Roof of Tanzania Kilimanjaro Hike

Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro Int. Airport, transfer to Arusha
Today you will arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Upon arrival, you will be met by a representative who will welcome you and you start your journey to Arusha, and proceed to your accommodation overnight at Rivertrees.

Day 2: Arusha
Today you will be spending the day in Arusha where you will be heading out for a safari in Arusha National Park where you can spot some wildlife but also go for a walking safari. This will help you to acclimatize and you will start your trekking while rested. Arusha National Park is located between Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro and will offer some scenic views. In the evening our representative will meet you at your accommodation for a briefing regarding your trek. Overnight at at Rivertrees.

Day 3: Arusha - Machame Camp
After breakfast, you will be picked by your team and transferred to Machame gate on the west side of Kilimanjaro from where you will start your hike. You will hike for about six hours through esne forests to your first camp. Your first camp will be located at an altitude of 10,000 feet.

Day 4: Machame Camp - Shira Camp
After a filling breakfast, you will depart for your second day on the mountain and head off towards Shira Camp. Today you will be leaving the forest and trek through the savanna of tall grasses and haunting volcanic lava landscapes. After a six-hour hike, you will arrive at the Shira Plateau Camp. At 12,500 feet, it boasts sweeping views across the Masai Steppe and in the distant Mount Meru.

Day 5: Shira Camp - Barranco Camp
Today you will skirt the Shira Plateau toward the Kibo Massif, continuing upward to the pass at Lava Tower (15,000 feet). Descend toward Barranco Camp through the immense, waterfall-punctuated Grand Barranco canyon, which is fed by streams from the Umbwe River. Today’s camp is situated at an elevation of 13,000 feet.

Day 6: Barranco Camp - Karanga Camp
Today you will spend time acclimatizing. You will depart for a 5-hour hike along the Barranco Cliff with no increase in elevation. This allows you time to rest and adjust to the increasingly higher altitudes. In the afternoon, you may hike in the Karanga Valley set beneath the icefalls.

Day 7: Karanga Camp - Barafu Camp
As you are heading to the basecamp of Kilimanjaro, you will trek for about 4 to 5-hours, stopping at Barafu Camp (15,200 feet) where you will enjoy majestic views of Mawenzi Peak to the right and Kibo Peak overhead. The surrounding, scenic alpine desert terrain is largely mineral. You will arrive at the camp early so you will enjoy an early dinner and get enough sleep as you will depart for the summit around midnight.

Day 8: Barafu Camp - Summit at Uhuru Peak - Mweka Camp
At midnight, you will wake up to a hot cup of coffee or tea before setting out on approximately 13 hours of trekking today. Should all go as planned, you will stand at the highest point in Africa in about seven hours’ time. Make your way up a winding path flanked by the towering Ratzel and Rebmann glaciers to soaring Stella Point, at 18,630 feet on the rim of Kibo Crater. As the sun rises, continue around the rim to Uhuru Peak (19,341 feet), the highest point in Africa. You will spend approximately 30 minutes at the summit before descending down to Mweka Camp at 10,200 ft.

Day 9: Mweka Camp - Arusha
Continue your descent to the base of the mountain, where your driver and team celebrate your summit and transport you back to Arusha. You will spend enough time relaxing in the hotel and resting after your great accomplishment at Rivertrees.

Day 10: Arusha - Kilimanjaro International Airport
Today you will be transferred to the hotel for your departure flight.