Northern Circuit, 9 Days
ITINERARY DESCRIPTION
The Northern Circuit is the newest and possibly greatest route up Mount Kilimanjaro. This is due to the fact that it combines all of the greatest features of the other routes into one excellent climb. This is the route for you if you’re seeking for gorgeous scenery, plenty of solitude, a good challenge, and the chance to see animals.
For the first several days, the Northern Circuit route follows the same path as the Lemosho route, but instead of staying on the south side of Kibo, it takes the less-traveled northern routes.
As a result of the lack of other hikers on this trail, the campsites are quiet, calm, and almost abandoned.
Because the Northern Circuit track is longer than the others, it allows hikers to see more of the mountain. They’ll not only get to trek through the breathtaking Shira Plateau, but they’ll also get to see Kibo Peak and Uhuru Summit along the route.
It also affords spectacular views down towards the vast plains to the north of the mountain, which only a few other hikers get to see when ascending Kilimanjaro.
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Northern Circuit, 9 Days
Itinerary by Day
Overview of the Northern Circuit 9-Day Itinerary
Starting from Londorossi Gate and ending at Mweka Gate, this hike will take you to the peak. Please see this website for a day-by-day schedule for the Northern Circuit Route: Northern Circuit Route (nine days)
7 nights / 8 days Northern Circuit Detailed Itinerary
Lemosho Glades, Day 1
We’ll go from your resort to the Londorosi gate on Mt. Kilimanjaro’s western side (a few hours drive from Arusha). Our walk will begin at the Lemosho trailhead. Please note that in wet/muddy weather, the cars may be unable to reach the genuine trailhead, necessitating additional hiking; nonetheless, Serengeti Pride vehicles often make it further than any other business owing to our excellent drivers and vehicles.
We’ll trek for around 4 hours to the woodland camp after a picnic lunch. Exotic moss and flowers abound in the forest, while bird cries enchant the ears. You could witness Black and White Colobus monkeys, as well as elephant tracks if you visit this region. Forest Camp will be our home for the night.
Hiking time: 4 to 5 hours
9,498′ Overnight Altitude
Shira Plateau, Day 2
Our views open up as we leave the Montane Forest and approach the Hagenia zone, and we get our first glimpse of the Kibo summit. We trek up and down many ridges on our route to our highest point of the day at 11,500′ before descending to camp, making this a fantastic acclimatization trip. Shira 1 Camp is where you’ll spend the night.
Hiking time: 6 to 9 hours
Overnight Elevation: 11,500 ft
Moir Camp, Day 3
We’ll cross the Shira Plateau’s Heath zone and begin climbing the Kibo Massif’s western slope. We’ll stop for a picnic lunch at Scott Fisher’s memorial camp along the route (the well-known Mt. Everest guide). We’ll continue on to Moir camp in the higher heath zone. Acclimatization treks might be scheduled in the late afternoon, depending on the weather.
Hiking time: 5 to 6 hours
13,580′ Overnight Altitude
Pofu/Buffalo Camp Day 4
Hike about 4 to 7 hours, depending on how many stops you make along the route. As you leave Moir camp, you’ll have quite a ridge to climb up, so take it slow and steady until you reach the top. This is an excellent day for acclimatization.
Hiking time: 5 to 7 hours
13,200′ Overnight Altitude
5th Day – 3rd Cave Camp
As you make your way to Third Cave Camp, continue your journey along the northern slope of Mount Kilimanjaro, taking in the expansive vistas.
Hiking time: 5 to 7 hours
12,700′ Overnight Altitude
School Huts Camp, Day 6
Today is our first day at our highest elevation camp. Try to get to bed early so you can get some rest before beginning your night-time summit trek to Gilman’s Point, Stella Point, and the last push up to the summit (which normally begins about midnight).
Hiking time: 4 to 5 hours
15,600′ Overnight Altitude
Day 7 – Mweka Camp and Summit (or Millenium Camp by request)
Today is the day of the summit. Around 11:00 PM or midnight the night before, we will begin our journey to the top (19,340ft – 5,896m). Your – and many other climbers’ – objective is to reach the summit just as the sun rises. In actuality, most climbers reach the peak over a several-hour period due to variances in hiking pace, energy, and altitude acclimation. You will rise 6-7 hours to Gilman’s Point, traverse the Crater Rim to Stella Point, and then ascend another 1-2 hours to Uhuru Peak, the summit, using lights (bring additional lithium batteries, which last considerably longer in freezing dark circumstances!)
Descend to Barafu camp for lunch and then to Mweka camp for the night after a summit celebration and photo. We may sleep in Millenium camp instead if we request it in advance; this is at 12,000′, so there will be less down today, but more descent tomorrow.
Hiking: The ups and downs are very changeable; an average hike lasts 13-17 hours.
The highest point is 19,341 feet.
Altitude at Night: 10,065′
Mweka Park Gate, Day 8
Today, we hike the last several miles to the trailhead, which will take us approximately 3-5 hours. Before leaving Mount Kilimanjaro and returning to town, we’ll have lunch and say our goodbyes to our mountain team. Arrive at your lodging between 3 and 5 p.m.
Hiking time: 3 to 5 hours