Day 1: Arrival in Moshi
Airport transfer, gear check and route briefing at your hotel, with an early night ahead of the trek.
Day 2: Londorossi Gate to Mti Mkubwa Camp
A drive to the western trailhead, then a gentle first day through montane rainforest to Mti Mkubwa (‘big tree’ in Swahili) camp at around 2,850 metres.
Day 3: Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1 Camp
Climbing out of the forest onto the edge of the Shira Plateau, an ancient collapsed volcanic caldera, with camp pitched at roughly 3,500 metres.
Day 4: Shira 1 to Shira 2 Camp
A gentler day crossing the plateau itself, with Kibo's summit dome visible ahead for long stretches: good acclimatisation walking at a modest altitude gain.
Day 5: Shira 2 to Barranco Camp
A climb over the Lava Tower at nearly 4,600 metres before descending to Barranco Camp: the classic ‘climb high, sleep low’ acclimatisation day that does much of the route's heavy lifting.
Day 6: Barranco to Karanga Camp
A short but steep morning up the Barranco Wall, considered more exciting than technically difficult, followed by an easier afternoon to Karanga Camp.
Day 7: Karanga to Barafu Camp
A shorter day to Barafu (base camp for the summit push), with an early dinner and an attempt at sleep before a midnight start.
Day 8: Summit and Descent
A midnight departure for Stella Point and on to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 metres for sunrise, followed by a long descent all the way to Mweka Camp.
Day 9: Descend to Mweka Gate
A final few hours through the forest to Mweka Gate, certificates issued, and transfer back to Moshi.
