Overview
| Accommodation | Confirmed together with you — see the Rates tab for general comfort levels we work with. |
|---|---|
| Meals | Full board on safari days; meals as specified for any city/beach nights, per your final itinerary. |
Day by Day (7 days)
ARRIVE IN TANZANIA
We stay at Arusha Green Mountain Hotel, which is a beautiful Hotel located on the lower slopes of Mount Meru and is a perfect place to prepare you for adventure. We will gather in the evening at 5:30 pm for a pre-climb briefing and an equipment check. We will also confirm you have the appropriate mandatory medical coverage and travel insurance. Dinner and overnight at Arusha Green Mountain Hotel: Bed, dinner, and Breakfast-included.
MTI MKUBWA CAMP (FULL BOARD)
After breakfast at the hotel in Arusha, we drive approximately 2 hours through the rural countryside to the Londrossi Gate. For the necessary park registration formalities at the Londorossi National Park gate, we drive through varied farmland with open views over the plains to reach the Lemosho road head. We start our ascent along the forest trail we camp at Lemosho Mti Mkubwa Camp.
Londrossi Gate to Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,650 m); 3-4 hours walking.
SHIRA HUT (FULL BOARD)
Today we follow an easy path to the summit of Shira Cathedral before reaching the next camp at Shira Hut. As this camp is quite exposed, it can be substantially colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing.
Shira Camp to Shira Hut (3,840 m): 3-5 hours walking.
SHIRA HUT TO BARRANCO CAMP (FULL BOARD)
Following an early morning breakfast, you will leave the moorland environment and enter the semi-desert and rocky landscape. After 5 hours of walking east, you will come face to face with the Lava Tower (4630m). Packed lunches are served at the Tower and hikers have the option of climbing the massive Lava Tower weather permitting. At this point in the hike, it is normal for hikers to start feeling the effects from the altitude including headaches and shortness of breath. Following lunch, you will descend from Lava Tower (4630m) to the Barranco Campsite (3950m). The 6800m descent gives hikers a huge advantage to allow their bodies to adjust to the conditions of high altitude. The descent to camp takes around 2 hours to reach. It is located in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall (“Breakfast Wall”). Drinking and washing water and dinner will be served as hikers view the sun set.
BARRANCO VALLEY BARAFU HUT (FULL BOARD)
A steep climb up the Barranco Wall leads us to an undulating trail on the south-eastern flank of Kibo, with superb vistas of the Southern Icefields. The terrain changes to scree, with pockets of lush vegetation in sheltered hollows, and drops down into Karanga valley where we take lunch. Afterward, the trail follows an easy path on compacted scree with wide views that gains altitude unrelentingly to reach the Barafu campsite (4,600 m). The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the final ascent before a very early night.
Barranco Valley to Barafu Hut (3,900 m.): 5-7 hours walking.
SUMMIT DOWN TO MWEKA CAMP: FULL BOARD)
We will start our ascent by torchlight about 1 a.m. so that we can be up on the Crater rim by sunrise. The steep climb over loose volcanic scree has some well-graded zig-zags and a slow but steady pace will take us to Stella Point (5,735 m), in about five or six hours. We will rest there for a short time to enjoy the sunrise over Mawenzi. Those who are still feeling strong can make the two hour round trip from here along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,896 m), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area. The descent to Barafu is surprisingly fast, and after some refreshment, we continue to descend to reach our final campsite.
(3,100 m) Mweka. Approximately 12-15 hours of walking.
MWEKA GATE
A sustained descent on a well-constructed path through the lovely tropical forest alive with birdsong and boasting lush undergrowth with considerable botanical interest. Our route winds down to the National Park gate at Mweka (1,650 m); and on through coffee and banana farms to Mweka village. The shower, the beer, and the swimming pool are tantalizingly close! [4-6 hours walking]
Dinner and overnight at Arusha Green Mountain Hotel: Bed, dinner, and Breakfast-included.
DEPARTING DAY
After saying bye to our team of guides then you need a private departure transfer which is included from Arusha to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for your flight unless you have an option to have a short safari or any other option we will discuss.
Rates Per Person
See "Accommodation & Meals" on the Overview tab for the general comfort levels available — send us your dates and group size for an exact quote.
Next: Inclusions →Inclusions
Included
- Private vehicle with your own driver-guide
- Park entry and conservation fees
- Accommodation as specified in your itinerary
- Meals as specified per day (full board on safari days)
- Airport pickup and drop-off
Excluded
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
Getting There
Tour Start & End
This trip starts in Mount Kilimanjaro and ends in Mount Kilimanjaro.
Airport Information
Kilimanjaro International Airport and Mwanza Airport are the most common arrival points, depending on your route.
Transfer Information
Airport pickup and all transfers between destinations are included and arranged by our team.
Accommodation Before/After
Need a night in Mwanza or Arusha before or after this trip? We can arrange that on request.
