Northern Circuit
The Northern Circuit route offers nearly 360 degrees of beautiful scenery including the quiet, rarely visited northern slopes. As the longest route on Kilimanjaro, the Northern Circuit also has the most acclimatization time and the highest summit success rate. Thus, the Northern Circuit route is highly recommended.
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Difficulty: High
Distance: 98 km
Duration: 9-10 days
Success rate: High
Scenery
The Northern Circuit route takes climbers through some of the most beautiful and scenic areas of Kilimanjaro, including the Shira Plateau, the Lemosho Glades, and the Northern Circuit Trail. The route also offers stunning views of the surrounding landscapes, including Mount Meru and the Rift Valley.
Acclimatization
The Northern Circuit route is the longest route to the summit, taking about 9-10 days to complete. This allows for a more gradual ascent, allowing climbers to acclimatize better and reduce the risk of altitude sickness. This route has a high success rate due to the longer acclimatization period and the more gradual ascent. This increases the chances of reaching the summit successfully.
Remote Landscape
The Northern Circuit route takes climbers through some of the most remote and unspoiled areas of Kilimanjaro, providing an authentic and adventurous experience. From Moir Hut to Buffalo Camp and then to School Hut, the route takes a clockwise turn towards the north before ascending the summit from the east. The Mweka route is utilized for the descent.
ITIRENARY
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Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to your hotel in Moshi. Meet your guide for a briefing and equipment check for the climb. We recommend arriving a day early as it is very important to attend the meeting and not be late.
Day 1 - Londorossi Gate to Mti Mkubwa
Drive to Londorossi Gate, about 4 hours, and register with park authorities before starting the climb. Hike through the undisturbed Montane forest to Mti Mkubwa campsite.
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Accommodation: Camping (1 night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Elevation: 7,742 ft to 9,498 ft
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Distance: 6 km/4 miles
Habitat: Rain Forest
Day 2 - Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1 Camp
Day two starts with a gradual hike out of the rainforest and through moorlands and heath to Shira 1 campsite, with views of Mount Meru and the Shira Plateau.
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Accommodation: Camping (1 night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Elevation: 9,498 ft to 11,500 ft
Hiking Time: 5-6 hours
Distance: 8 km/5 miles
Habitat: Health
Day 3 - Shira 1 to Shira 2 Camp
Hike towards the Kibo Massif, passing Shira Cathedral and the Shira Plateau. Here you will join trekkers from the Machame Route, but in the same time the plateau offers marvelous views of the valley below and the Western Breach of Kilimanjaro above. It's an exposed location, so you should anticipate strong winds, and temperatures dropping below zero during the initial hours. Reach Shira 2 campsite, where you can see the Western Breach route of Kilimanjaro.
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Accommodation: Camping (1 night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Elevation: 11,500 ft to 12,500 ft
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Distance: 7 km/4 miles
Habitat: Health
Day 4 - Shira 2 to Lava Tower to Moir Hut
Hike up to Lava Tower, a tower of volcanic rock, for acclimatization and then descend to Moir Hut campsite for the night. You'll have some opportunities to take walks on Lent Hills and Shira Plateau.
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Accommodation: Camping (1 night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Elevation: 12,500 ft to 15,190 ft to 13,580 ft
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours ascent and 2-3 hours descent
Distance: 7 km/4 miles ascent and 7 km/4 miles descent
Habitat: Alpine Desert
Day 5 - Moir Hut to Buffalo Camp
Starting out in the Moir Valley, you will make a moderately steep climb before reaching the summit of Lent Hills. From there, the path weaves across a rock field and undulates gently until you reach Buffalo Camp. Along the way you will be rewarded with spectacular views of the plains north of Kilimanjaro, stretching out to the Kenyan/Tanzanian border.
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Accommodation: Camping (1 night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Elevation: 13,580 ft to 13,200 ft
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
Distance: 12 km/7 miles
Habitat: Alpine Desert
Day 6 - Buffalo Camp to Third Cave
As we head up Buffalo Ridge, we then trek through remote valleys and up the northern slopes of Kilimanjaro until we reach Third Cave. The vegetation around Third Cave is a mix of shrubs and bushes covering the rocky terrain.
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Accommodation: Camping (1 night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Elevation: 13,200 ft to 12,700 ft
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
Distance: 8 km/5 miles
Habitat: Health
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Day 7 - Third Cave to School Hut
On Day 7, we trek over the Saddlle Plateau which is situated between Kibo and Mawenzi Peaks, and offers spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. It's a great place to take a break and marvel at the beauty of the mountain and its surroundings. Once we arrive at School Hut, the last stop before the summit, we will take an early dinner and prepare for the summit day.
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Accommodation: Camping (1 night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Elevation: 12,700 ft to 15,600 ft
Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
Distance: 5 km/3 miles
Habitat: Alpine Desert
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Day 8 - School Hut to Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp
You will start the summit attempt just before midnight. This portion of the climb may be challenging as you'll be trekking at night and the wind and cold may be extreme. By dawn, you arrive near the rim at Gilman’s point, at an altitude of 18,600ft and be greeted by the most magnificent sun rise you could imagine. From here you have about 1 hr hike to the Uhuru Peak. After a short celebration, and pictures, you will start descending to Mweka Camp through scree and rock formations with a stop at Barafu for lunch. Dinner and overnight at Mweka Camp. Keep in mind that Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon.
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Accommodation: Camping (1 night)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Elevation: 15,600 ft to 19,341 ft to 10,065 ft
Hiking Time: 6-8 hours ascent and 4-6 hours descent
Distance: 6 km/6 miles ascent and 12 km/7 miles descent
Habitat: Arctic, Rain Forest
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Day 9 – Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
After breakfast, you will descend to Mweka Gate, where you will receive your summit certificates. A vehicle will be waiting to take you back to your hotel in Moshi for a hot shower and rest. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
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Accommodation: Camping (1 night)
Meals: Breakfast
Elevation: 10,065 ft to 5,380 ft
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Distance: 10 km/6 miles
Habitat: Rain Forest