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.

On this day the trek crosses the Shira Plateau from Shira Camp 1 to Shira Camp 2 where you will break for lunch. Here nine day trekkers usually spend the night at Shira Camp 2 where they will join trekkers from the Machame Route. But 8 day Northern Circuit trekkers will continue to walk eastwards passing through the ‘Garden of the Senecios’ and then entering the high alpine desert zone. Thereafter you will join the northern circuit route heading down to Moir Camp at 4,200m.

The hiking time today will be 6-8 hours covering about 14 kms (8 miles).

This day involves a moderately steep climb out of Moir Valley. Trekkers can take a small detour here to climb the summit of Little Lent Hill at 4,375 meters before returning to the Northern Circuit trail. From here the route follows a series of inclines and declines, skirting around the northern slopes of Kibo to Buffalo Camp (4,020 meters).

The trek gives great vistas out across the plains that lie north of Kilimanjaro and stretch out to the Kenyan / Tanzanian border. You will arrive at Buffalo Camp just after midday, where you will have lunch and have time to rest after a long 5-7 hours of hiking.

Start with a climb up the Buffalo ridge and down into Porfu Camp where lunch is usually served. The route then continues east around the northern slopes to the Rongai Third Cave at 3,800 meters.

The trek is shorter than the day before and by now you should be feeling well acclimatised to the altitude. You will arrive at the Third Cave just around mid-afternoon.

This rarely traveled route allows you to enjoy the vast mountain wilderness in peace. Trekking time today is 5 - 7 hours.

Today you will climb a steady incline up and over the Saddle which sits between the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi Peak. Then continue walking south-west up to School Hut (4,800 meters). The remainder of the day is spent resting and preparing for your summit ascent, which will begin in the early hours of the morning. Despite the short distance of 5km covered, trekking time is approximately 4-5 hours due to the high altitude and steep incline.

You will be served an early dinner and then you should get some sleep as you will be awoken before midnight to start your summit attempt.

You will be served tea and biscuits at 2300 hrs. Then you will begin your ascent in the dark, hiking for the next six hours by the light of your flashlight. The trail goes across a rocky path to the first check point, Hans Meyer Cave at 5,150 meters. Here you will have a break here and refuel on an energy bar.

The path then zigzags and increases in steepness as you approach Gilman’s Point 2-3 hours later at 5,681 meters. You are now on Kibo’s crater rim, a huge achievement! But you still have a 200 meter ascent to trek to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5,895 meters).

The hike from Gilman's to Uhuru Peak is a gradual climb and, as far as hikes go, not very difficult. The altitude however makes it feel long and tiring.

After summit celebrations descend from the rim at Stella Point, to Barafu Camp and then straight down to Mweka camp, with lunch served on the way. This part of the descent takes about 6 hours, covering new terrain. Enjoy your last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.

In total you will be trekking for 14-16 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!