9-Day Lemosho Northern Circuit
Our 9-Day Lemosho Northern Circuit Route can include both our Standard and All-Inclusive Packages. Any climber (even if part of a group) can choose their own package if they prefer one over the other. All our Kilimanjaro climbs include:
- 2 nights accommodation at a high-end hotel before the climb
- 1-night accommodation at a high-end hotel after the climb
This exciting journey via our 9-Day Lemosho Northern Circuit Route including the hotel nights takes 12 days (excluding flights).
Click here to go to our Packages page where you can find what we include in our packages, as well as the pricing for each of our packages / routes.
DAY 1: WELCOME TO THE RAINFOREST ZONE
Kick off your morning with a smooth hotel checkout, and start your drive to the Kilimanjaro National Park’s Lemosho Entrance Gate (3 hrs away).
We enter the park’s western gate (around 7,700ft or 2,100m). We ascend to the Forest Camp (9,255ft or 2,821m), your home for the night in the Tropical Rainforest Zone.
Expect a 2-3 hrs trek through the lush rainforest. You will have potential sightings of black and white Colobus Monkeys and Blue Monkeys!
DAY 2: DISCOVER THE HEATHER / MOORLAND ZONE
Starting from the Forest Camp (9,255ft or 2,821m), we’ll hike to Shira 1 Camp (11,300ft or 3,444m) nestled within the Heather Zone.
With a mid-day break for lunch, this journey takes about 5-7 hrs, including lunch break, culminating in a cozy night at Shira 1 Camp.
Along the way, delight in the rich vegetation of the Heather and Moorland Zones.
DAY 3: CONTINUE IN THE HEATHER / MOORLAND ZONE
Today, we climb from Shira 1 Camp (11,300ft or 3,444m) to the Moir Camp (13,779ft or 4,200m), moving further into the Heather and Moorland Zone.
Expect a trek of 5-7 hrs, including lunch break, and notice the shift to a more desert-like landscape as you go higher.
DAY 4: TREK TO POFU CAMP
We climb from Moir Camp (13,779ft or 4,200 m) to Pofu Camp (13,200ft or 4,025 m) in the Alpine Desert Zone. This trek takes approximately 5-7 hrs including lunch break and is approximately 6 miles or 10 kilometers.
We start by climbing out of the Moir Valley while enjoying the stunning views. The final section of today’s trek is a series of smooth paths, leading us to the serene Pofu Camp. We stop for lunch halfway through the trail.
We sleep at Pofu Camp (13,200ft or 4,025 m).
DAY 5: HIKING TO THIRD CAVE CAMP
We start our trek at Pofu Camp (13,200ft or 4,025 m) and head to Third Cave Camp (12,696ft or 3,870 m). This trek takes approximately 5-6 hrs including lunch break and is approximately 6 miles or 10 kilometers.
We stop for lunch halfway through the trail. The trail takes you through a series of small valleys, with increasingly sparse vegetation as you ascend. Enjoy the tranquil beauty of Kilimanjaro’s northern slopes.
We sleep at Third Cave Camp (12,696ft or 3,870 m).
DAY 6: SCHOOL HUT CAMP
We climb from Third Cave Camp (12,696ft or 3,870 m) to Outward Bound School Hut (16,076ft or 4,900 m) through the Alpine Desert Zone. This takes approximately 4-5 hrs depending on your pace.
Today’s trek involves a steady ascent to the saddle, a lunar-like landscape nestled between the Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. Continuing upwards, we reach Outward Bound School Hut by early afternoon. We have our lunch at camp. The rest of the day is dedicated to resting and preparing for the summit attempt.
We sleep at Outward Bound School Hut (16,076ft or 4,900 m).
DAY 7: SUMMIT DAY
The final and most demanding part of the climb begins around 3 a.m. on a switchback trail through loose volcanic scree, reaching the crater rim at Gillman’s Point (18,638ft or 5,681 m). During this trek we will experience a beautiful sunrise.
We continue our trek to Uhuru Peak (19,340ft or 5,895 m) while being able to see the remaining glaciers on the mountain. The reason we leave at 3 AM and not earlier is to hopefully provide us with alone time at the summit (with little to no other tourists at the summit).
Congratulations on reaching the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro, the Roof of Africa. We cherish the moment at the summit and take photos at the Uhuru Peak (19,340ft or 5,895 m) sign.
Afterwards we retrace our steps along the crater rim to Stella Point (18799ft or 5,730 m) and descend to Barafu Camp.
Overnight at Barafu Camp (15,239ft or 3,983 m).
DAY 8: DESCENT TO MWEKA CAMP
Wake up at Barafu Camp (15,239ft or 3,983 m) and continue making our descent to our next camp – Mweka Camp (10,204ft or 3,110 m).
Overnight at Mweka Camp. This portion takes approximately 4-5 hrs and is approximately 7 miles or 11.2 kilometers.
DAY 9: MWEKA GATE & OFFICIAL CERTIFICATE
After breakfast, we continue to climb down to Mweka Gate (5,423ft or 1,653m) where we sign the Official Kilimanjaro National Park Register, have a cold drink, and get presented our official Kilimanjaro Certificate by our Head Guide.
This last descent to the gate should take approximately 3-4 hrs.
We then head to our bus and head back to the Premium Hotel in Arusha. This drive takes approximately 3 hrs. You should be arriving back at the hotel in the mid-afternoon around 3 PM (depending what time you leave your camp in the morning).
Congratulations on completing our 9-Day Lemosho Northern Circuit Route, one of the most scenic and secluded routes one can take to reach Uhuru Peak.
