Route 01
Marangu
6 days · huts · ~72 km
From $1,980Theluji Ascents: Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru treks from Moshi, Tanzania
01Uhuru Peak · 5,895 m
Roof of
Africa
Five routes, one summit. We plan every climb around a single idea: walk slowly, sleep well, arrive strong.
5,895 mUhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa
4 – 9 daysMount Meru plus five Kilimanjaro routes
Moshi baseAbout 45 minutes from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
Five ways up Kilimanjaro
Popular routes
Every route ends at the same summit. They differ in days, scenery and crowds, and above all in how gently they let your body adapt to altitude.
Route 02 · Most chosen
Machame
7 days · camping · ~62 km
From $2,350
Route 03
Lemosho
8 days · camping · ~70 km
From $2,890
Route 04
Rongai
7 days · camping · ~73 km
From $2,450
Route 05
Northern Circuit
9 days · camping · ~90 km
From $3,350Compare side by side
| Route | Days | Distance | Sleep in | Acclimatisation | Crowds | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MaranguSouth-east · same way up and down | 6 | ~72 km | Shared huts | Busy | $1,980 | |
| MachameSouth-west · Lava Tower, Barranco Wall | 7 | ~62 km | Tents | Busy | $2,350 | |
| LemoshoWest · across the Shira Plateau | 8 | ~70 km | Tents | Quiet start, busier later | $2,890 | |
| RongaiNorth · drier side, near Kenya | 7 | ~73 km | Tents | Quiet | $2,450 | |
| Northern CircuitWest, then round the north slopes | 9 | ~90 km | Tents | Quietest | $3,350 |
Acclimatisation reflects the number of days and how well a route follows the climb-high, sleep-low pattern. More days on the mountain is the single biggest thing you can do for your summit chances.
Day by day
Machame in
seven days
Our most chosen climb. Day three climbs to Lava Tower at 4,630 m and drops back to sleep at Barranco, the classic climb-high, sleep-low move. Tap a day to see the stage.
Day01
Machame Gate to Machame Camp
A morning drive from Moshi to the gate, registration with the park, then a steady climb on a muddy, root-laced path through tall montane rainforest. Listen for colobus monkeys and turacos.
Pole pole starts here. If you can't hold a conversation, you are walking too fast.
- Start
- 1,640 m
- Sleep
- 2,850 m
- Distance
- 11 km
- Walking
- 5–7 h
- Zone
- Rainforest
- Gain
- +1,210 m
Day02
Machame Camp to Shira 2
The forest gives way to giant heather and open moorland. A shorter, steeper day up a rocky ridge onto the Shira Plateau, with the first wide views of Kibo and, on clear evenings, Mount Meru to the west.
Short day, long rest. Drink three to four litres and keep walking slowly around camp.
- Start
- 2,850 m
- Sleep
- 3,810 m
- Distance
- 5 km
- Walking
- 4–6 h
- Zone
- Moorland
- Gain
- +960 m
Day03
Shira 2 to Lava Tower to Barranco
East into alpine desert, climbing to lunch below the 4,630 m Lava Tower. Then down through groves of giant groundsels into the Barranco Valley. You touch high altitude and sleep 650 m lower.
Headaches at Lava Tower are common and usually fade on the way down. Tell your guide anyway.
- High point
- 4,630 m
- Sleep
- 3,976 m
- Distance
- 10 km
- Walking
- 5–7 h
- Zone
- Alpine desert
- Net gain
- +166 m
Day04
Barranco Wall to Karanga
The morning starts on the Barranco Wall, a 257 m scramble that looks harder than it is. Hands on rock, a guide beside you, no ropes needed. Then a roller-coaster traverse of ridges and valleys to Karanga Camp.
On the seven-day plan this is a gentle day by design. It buys your body one more night to adjust.
- Start
- 3,976 m
- Sleep
- 3,995 m
- Distance
- 5 km
- Walking
- 4–5 h
- Zone
- Alpine desert
- Gain
- +19 m
Day05
Karanga to Barafu Camp
A steady climb over bare scree to Barafu, base camp for the summit, on a windy ridge. Early dinner, a final kit check with your guide, and bed by seven. The wake-up call comes before midnight.
Lay out your summit layers before you sleep. At 23:30 you will be glad you did.
- Start
- 3,995 m
- Sleep
- 4,673 m
- Distance
- 4 km
- Walking
- 4–5 h
- Zone
- Alpine desert
- Gain
- +678 m
Day06
Summit night: Uhuru Peak, then down to Mweka
Head torches on around midnight. Slow switchbacks to Stella Point on the crater rim at 5,756 m, usually around sunrise, then an hour along the rim, past the glaciers, to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m. Photos, a hug, and a long descent to Mweka Camp.
The biggest day of the climb: about 1,200 m up, then 2,800 m down. Your guide sets the pace and the turn-around time.
- Summit
- 5,895 m
- Sleep
- 3,068 m
- Distance
- 5 + 12 km
- Walking
- 12–14 h
- Zone
- Arctic summit
- Descent
- −2,827 m
Day07
Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
Back into the forest on a well-made path. Summit certificates at the gate, a goodbye with the crew who carried you up, and a drive back to Moshi for the longest, hottest shower of your life.
Knees take the strain today. Poles shortened, small steps, no racing.
- Start
- 3,068 m
- Finish
- 1,640 m
- Distance
- 10 km
- Walking
- 3–4 h
- Zone
- Rainforest
- Descent
- −1,428 m
Before: arrival night in Moshi, briefing and gear check.After: one more night in Moshi to rest.Total: about 62 km on foot.
The climb, in one breath
Five climates.
One mountain.
Walking from the farms above Moshi to the crater rim is often compared to walking from the equator to the Arctic in a week. Each band of the mountain has its own plants, weather and pace.
- Rainforest1,800–2,800 m
- Heath and moorland2,800–4,000 m
- Alpine desert4,000–5,000 m
- Arctic summitAbove 5,000 m
- Above the cloudsEvery morning
“Theluji means snow. Most people come for the last few hundred metres of it. We want you to love the whole walk.”The Theluji crew, Moshi
What it costs
Prices from
Per climber, for two or more on a private departure. Park, camping and rescue fees, usually the largest part of any Kilimanjaro price, are included, not added later.
- Mount MeruHuts, armed ranger, Arusha National Park4 daysfrom$1,050
- MaranguThe hut route, six-day version only6 daysfrom$1,980
- MachameOur most chosen route7 daysfrom$2,350
- RongaiQuieter, drier northern approach7 daysfrom$2,450
- LemoshoWilderness start, superb acclimatisation8 daysfrom$2,890
- Northern CircuitThe long way round, fewest people9 daysfrom$3,350
Solo climbers add $350. Prices in US dollars, per person, before tips. Arrival and departure nights in Moshi are included on every climb.
Included
- All park, camping, hut and rescue fees
- Licensed lead guide, assistant guides, cook and porters
- Three hot meals a day, snacks and treated drinking water
- Four-season tents, sleeping mats and a private toilet tent
- Bottled oxygen, pulse oximeter and first-aid kit
- Airport transfers and two nights at a lodge in Moshi
Not included
- International flights and Tanzania visa
- Travel insurance covering trekking to 6,000 m
- Crew tips (we give you clear guidelines)
- Sleeping bag and personal gear (rentals below)
Packing list
Pack like
a guide
Tick things off as you pack. Your list stays on this device. Nights at Barafu often drop well below freezing, so warm layers matter more than anything else.
0 / 0items packed
Rent it in Moshi
- Sleeping bag, −15 °C$45 / climb
- Down jacket$35 / climb
- Trekking poles$15 / climb
- Gaiters$10 / climb
Safety on the mountain
Slow is
the safe way
Altitude does not care how fit you are. These are the habits we build into every climb, from the first briefing in Moshi to the last step out of the forest.
Checks twice a day
Pulse oximeter readings and a short altitude-sickness questionnaire every morning and evening, written down so changes are easy to spot.
Oxygen on every climb
Bottled oxygen, a full first-aid kit and a stretcher travel with every group, whatever the route or group size.
One guide per two climbers
On summit night every pair of climbers has a guide at their side, so one person turning back never ends the climb for the rest.
A clear turn-around rule
Descending is the treatment for altitude sickness. The lead guide's call is final, and it is agreed with you at the briefing, not on the mountain.
Fair loads for porters
Every bag is weighed at the gate and porter loads stay within the park's 20 kg limit. Crew get proper boots, warm jackets, tents and three meals a day.
Insurance first
We confirm your climb once we have seen travel insurance that covers trekking to 6,000 m, including evacuation.
When to climb
Driest, most popularGood, cooler or quieterRainy season
JanDry, cold
FebDry, cold
MarRains near
AprLong rains
MayLong rains
JunClearing
JulDry
AugDry
SepDry
OctWarmer
NovShort rains
DecHolidays
4,562metres
The warm-up mountain
Mount Meru
Tanzania's second-highest mountain is a climb in its own right and the best acclimatisation you can do before Kilimanjaro. Giraffe and buffalo graze below the forest, so an armed park ranger walks with every group.
- Summit
- 4,562 m
- Days
- 4
- Sleep in
- Huts
- Momella Gate to Miriakamba Hut, 2,514 m. Wildlife walk through open grassland and forest.
- Up to Saddle Hut, 3,570 m. An afternoon side trip to Little Meru, 3,820 m.
- Summit night to Socialist Peak, 4,562 m. Along the crater rim at sunrise, Kilimanjaro on the horizon. Down to Miriakamba.
- Back to Momella Gate and on to Moshi to rest.
Enquire
Plan your climb
Tell us roughly what you want. The estimate updates as you go, and a guide replies with dates and a firm quote.