Kilimanjaro has captured the imagination of man since time immemorial. For many centuries people were sceptical that it was possible to find snow in the topics. Today we know that not only snow but glaciers as well can be found at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. At 5,895m high, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest free standing mountain in the world, the highest in Africa and one of the Seven Summits, a bucket list for many hikers and travelophiles.
ITINERARY
Day 01
SINGAPORE – TANZANIA
Fly from Singapore Changi Airport to Tanzania Kilimanjaro Airport. There is no direct flight between Singapore and Tanzania. Below airlines connect Singapore and Tanzania with a transit stop in between:
Ethiopia Airlines – transit at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia
Qatar Airways – transit at Doha in Qatar
Emirates – transit at Dubai in United Arab Emirates
Overnight: On flight
Day 02
KILIMANJARO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – MOSHI
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be picked up by our friendly driver to your hotel in Moshi (approx. 1 hr 45 min drive). After settling down in the hotel, you will meet your mountain guide who will provide a comprehensive pre-climb briefing to prepare you for the challenge ahead. Free and easy at your own leisure for the rest of the day.
Overnight: Hotel in Moshi
Day 03
MOSHI – LONDOROSSI GATE – LEMOSHO GATE – MTI MKUBWA CAMP (7 km; 3 hrs hike)
In the morning, you will be transferred to Londorossi Gate (2250m; approx. 2 hrs drive). Enjoy your packed lunch in a sheltered pavilion while your guide registers your hike with the National Park authorities. Thereafter you will be transported to the trailhead at Lemosho Gate (2100m; approx. 30 min drive). Hike along beautiful forest trails to Mti Mkubwa Campsite (2650m; 7km; approx. 3 hrs hike) where you will set up tents for the night. Mit Mkubwa means “big tree” in Swahili an adept reference to big trees around it. Along the way, look out for the ubiquitous Blue monkeys and the Colobus monkeys with distinctive white capes and tails.
Overnight: Tents with sleeping bags
Day 04
MTI MKUBWA CAMP – SHIRA 1 CAMP (7 km; 5 hrs hike)
Wake up to the chirping of birds. Today starts with a gradual hike through the final stretch of the rainforest zone and then gets steeper as you approach the open landscape of savanna and scrubland. After about 4-5 hours of hiking, you will reach the western edge of the Shira Plateau before dropping gently down to Shira 1 Camp (36010m). From here you can catch your first glimpse of snow covered Kibo across the plateau. The plateau is exposed so be prepared for a cold night with possibility of sub-zero temperature.
Overnight: Tents with sleeping bags
Day 05
SHIRA 1 CAMP – CATHEDRAL POINT – SHIRA 11 CAMP (10 km; 6 hrs hike)
Today you will hike across the Shira Plateau from west to east over a pleasant relatively flat terrain. Take your time to explore the spectacular plateau which is one of the tallest plateau on earth. Along the way, you will make a side visit to Cathedral Point (3806m), a huge buttress of lava rock surrounded by steep spires and pinnacles. From the top, you will be rewarded with an expansive view of the plateau and the distant Mount Meru (4562m) – second tallest peak of Tanzania – floating on a sea of clouds. Among the three peaks of Kilimanjaro; Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo, Shira was the first volcano to extinct and is also the oldest and smallest peak. Thereafter you will proceed towards Shira 11 (3850m) located on the eastern edge of the Shira Plateau. Today’s hike which takes about 6 hours to complete will provide an excellent acclimatization opportunity.
Overnight: Tents with sleeping bags
Day 06
SHIRA 11 – LAVA TOWER – BARRANCO CAMP (10 km; 7 hrs hike)
The mesmerizing sunrise over the distant Meru Peak will undoubtedly be one of your trip’s highlights. Today you will head into some serious altitude towards the 4,600m high Lava Tower – an imposing lava plug, a geological “cork” over a volcanic vent, formed when Kilimanjaro was an active volcano. Along the way, you will pass through the “Garden of the Senecios” with giant groundsels and lobelias which are larger than a human. Enjoy your lunch in a comfortable mess tent before joining the southern circuit trail which descends to the beautiful Barranco Valley (3900m) where you will spend the night at a very similar elevation as the night before. Climbing high and sleeping low is a good way to acclimatise your body to the high altitude. It takes about 3-4 hours to reach Lava Tower and another 2-3 hours to reach Barranco Camp.
Overnight: Tents with sleeping bags
Day 07
BARRANCO CAMP – KARANGA CAMP (5 km; 4 hrs hike)
First thing in the morning, you will tackle the Great Barranco Wall, a steep and seemingly vertical cliff that raises 257 metres above the valley floor. The Barranco Wall may appear intimidating and impassable but the trail leading up to its top is actually not as steep as it looks like. The wall is considered at most a class 4 scramble in the Yosemite Decimal System, which means it is a non-technical climb, but you will need to hike up with the use of your hands. It takes about 1.5 hours to clear the wall and at its top you will be rewarded with a beathtaking view of Kibo. From here, it is a relatively easy 2.5 hours hike over undulating desert like terrain to Karanga Camp (3995m).
Overnight: Tents with sleeping bags
Day 08
KARANGA CAMP – BARAFU CAMP (4 km; 4 hrs hike)
Today is another short but more strenuous hike through an increasingly inhospitable and steep terrain towards Barafu Camp. Along the way, you will finally get to see Mawenzi Peak (5148m), the second tallest peak of Kilimanjaro. After 4 hours of uphill hike, you will reach Barafu Camp where you can start to prepare your gear (down jacket, balaclava, fresh batteries for head lamp, etc.) for D-Day tomorrow. There will be nothing much for you to do except to get plenty of rest. After an early dinner, you will return back to your tent for further rest. At 4673m high, Barafu Camp is at the highest altitude that you will sleep at for the whole hike. Your guide will wake you up around 11pm for the summit push.
Overnight: Tents with sleeping bags
Day 09
BARAFU CAMP – STELLA POINT – UHURU PEAK – BARAFU CAMP – MWEKA CAMP (17 km; 14 hrs hike)
The summit push is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the hike. It will be a long and zigzagging hike up the steep scree slope of Kibo. After 4-6 hours of hiking, you will reach the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m). The last 1-2 hours hike from Stella Point to Uhuru is a gradual hike over snowy terrain. Enjoy the magical moment as the sun slowly rises up above the horizon and illuminating the surrounding snow fields and glaciers of Kilimanjaro. As you step foot on Uhuru Peak – the highest point in Africa, you will feel that your months of training for this adventure is a worthwhile effort. The hike back to Barafu Camp takes about 3 hours. Here you will have a well- deserved rest follow by lunch before heading down to Mweka Camp (3090m). The 2-3 hours descend to Mweka Camp is not difficult but may be hard to the knee so hiking sticks will still be useful.
Overnight: Tents with sleeping bags
Day 10
MWEKA CAMP – MWEKA GATE – MOSHI (10 km; 3 hrs hike)
After breakfast, you will descend for 2-3 hours through a beautiful mossy forest to Mweka Gate where you will be transferred back to your hotel in Moshi (approx. 30 min drive). Free and easy at your own leisure for the rest of the day.
Overnight: Hotel in Moshi
Day 11
MOSHI – KILIMANJARO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Free and easy at your own leisure till airport transfer for your onward journey.
Package includes:
- All local land transport including airport transfers
- Pre and post trek 3-star accommodation with breakfast in Moshi (twin-sharing basis in private room with attached toilet)
- Kilimanjaro National Park permit, entrance fee and camping fee
- All meals during the trek
- Drinking water during the trek (at least 3 litres of water per person per day)
- Licensed, certified and experienced English speaking mountain guide and assistant guide
- Porters for tents, food and communal equipment
- Porters for personal luggage (subjected to a maximum of 15kg per trekker)
- Tents, sleeping mats and dining tent with table and chairs
- Oximeter for measuring pulse rate and blood oxygen level
- Bottled oxygen (for emergency rescue only)
- Rescue fees via stretcher and land vehicle from the mountain
- Mount Kilimanjaro Certificate for a successful ascent
Package excludes:
- Return international air tickets
- Tanzania VISA (Visa-free for Singaporean and Malaysian visitors)
- Travel insurance
- All meals not indicated
- Tips for guides, porters and cook
- Sleeping bags (available for rental)
- Toilet tent (available for rental)
- All expenses of a personal nature
It is possible to reduce the trekking duration from 8D7N to 7D6N by condensing Day 04 and Day 05 into one day. From Mti Mkubwa Camp you will head directly to Shira 11 Camp via Shira 1 Camp: Mti Mkubwa Camp – SHIRA 1 CAMP – SHIRA 11 CAMP. However this is not an ideal itinerary as it offers less days for acclimatization.
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12D11N Kilimanjaro Program (9D8N Northern Circuit Route)
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– Jace & Jos on 12D11N Trip to Tanzania in Aug 2018
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