Late evening arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport outside Arusha, where we are met by the Wanderlust Trip Leader and drive about 45 minutes to our lodge in Arusha. We head direct to enjoy a late dinner and a relaxing shower before settling in for the night. Hotel: Ilboru Safari Lodge, Arusha. (3 nights)

After breakfast, we spend a relative easy and axingday today. We will take time to visit two community projects of Wanderlust. First is a visit to the local village school and kindergarten in Olmuringiringa village under the care of Arusha Children’s Trust, a local charity we support. We meet the children, volunteers and teachers to learn about the project, watch a tribal cultural show with music and dances and participate in a ceremony where each group member will hand over a pre-ordered wooden desk and bench specially built using local materials and labour. They come with your name and hometown stenciled! Lunch in town.

On our return to the lodge, we stop to show you another Wanderlust’s favorite support projects, The Neema House, a rescue center for orphaned, abandoned, and at-risk babies in Arusha, Tanzania, an initiative of Michael and Dorris Fortson, former US missionaries with a long history of service in Tanzania. A portion of Wanderlust’s profits from this adventure are used to support both NGO’s by way of essential needs and materials.

Relax by the pool and beautifully manicured gardens at the lodge. In the evening, meet our local head guide for a briefing and gear check-up to prepare you for the challenging days ahead. You will separate your Kili gear from your safari items (your safari baggage is left in the luggage room at the lodge). A welcome dinner at the hotel.

A morning drive of about 3-4 hours takes us from Arusha to Londorossi Gate in Kilimanjaro National Forest Reserve, with its plantations of pine and cedar.

We meet our mountain guides and the porter team and register at the Londorossi gate office, and drive another hour through the dense rain forest to the Morum Gate trail head on the edge of the Shira Plateau located at an elevation of 3400m. We stop for picnic lunch at the trail head.

After lunch, start the hike at an altitude of 3400m, with a gradual ascent through heather and mooreland. Enter the lush rainforest and listen to the sounds of many exotic birds. Spot monkeys such as the black and white colobus – these monkeys are black with a long ‘cape’ of white hair and a flowing white tail. This portion of the route is a quite different from the traditional Shira plateau route, and is perfect for climbers seeking a more private hiking experience. Spend the day in the gorgeous and fascinating forested slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, most of which is considered to be a rainforest zone. Your destination today is the Shira I Camp. Once at camp, enjoy a hot dinner with your fellow trekkers. Total of 1-2 hours hiking/ Elevation gained: 200 metres

Today is a steady and easy-paced acclimatization day that takes us a little higher on the Shira Plateau through heath and moorland zones and view the giant senecios, lobelias, groundsels, and helichrysums that grow at this altitude. The walk reaches the broad upland desert allowing you to explore beneath the Northern Ice fields, an area almost totally invisible to other routes with unusual views of Kibo. We then reach our camp Moir Hut (4200m) and lunch. After lunch there is the option to relax in the camp site or take a further acclimatization hike to the summit of the Lent Hills (4700m) a bit more strenuous walk only few privileged visitors get in this remote corner of Kilimanjaro. Dinner and overnight at Moir Camp. Total of 5-6 hours hiking/ Elevation gained: 600 metres

Enter a different world by following the Northern Circuit Trail around to the northwestern side of the mountain. The dry slopes of Kibo drop toward Kenya and Amboseli National Park. The only signs we see of other travelers will be game trails, fresh signs of Cape buffalo and eland, the largest of Africa’s antelope. Pofu, our camp for the night, is the Swahili word for eland.

Today’s walk is perhaps the longest and steepest ascent so far, a relentless struggle up a barren slope as we climb out of the Moir Valley with a short detour to reach the summit of Lent Hills at 4375m. After admiring the views from the summit, we hit the trail again and head eastwards around the northern circuit trail. Note how the character of each valley is different to its neighbours, with some decorated with everlastings, others blanketed in heathers, and still others virtually pure, lifeless desert. From here the route follows a series of inclines and declines, skirting around the northern slopes of Kibo to Pofu Camp, arriving just after midday, where you will have lunch and have time to rest after a long day of hiking. Lunch, dinner and overnight at Pofu Camp. Total of 6-7 hours hiking/ Elevation loss: 200 metres

Winding through a forest of towering Dendrosenecio kilimanjari, proceed upward over expansive ridge lines in the alpine desert and moorland, continuing our circuit to the east, enjoying a vast mountain wilderness to ourselves. Enjoy the extraordinary views as you pass massive volcanic formations scattered throughout the fields of scree. We eventually join the Rongai route and gradually descend to Rongai Second Cave Camp where you’ll camp above this lunar landscape in a remote location where you may even catch a glimpse of Kenya’s vast badlands. Lunch, dinner and overnight at Rongai Second Cave camp. Total of 6-7 hours hiking/ Elevation loss: 600 metres

After breakfast we set out in a north easterly direction to cross the alpine desert, where you will find little more than a few tufts of grass, some everlastings, and bright yellow daisy-like flowers alongside the trail. The air will feel cooler, but the equatorial sun is still intense, so keep applying your sunscreen! We will take the opportunity to explore some of the rock overhangs, large boulder formations and even a smaller volcanic towers that are along the route as you acclimatize. We will pitch camp at Kikelewa Camp site for a late lunch and then explore the cave during an afternoon hike. Dinner and overnight. Total of 3-5 hours hiking/ Elevation gain: 275 metres

From Kikelelwa Camp heading to Mawenzi Tarn Hut Camp is a short day less than 4 km steep ascend of over 600m passing through moorland vegetation to the barren region, The Mawezi Tarn Hut is situated in a stunning setting next to a placid lake at the foot of Mawenzi—Kilimanjaro’s second highest volcanic cone—this alcove offers spectacular views of the summit’s cathedral-like spires. We will have a hot lunch at the camp and rest. Dinner and overnight. Total of 5-6 hours hiking/ Elevation gain: 627 metres

We will leave our attractive campsite and start the trek across the lunar desert of the “Saddle” that sits between Mawenzi and Kibo. As we approach Kibo you will notice a considerable drop in temperature. We pass by Kibo Huts, a busy dormitory type accommodation used by Marangu and Rongai route hikers as we continue to the School Hut, also known as the Outward Bound Camp, in an effort to avoid the large crowds that will make their mid night summit bids from Kibo Huts. After lunch we will retire to our tents to get some rest so that you will be well rested for our exciting summit attempt tomorrow. Dinner and overnight at School Hut. Total of 5-6 hours hiking/ Elevation gain: 417 metres

Wake before dawn to start the final and most demanding part of the climb on a switchback trail through loose volcanic scree to reach the crater rim at Gillman’s Point. We rest here for a short time to enjoy the spectacular views over Mawenzi. Push further west to the Stella point on the crater rim, before descending to the caldera towards the Crater camp set in soft sands near the retreating vertical ice walls of the Furtwangler Glacier. Take lunch at the camp and the afternoon is spent relaxing at this unique high altitude camp. We take short walks with one of our guides to the ice fields, the inner crater and ash pit, a wonderful photo opportunity. Dinner and overnight at Crater Camp. Total of 8-10 hours hiking/ Elevation gain: 910 metres

After breakfast, we make a two-hour hike up the final 200m to Uhuru Peak, the true summit of Kilimanjaro. We arrive early when you may be the only group there, before the clouds close in, so we usually have terrific views of Africa stretching out in all directions. Unlike other routes to Uhuru Peak, which require starting summit climbs at midnight, our short, pre-dawn hike allows us to fully enjoy the summit experience with the entire continent spread out below us.

After celebrating our achievement, we then make a steep, rigorous descent along the crater rim to Stella Point and down the Barafu Route for about two hours, enjoy a well earned brunch and a short break, then begin the descend via the Mweka Route for another three or four hours to our last overnight camp at Mweka at 3100m, back in the forest zone. The descent from Kilimanjaro is long and steep. Trekking poles for support are highly recommended. You should do your best to build the strength of your “quads” with a pre-trip conditioning and strengthening program. Dinner and overnight at Mweka camp. Total of 8-12 hours hiking/ Elevation gain: 200 metres/ Elevation Loss: 2795m

We leave camp early for our last downhill hike, a descent of about 1500m that is steep in places and can be muddy if wet (once again, trekking poles will help with support). Arriving at Mweka Gate, we’ll have a celebratory lunch at the trail head and receive our climb diplomas to celebrate our great feat!

We relax for a bit, reflecting on the last nine days, then say goodbye to our porters, “sign off ” the mountain, and drive to our accommodation at Ilboru Safari Lodge in Arusha. We have a well-deserved hot shower, optional massage, and enjoy a hot dinner.

Breakfast at the lodge. Those trip members not joining the safari extension (see Optional Extensions), will be transferred to the airport in the evening to depart on homeward-bound flights, while safari extension participants, will be picked by our safari crew after breakfast.