February 2025 Kilimanjaro Experience

Catch a first glimpse of what lies ahead as you arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Flights are not included in the experience cost but our specialist team can assist you in booking flights, or alternatively feel free to make your own travel arrangements and we'll meet you at base camp!

We'll check in to Kia Lodge hotel, 5 minutes from Kilimanjaro airport where we'll await the arrival of our guests. Our expedition leader, AJ, will join us for a kit check and detailed climb briefing. You will be fully prepared as you will have had our detailed kit list months in advance! 

The day before the start of our climb, we will visit Feathers Tale Special Needs Children’s Home and Angels Gate Street Youth Home in Moshi, near Kilimanjaro base camp. Here you will witness first hand where all your incredible fund-raising efforts will be used and align your climb with the purpose. Then it's off to base camp to prepare for the adventure ahead.

• Distance: 11km / 7 Miles
• Hiking time: 5-7 hours
• Ascent: 1035m / 3416ft
• Max. altitude: 2835m / 9356ft (high altitude)  
• Habitat: Montane forest

After breakfast we will transfer to the Machame Gate for registration and our climb will begin along a winding trail through a beautiful and lush forest. This zone experiences the most rainfall on the mountain so you should be prepared for afternoon showers! The climb is steady, gradually easing as we approach our overnight camp at Machame Hut, located on the edge of the forest and giant heather zones.

• Distance: 5km / 3 Miles
• Hiking time: 4-5 hours
• Ascent: 915m / 3020ft
• Max. altitude: 3750m /12375ft (very high altitude)
• Habitat: Moorland

The day starts with a climb up a steep ridge to reach the small cliff known as Picnic Rock then on to the jagged rim of the Shira Plateau. Shira is the third of Kilimanjaro’s volcanic cones. Once on the plateau, the trail becomes gentler as we continue our climb to Shira Camp where we'll spend the night. On a clear day, there are excellent views of Kibo, the summit cone of Kilimanjaro and the jagged rim of the Shira Plateau.  

• Distance: 10km / 6Miles
• Hiking time: 6-7 hours
• Ascent: 850m / 2805ft
• Max. altitude: 4600m / 15180ft (very high altitude)
• Habitat: Moorland

A steady climb to start, over the expansive ridge lines of high desert to the 300 feet high volcanic plug of Lava Tower. From Lava Tower it's a steep descent in to the Barranco Valley. This is good practice for the descent from the summit in a few days time. Although we will end our day at almost the same elevation as we started, today is super important for acclimatisation and will help your body prepare for summit night. Barranco Camp is in a beautiful, sheltered valley below the imposing Barranco Wall.

• Distance: 10km / 6miles
• Hiking time: 6-7 hours
• Ascent: 773m / 2551ft
• Max. altitude: 4673m / 15421ft
• Habitat: Moorland

After breakfast, we leave Barranco Camp and climb the Barranco Wall - an impressive scramble with fantastic views back towards camp. The porters climbing the wall are also an impressive sight! We'll follow and undulating path around the mountainside where, on a clear day, there are spectacular views of Kibo and Mount Meru. After descending into the Karranga Valley, we'll take a short, steep path to Karranga Camp where we will stay tonight to acclimatise and make sure everyone has the best chance of summiting.

• Distance 5km / 2miles  
• Hiking time: 2-3 hours
• Ascent: 600m
• Max altitude 4673m/15,331ft 
• Habitat - The high alpine desert

A short day today as we enjoy a steady climb to Barafu (Swahili for ice!) Camp which is on the ridge below the summit cone. The walk will take around 3 hours (4km).  After lunch and a summit briefing, we will rest in preparation for the summit climb, which starts at midnight!

• Distance: 14-17.5km / 9-11 Miles
• Hiking time: 13-16 hours
• Accent: 1222m 
• Max. altitude: 5895m /19454ft
• Habitat: Alpine Desert / Moorland / Montane Forest

At midnight we will begin our final ascent to the summit of Uhuru Peak, taking approximately 8 hours (5km) and experiencing extremes in temperature! At Stella Point (5,756m/18995ft) we will join the crater rim and climb to Uhuru Peak, the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. From the summit, the descent will take us down Millennium Camp (3995m/13184ft), with lunch served at Barafu Camp on the way. The it's back to Millennium Camp for our final night on the mountain.

• Distance: 12.4km
• Hiking time: 5-6 hours 
• Descent: 1460m / 4818ft
• Habitat: Montane forest

After a much needed sleep we will start oour celebratory walk from Millennium Camp to the finish at Mweka Gate which provides a great last view of the mountain we've just climbed. Walking back through the lush forest keep a lookout for monkeys along the way. From Mweka Gate, we will enjoy the all-important tipping ceremony - your chance to hand over any kit you want to donate and tip the porters (see tipping guidelines), who are invaluable in getting you up and down the mountain safely and comfortably. Then it's back to your accommodation for a well-earned hot shower before the celebration party begins!

Mission complete and it's time to head back home for some much needed rest and reflection or enjoy one of our East Africa extensions at the stunning Zen Boutique Resort in Zanzibar or the ultimate safari experience on the Serengeti. Details to be released end of March.