Itinerary

Day 1: TRANSFER TO MOSHI - A member of the Inspired Escapes team will meet you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and take you to your accommodation in Moshi. There you can exchange money, have dinner and rest for what lies ahead.

Day 2: VISIT THE KILIMANJARO SCHOOL - Today you will visit the project you are supporting, Empowering Local Schools - Tanzania. You will get a chance to meet the children you are helping and get your hands dirty building teachers accommodation alongside the members of the local community. It is a unique opportunity to work with and get to know the people who live at the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro, all while making an active contribution to improving the future of schools in Tanzania.

Day 3: THE TREK BEGINS - Today we will begin our ascent of the famous Mt Kilimnajaro! We will drive from Moshi or Arusha to the Londorossi Park Gate. From here we follow a forest track in a 4WD vehicle for 11 km (45 minutes) to the Lemosho Glades. From the Glades it's a 3 hour walk along beautiful forest trails to the Mti Mkubwa (big tree) campsite where you will spend the night.

Day 4: MKUBWA CAMP TO SHIRA CAMP 1 (12 KM) 5 HOURS:
SEMI-DESERT - From here on the trail gradually steepens, enters the giant heather moorland zone, and then crosses the Shira Ridge at 3,600 m/11,810 ft before gently dropping to Shira Camp 1. Here we will settle in for the evening, lulled to sleep by the stream next to the camp on the Shira Plateau.

Day 5 - SHIRA CAMP 1 TO SHIRA CAMP 2 (6 KM) 2 HOURS: ALPINE DESERT - A gentle walk across the plateau leads to Shira Camp 2 on moorland meadows by a stream. A variety of walks are available on the plateau making this an excellent acclimatisation day.

Day 6 - SHIRA CAMP 2 TO LAVA TOWER TO BARRANCO CAMP (15 KM) 7 HOURS:
SEMI-DESERT - After breakfast, we will hike east, up a steepening path above the highest vegetation toward Kilimanjaro’s looming mass. After several hours you will cross a rocky landscape to reach the prominent landmark called Lava Tower at 4,630m/15,190 ft. This chunky remnant of Kilimanjaro’s earlier volcanic activity is several hundred feet high, and the trail passes right below it. For extra credit, the sure-footed can scramble to the top of the tower. After a lunch stop near Lava Tower, we will descend for 2 hours below the lower cliffs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall to Barranco Camp at 3,950m/12,960 ft. There are numerous photo opportunities on this hike, especially if the walls are festooned with ice. Barranco Camp is in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Walls, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for your dinner. On this day be careful to notice any signs of altitude sickness. Our guides are trained to spot this and will check you for signs as well.

Day 7:BARRANCO CAMP TO KARANGA CAMP (7 KM) 4 HOURS: ALPINE DESERT - After breakfast, we will continue up a steep ridge to the great Barranco Wall. We will climb this imposing obstacle, which turns out to be easier than it looks. Topping out just below the Heim Glacier, you can now appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. With Kibo’s glaciers soaring overhead, we descend into the lush Karanga Valley to the Karanga Valley campsite. From the camp, you can look east and see the jagged peaks of Mawenzi jutting into the African sky. After a hot lunch in camp, our afternoon is at leisure for resting or exploring. After two long days, this short day is very important for your acclimatisation, since your summit push is about to start.

Day 8: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp (13 km) 8 hours: Alpine Desert -  In the morning, we will hike east over intervening ridges and valleys to join the Mweka Route, which will be our descent route. Turn left toward the mountain and hike up the ridge through a sparse landscape for another hour to the Barafu Hut where we will receive a hot lunch. The last water on the route is in the Karanga Valley. There is no water at Barafu Camp, even though Barafu is the Swahili word for “ice.” The famous snows of Kilimanjaro are far above Barafu Camp near the summit of the mountain. Tonight we will prepare our equipment and warm clothing for our summit climb tomorrow morning, and drink a lot of fluids. After an early dinner we will go to bed for a few hours of precious sleep.

Day 9: SUMMIT DAY! BARAFU CAMP TO UHURU PEAK TO MWEKA CAMP (7 KM UP, 23 KM DOWN) 8 HOURS UP, 7-8 HOURS DOWN - We will rise around 11:30 PM, and after some steaming tea and biscuits, we will shuffle off into the night. Our 6-hour climb northwest up through heavy scree between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers to Stella Point on the crater rim is the most challenging part of the route for most climbers. At Stella Point (5,685 m/18,650 ft) we will stop for a short rest and a chance to see a supremely sanguine sunrise. At Stella Point we will join the top part of the Marangu Route, but we will not stop here too long, as it will be extremely difficult to start again due to cold and fatigue. Depending on the season and recent storms, we may encounter snow on our remaining hike along the rim to Uhuru Peak. On the summit, you can enjoy your accomplishment and know that you are creating a day that you will remember for the rest of your life. After our 3-hour descent from the summit back to Barafu Camp, we will have a well-earned but short rest, collect our gear, and hike down a rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest to Mweka Camp (3,100 m/10,170 ft). This camp is in the upper forest, so you can expect mist or rain in the late afternoon. Dinner, and washing water will be prepared, and the camp office sells drinking water, soft drinks, chocolates and beer!

Day 10: RECEIVE YOUR CERTIFICATE! DRIVE BACK TO MOSHI - After a well-deserved breakfast, it is a short, scenic, 3-hour hike back to the park gate. At Mweka Gate, you can sign your name and add details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Climbers who reached Stella Point are issued green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak receive gold certificates. From the Mweka Gate, we will continue down to the Mweka Village, possibly a muddy 3 km (1 hour hike) if the road is too muddy for vehicles. In the Mweka Village we will be served a delicious hot lunch after which we will be driven back to Moshi for an overdue hot shower and comfortable night in the hotel.

Day 11: AIRPORT - Today we will depart for the airport. Some people may head home while others may head on to other destinations in Africa.

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