We pick you up from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and transfer you to your hotel in Moshi town, where you spend the night.

At the hotel, your guide will brief you on the upcoming trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. If you're missing anything important, not to worry, we offer gear rentals.

We will pick you up at 8 am from your lodge. Then we will drive to the Londorosi gate on the Western side of Mt. Kilimanjaro (a 2-3 hours drive from Arusha & Moshi). Here you will register yourselves. It will take another hour to drive to the Lemosho Gate (2,100 m) and the trailhead.

Please note that in rainy/muddy conditions, sometimes the vehicles can’t make it to the true trailhead so there can be some extra hiking. After a picnic lunch, we will hike for about 4 hours to the Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,895 m), also known as the Big Tree Camp. In the forest, you will see exotic moss and flowers, and there will be plenty of birds to spot in the forest. You may see Black and White Colobus monkeys as well as signs of the elephants that travel in this area. This is your first night sleeping under the stars in tents!

After an early breakfast, you climb out of the rainforest and into the heather and moorland zone. You cross many streams en route to Shira 1 Camp (3,505 m). This is a good acclimatization hike, as we go up and down several ridges along the way to our highest point of the day at 11,500 feet before descending to Shira 1 camp.

Today and tomorrow offer some of the best scenery of the trek. You walk for five to six hours in total.

Today you continue along the Shira Plateau, which offers a fantastic view of the Western Breach, a gap in the Kibo crater that was formed by lava flow, and glaciers. You can look forward to seeing giant lobelias, senecios and giant groundsels. You will also see the northern ice fields from the western side of the mountain with some unusual views of the Kibo massif.

Our steady climb across the moorland of the Shira Plateau will help with acclimatization and as we enjoy great panoramic views. Our destination today is the Shira 2 Camp. If time and weather permits, in the afternoon you will take an acclimatization walk then head back to camp for dinner and overnight.

All in all, you hike for 5 to 7 hours today.

Today's route consists of two parts: the hike up to Lava Tower (4,630 m), followed by the hike down to Barranco Camp (3,967 m). This means we 'hike high, sleep low', which is an excellent strategy for good acclimatisation. You will enjoy lunch at Lava Tower, a striking rock formation. For those who have energy, and if time and weather permit, there's the possibility to scramble up the Lava Tower itself. Barranco Camp is nestled at the base of the imposing Barranco Wall. You hike for six to eight hours today.

After an early breakfast, it's time to conquer Barranco Wall. While it may look intimidating at first, it's actually very managaeable. And most trekkers actually really enjoy it. It's a funnel on the trek route, and there's a great spirit of camaraderie. From there, the trail winds up and down until you arrive at Karanga Camp (3,995 m).There will likely be time for an acclimatization hike in the afternoon. In total you hike for four to five hours.

Today you'll continue your circuit and arrive at your final camp before the summit (Barafu camp). You're now very close to the summit and have some amazing views of the mountain during your ascent of three hours to reach Barafu Camp (4,673 m). You all go to bed early tonight as you'll be woken around midnight by your crew with tea and biscuits to get ready for the start of the long summit trek.

Its time to summit! Start hiking at around midnight, using your headlamps to lead the way slowly up to Stella Point on the crater rim to reach around 6 or 7 am for sunrise. After another hour of walking you're standing at Uhuru Peak (5,685 m), literally on top of Africa! Due to the altitude, you will hike slowly, and will need to dress warmly for the cold. After celebrating with photos at the summit, descend down to Mweka camp (3,068 m) which is a long hike of six to eight hours.

Today you hike the last bit of the trek route (which takes three hours) to reach Mweka Gate (1,640 m). This part of the route takes you back into the rainforest, and all that oxygen-laden air is a dream! Your driver meets you at the gate and whisks you back to your lodge where you can enjoy beers, hot showers and cosy beds!