
Prices for departures to 30th October include a 20% Pioneers Club discount and are subject to Pioneers Club terms & conditions. Click here for more information about the Pioneers Club.
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