Kilimanjaro Climbing Tours via Northern Circuit – 10 Days

Trip Itinerary

The Kilimanjaro Northern Circuit route is one of the best routes and also the newest official route to ascend Mt. Kilimanjaro. This special route is also the least used and the longest route perfect for those seeking remote and long Mt Kilimanjaro hiking. Trekking through this trail guarantees excellent acclimatization changeover and exceptional views from the northern slope of the mountain. The Kilimanjaro Northern Circuit itinerary follows the Lemosho route for the first few days, then ascending the Shira Ridge to cross the high Shira Plateau. Trekkers will leave the Lemosho route to turn northwards and follow the main circuit when approaching near the Lava Tower. Circling clockwise from Moir Hut to Buffalo Camp, trekkers will pass through School Hut before finally summiting from the east. The descent is made via the Mweka route, where it is likely for trekkers to encounter other trekkers from the Lemosho, Shira, Umbwe, Machame or the Marangu routes.

Climb the highest peak in Africa along the newest official route allowing almost 360 degree views of the diverse region
It is the longest route to the top thus providing ample acclimatization time to trekkers
The northern circuit is more remote and so has the benefits of offering less traffic and more untouched surroundings
Trekkers don’t have to climb the Great Barranco Wall on this route
The route passes close through the Kenyan border with amazing views of the Tsavo Valley and Ambroselli Valley

£2,924

£292 per day

Available

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Overview

Arrival City

Moshi, Tanzania

Departure City

Moshi, Tanzania

Lodging Level

Hotel (Aishi Machame Hotel)

Meals

10 breakfast, 8 lunch, 8 dinner

Trip Grade

Demanding

Maximum Altitude

5,895m/19,341ft

Activity

Trekking and Hiking

Styles

Active Adventures

Outline Itinerary

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Itinerary	Maximum Altitude	Walking/Hiking
Day 01 Arrival in Kilimanjaro, drive to Moshi	950m/3,117ft	-
Day 02 High-Altitude Transfer &Trekking to Shira 1 Camp	3,505m/11,500ft	2 hrs
Day 03 Trekking from Shira 1 Camp to Shira 2 Camp	3,900m/12,796ft	3-4 hrs
Day 04 Trekking from Shira 2 Camp via Lava Tower to Moir Hut	4,630m/15,191ft	6-8 hrs
Day 05 Trekking from Moir Hut to Buffalo Camp	4,020m/13,190ft	5-7 hrs
Day 06 Trekking from Buffalo Camp to Rongai Third Cave Camp	3,870m/12,697ft	4-6 hrs
Day 07 Trekking from Rongai Third Cave Camp to School Hut	4,750m/15,585ft	4-5 hrs
Day 08 Trekking to Uhuru Peak and Descent to Millennium Camp	5,895m/19,341ft	12-15 hrs
Day 09 Descent from Millenium Camp to Mweka Gate	1,640m/5,381ft	4-5 hrs
Day 10 Final Departure	-	-

Accommodation in Standard Hotels on Twin Sharing Basis
Equipment
Local Guide & Support Staffs
All Private Ground Transportation Including Airport Transfers
Meals in the Mountain
Small-Group Adventure
Guaranteed Departures
Lifetime Deposit
No Booking Fee

The Kilimanjaro Climb is totally a tent and camp trek. We sleep in camps, cook and eat at camps. Our well trained and experienced mountain trekking cooks and the team prepare delicious & hygienic breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Most meals are European and Indian curry style. We serve hot meals for breakfast and dinner but sometimes packed lunch that includes sandwich, egg, chicken, nuts, fruit, cake, juice, hot tea, etc. will be provided. There will also be a welcome dinner with authentic Tanzanian cuisine and a continental farewell dinner after the trip to all our guests.

Kilimanjaro climb is a camping-style climb where you cannot expect a hotel or guesthouse unlike expecting warm lodges during the trek to Everest Base Camp Trek in the Himalayas. Our camping crew will carry all the logistics that we need on the mountain for sleeping. Usually, we have a tent sharing basis for two people which is comfortable and enough space to keep your stuff inside the tent. If you want a single tent, it is possible for you to get, but will be charged a single supplement for USD 499 that includes two nights in Moshi hotel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Based on the research published by the Climb Kilimanjaro Guide, the average summit success rate across all the routes is 65%. The Machame route is considered to be the easiest one amongst all different routes to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. While all different routes on Kilimanjaro climb have their own difficulties and own experiences, Mt. Kilimanjaro is seriously a high-altitude mountain. Even though the normal routes of Kilimanjaro climb are not technically difficult, the altitude has hit hard and taken its toll on climbers annually thereby bringing the success rate down to 65%. Different operators have different success rates based on numerous factors and Vi Glaciers has an impressive success rate of over 85% on its Kilimanjaro trips.

Climbing a mountain 5,895 m (19,341 ft.) high is definitely a dangerous thing to do. An estimated 50,000 people climb Kilimanjaro every year from which around 1,000 people are evacuated from the mountain and approximately 10 fatalities are reported. It means that the chance of death on the mountain is only 0.0002% which is practically zero. In other words, there is just one death per 5,000 climbers and the main cause of death is altitude sickness.

There are forested areas on the Kilimanjaro trail and obviously snakes are found in the cloud forests. Some of the species found on the lower slopes of the mountain are the Gabon, Green Mamba, Boomslang, and the Twig Snake. All snakes pose a potential threat so it is wise to always respect them and their habitat in case you encounter one on the way. Snakes are known to be highly sensitive to movement, so when they sense something arriving, they will clearly stay away from the main trails to save their own lives.

Yes and no! You may want to climb Kilimanjaro alone without other hikers or crowd – it is possible. But even then, you will be assisted by guides and porters. Although you will be the only trekker, you will not be alone in the truest sense as the Tanzanian Tourism Board does not permit trekking without a guide, porter and other crew members. The ratio of trekkers to support crew is 1:4 meaning that if you are the only climber, you will be assisted by 4 other members of your trekking company.

When you look at the difference between Kilimanjaro Climb and Everest Base Camp Trek, you are going to higher altitude much quicker on Kilimanjaro than Everest base camp. From Moshi (2,932 ft.) to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft.) it takes 4 to 6 days depending on the route, which is more than 16,000 ft. gain in altitude. From Kathmandu (4,600 ft.) to the base camp of Everest (17,599 ft.) it takes 8 to 9 days, which is almost 13,000 ft. gain in altitude but trekkers need to walk longer daily distance on the Everest Base Camp trek. In the Everest region, trekkers will sleep at teahouses or luxury lodges throughout the entire trip whereas on Kilimanjaro, except for the Marangu route, trekkers will have to sleep inside tents. While there are lots of ups and downs on the Everest trekking route, the summit night on Kilimanjaro is harder than anything on the entire Everest trail. The overall summit success rate on Kilimanjaro, as per the statistics is 65% while the success rate of Everest Base Camp is over 90%. So, Kilimanjaro climb is harder than Everest Base Camp trek especially because of the quick ascent and rapid altitude gain on Kilimanjaro.

The summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, also known as Uhuru Point, lies in the glacial zone with an average temperature hovering around -6°C (21°F) during day time. However, all summiting attempts begin around midnight in order to reach the Uhuru peak at dawn. So, you will be trekking during the night time when the temperatures range between -7 to -29°C (19 to -20°F).

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