9-Day Mt Kilimanjaro - Northern Circuit Route

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Londorossi Gate (2100m) to Mti Mkubwa / Big Tree Camp (2785m)

After registration at Londorossi Gate, we drive to the trailhead. The hike begins in lush rainforest—blue monkeys leap in the canopy, colobus tails stream like banners, and turacos flash red wings. The air is humid, filled with moss and fern. By evening, we reach Big Tree Camp, where fireflies glow and the forest hums with life.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Mid-range camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Big Tree Camp - Shira 1 Camp (3610m)

Today, the forest thins into heath and moorland. Giant heather trees draped in old man’s beard sway in the wind. As you climb higher, the wide-open Shira Plateau opens, a volcanic grassland with sweeping views. Tonight’s camp, Shira 1, lies on this vast plateau, under endless stars.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Mid-range camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Shira 1 to Shira 2 Camp (3850m)

Shorter trek across the plateau, giving the body time to acclimatize. The landscape feels otherworldly—lava outcrops, hardy flowers, and the jagged peaks of Mawenzi on the horizon. At Shira 2, you’ll camp with panoramic views of Kibo, Kilimanjaro’s main summit cone.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Mid-range camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Shira 2 to Lava Tower (4600m) to Moir Hut (4200m)

The day starts with a climb into the alpine desert, where plants give way to bare rock. Reaching Lava Tower, a black volcanic plug, helps your body adapt to high altitude. Descending slightly, we reach the quiet Moir Hut, tucked beneath lava cliffs. Few trekkers come here, perfect solitude for stargazing.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Mid-range camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Moir Hut to Buffalo Camp (4020m)

The trail winds northward, away from the busier southern routes. We climb out of the Moir Valley, with an optional detour to Little Lent Hill for acclimatization. The path then traverses wild northern slopes—untouched, remote, often with wildlife tracks. We camp at Buffalo Camp, where rolling valleys spread below.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Mid-range camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Buffalo Camp to Rongai Third Cave Camp (3800m)

A long, gradual trek unfolds across the high-altitude moorland, where herds of eland may appear and lammergeiers glide above. The day ends at Third Cave Camp, a peaceful haven beneath the dramatic, jagged spires of Mawenzi, offering quiet rest and reflection.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Mid-range camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Third Cave to School Hut (4750m)

The climb steepens as we cross the high alpine desert toward School Hut, our final base before the summit. The landscape is barren—rock, dust, and sky. Few living things survive here, save for the occasional raven. We eat an early dinner, prepare our gear, and rest—the summit attempt begins at midnight.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Mid-range camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

School Hut to Uhuru Peak (5895m) to Millennium Camp (3820m)

At midnight, we begin the climb. The air is icy; breaths slow and measured. Step by step, we ascend through scree to Gilman’s Point (5,681m) on the crater rim. The horizon glows with dawn as we push onward to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. Glaciers gleam in the golden light. After celebrations and photos, we descend through the rocky slopes to Millennium Camp, where greenery and oxygen return.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Mid-range camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Millennium Camp to Mweka Gate (1640m)

The final descent brings us back into rainforest. Colobus monkeys swing through the canopy, birds call, and the rich smells of earth and foliage fill the air. At Mweka Gate, climbers receive summit certificates, a lasting symbol of endurance and triumph.

Main Destination:

Mweka Gate (Mt Kilimanjaro)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.