9-Day Northern Circuit Route

The Kilimanjaro Northern Circuit Route is an unforgettable experience. This relatively new route ascends the more scenic and tranquil western slope of Kilimanjaro and crosses nearly the entire mountain before the summit. This is easily one of the most picturesque paths and peaceful journeys up Africa’s highest point, as there are almost no other groups on the northern face.

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll make our way to the western side of Kilimanjaro, to the Londorossi Gate, where we will meet up with our team of porters and guides. After we register your climb, our staff will prepare the supplies and gear for our trek. Here we can rest and take pictures while we wait for our baggage to be weighed and for the other necessary trip formalities to be completed.

We’ll then begin the climb. The trail gently ascends through the mountain forest and towards the end of the trek, we’ll enter the first camp that will have been set up and waiting for us. Tonight, we’ll rest under the forest canopy listening to the sounds of birds and velvet monkeys calling gently to each other—a very special experience.

We leave the rainforest, entering the heath and moorland zone. Today, we have amazing panoramic views that reach the rim of the Shira Plateau and enjoy the stunning views from the ridge. This day may challenge your body’s acclimatization but you’ll be in good hands and we’ll be taking short, continuous breaks. We will then camp on the Shira Plateau.

This is a short day in terms of terrain and elevation. We’ll look to climb about 350m/1,148ft of gentle hiking. We’ll treat this as a resetting and acclimatization day and a chance to explore the Shira Plateau whilst enjoying views of Kibo, the largest of the three volcanic cones on Kilimanjaro.

This is a very important day in your growth and in your progression up the mountain. An imperative day for acclimatization. Once we arrive at the Lava Tower you will be served lunch, rest, and then descend down to Moir Hut, where we divert from the main trail.

We leave Moir by starting with a bit of a steep climb. We’ll then follow the trail that crosses a rock field up and then down. We’ll treat this as a recovery day, as we actually descend to 4,000m/13,100ft to Buffalo Camp where we will be served a delicious hot lunch.

Our day begins with a trek around the northern slopes heading towards the eastern side of the mountain. The terrain here is dry with a bit of dust and a few shrubs. The route is quiet and we won’t come across very many other groups. On this day, we’ll begin to catch a sense of the quiet serenity and remoteness during our trek before we reach the Third Cave Camp.

This part is a steady ascent before we reach the School Hut. We’ll see some incredible views of the saddled landscape between Kibo Peak and Mawenzi Peak. You will enjoy lunch at the School Hut and then we’ll rest and finish preparing for the summit attempt.

We begin our summit push at midnight after being woken up with a hot cup of tea, a biscuit, and a snack for your way up. We’ll start the summit push by zigzagging from Hans Mayer Cave, where we will take a rest for snacks, and continue to Gilman’s Point. This will take roughly 2 hours and is a steep climb with loose terrain underfoot. We’ll be walking at quite a slow pace as it will be cold and possibly windy too. As we approach the crater rim, the sun will begin rising behind you and next to the Mawenzi Peak. Remember, as the sun rises, it brings warmth, and when you feel the heat, it will create an inner fire that will boost your energy and motivate you to keep ploughing forward.

At Gilman’s Point, we’ll enjoy a well-deserved rest and a snack before continuing to Uhuru Peak. You’ll be able to take some pictures at Uhuru Peak and enjoy the incredible views before we descend to Barafu Camp and have lunch. We will then gently walk down to Millennium Camp.

We’ll finish our magnificent trek through lush forest as we descend to the Mweka Gate. This sustained descent will become easier by having colobus/blue monkeys and melodic birdsong cheering us on. At the gate, we will then sign out of the national park as we collect our summit certificate and on through a coffee farm where we are then transferred back to Moshi.