Day 1: Arrival
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro international airport, you will be picked up by Brown Parrot Safaris representative and transferred to Machame Millie Lodge, where you will meet your climbing guide for briefing and gear check. Dinner and overnight at Millie Lodge located at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro before starting the hike the next day.
Day 2; Machame Gate to Machame Camp
- Elevation: 5,400 feet to 9,400 feet
- Walking time: 5 to 7 hours
- Distance: 11 kilometers
- Habitat: rainforest
After breakfast we leave the lodge for the Kilimanjaro National Park gate at Machame for entry registration then start the trek to Machame campsite through thick rain forest. You will leave the park gate and walk through the rainforest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters and trekking poles are used there. You will continue a short distance until you reach the Machame Camp.
Day 3; Machame Camp to Shira Camp
- Elevation: 9,400 feet to 12,500 feet
- Walking time: 4 to 6 hours
- Distance: 5 kilometers
- Habitat: Moorland
After breakfast, you will leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the little valley walking along a steep rocky ridge, covered with heather until the ridge ends. The route now turns west onto a river gorge. After that, you will have a time for rest, dinner, and overnight at the Shira campsite.
Day 4; Shira Camp to Barranco Camp
- Elevation: 13,000 feet to 16,000 feet
- Walking time: 7 to 8 hours
- Distance: 10 Kilometer
- Habitat: Semi-desert
From the Shira Plateau, you will continue to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As you continue, your direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the “Shark’s Tooth.” Shortly after the tower, you will come to the second junction which brings you up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 16,000 feet.
You will then get down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 13,000 feet where you will rest, enjoy dinner, and overnight at Barranco Hut. Although you end the day at the same elevation as when you started, this day is very important for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for summit day.
Day 5; Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp
- Elevation: 16,000 feet to 19,300 feet
- Walking time: 8 to 10 hours
- Distance: 5 kilometers
- Habitat: alpine desert.
After breakfast, you will leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley campsite. Then, you will leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. You will then continue up to the Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. There, you will make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are seen from this position.
Day 6; Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Camp
- Elevation: 19,345 feet to 10,000 feet
- Walking time: 7 to 8 hours
- Distance: 12 kilometers
- Habitat: Arctic.
Midnight to 2:00 a.m., you will continue your way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek.
At Stella Point (18,600 feet), you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (if the weather permits). From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way on your one-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point of Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit.
From the summit, you will now make your descent straight down to Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, you will enjoy your last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep at Mweka Campsite.
Day 7; Mweka Camp to Hotel/Airport
- Elevation: 10,000 feet to 5,400 feet
- Walking time: 3 to 4 hours
- Distance: 10 kilometers
- Habitat: Rainforest.
After breakfast, you will continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be preferable to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy). At the gate, a vehicle will meet and drive you to back to your hotel/ own arrangements to your next holiday destination.
PRICE starts from USD 1,450 only per person
NOTE;
Brown Parrot Safaris uses 7- and 22-seater mini buses as well as 4×4 custom-made safari vehicles for airport transfers and transport to and from the mountain. All are equipped with communication system VHS/BLU manned by professional English-speaking driver-guides.
Included in our vehicles:
- Cooler box/ Ice box
- Bottles of mineral water
- English speaking driver guide
- Guide Books
Assistance
- You will be guided and transported by our expert guides who speak fluent English and are very familiar with the Flora and Fauna, Culture and Geography of Tanzania.
- Our mountain climbing guides are very knowledgeable on altitude related sickness and are experienced in handling victims of the same on the mountain.
- Brown Parrot Safaris provides Gamow bags for climbers on request at a reasonable fee.
- Kilimanjaro National Park Rescue team has VHS communication system to convey messages to all stations on the mountain.
- Our guides use mobile phones to contact the offices throughout the climb.
- Regular porters are hired to carry the clients’ climbing gear and other supplies.
- Personal porters to carry clients’ daypacks can be hired on request at an extra fee.
- Chemical eco-friendly toilet provided as a complimentary service for groups of 4 persons and above.
Brown Parrot Safaris wishes you a safe journey and looks forward to welcoming you again in the future bring your family and friends next time!
