Northern Circuit Route
The Northern Circuit is the newest edition and most exciting route of Mount Kilimanjaro. This is the longest route in terms of time and distance traveled. This route is renowned for its beauty and although it is the most extensive climb it offers a very high summit success rate. The route begins in the west and follows the same path as the Lemosho route for the first two days. After crossing the Shira Plateau the path veers north at Lava Tower. The route circles around the quieter northern slopes to the east side of the mountain providing great views of the Kenyan and Tanzanian border.
Itinerary
Day of arrival.
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be met by an Omura representative who will transfer you to your hotel. There, you will be given time to settle in before a meet and greet with your guides. In this meeting, we will brief you on what to expect on Mount Kilimanjaro and answer any last-minute questions you may have. After the briefing, we recommend an early night for an early pick-up the following day.
Day 1.
After breakfast, you will be collected from your hotel around 8:00 am and you will be driven to Lemosho Gate located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. After the registration process, you will still start our climb steadily through the forests of the Lemosho Glades to reach Big Tree Camp where you will be spending the night. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: Lemosho Glades to Big Tree Camp
Elevation: 2,360m (7,742ft) to 2,895m (9,498ft)
Distance: 7km (4.3 miles)
Trekking Time: 4 hours
Vegetation Zone: Rainforest
Day 2.
Your climb continues as you trek across the rainforest and into a savannah of tall grasses, heather, and volcanic rock draped with lichen beards. We gain a reasonable amount of altitude today and parts of the route are fairly steep. Our destination for today is Shira 1 Camp where there are often views of Kibo Peak. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: Big Tree Camp to Shira 1 Camp
Elevation: 2,895m (9,498ft) to 3,505m (11,500ft)
Distance: 8.5km (5 miles)
Trekking Time: 6-7 hours
Vegetation Zone: Rainforest
Day 3.
Today we continue east which passes through the Garden of the Senecios. The morning is spent trekking up to Lava Tower and the iconic Shark’s Tooth rock formation at 4,600 meters, where we will have lunch. After lunch, we join the northern circuit heading down to Moir Camp. This is an important day in your trek as you will get to experience high altitude and then sleep low, which is good for the acclimatization process. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: Shira 1 Camp to Moir Camp
Elevation: 3,505m (11,500ft) to 4,200m (13,580ft)
Distance: 15km (8 miles)
Trekking Time: 5-7 hours
Vegetation Zone: Low Alpine and High Alpine
Day 4.
Today involves a moderately steep climb out of Moir Valley. We have the option to take a small detour here to climb the summit of Little Lent Hill at 4,375 meters before returning to the Northern Circuit trail. From here climbers can see the plains that lie north of Mount Kilimanjaro that stretch out to the Kenyan/Tanzanian border. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: Moir Camp to Buffalo Camp
Elevation: 4,200m (13,580ft) to 4,020m (13,200ft)
Distance: 12km (7 miles)
Trekking Time: 5-7 hours
Vegetation Zone: High Alpine
Day 5.
Today's trek starts with a climb up the Buffalo ridge and down into Porfu Camp where we will stop for lunch. The route then continues east around the northern slopes to the Third Cave where we will be spending the night. The trek is shorter than the previous day so we arrive at camp around mid-afternoon. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: Buffalo Camp to Third Cave
Elevation: 4,020m (13,200ft) to 3,870m (12,700ft)
Distance: 8km (5 miles)
Trekking Time: 5-7 hours
Vegetation Zone: High Alpine
Day 6.
Today we leave our campsite and cross the lunar desert of the ‘Saddle’ that sits between Mawenzi and Kibo. Once we reach School Hut you will have an early dinner. We recommend resting and sleeping before being awoken at 11 pm to prepare for the summit climb. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: Third Cave to School Hut
Elevation: 3,870m (12,700ft) to 4,750m (15,600ft)
Distance: 5km (3 miles)
Trekking Time: 4-5 hours
Vegetation Zone: High Alpine and Glacial
Day 7 (Summit Day).
We start the summit climb at dawn and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will reach Uhuru Peak (5895m) in the early afternoon when a few groups are around. A short descent brings you to Crater Camp, set in soft sands near the famed Furtwangler Glacier. After a short rest, we will continue to descend to Mweka Camp for a long well-earned rest. During dinner, you will be briefed for the following day by your head guide.
Camp: School Hut to Mweka Camp
Elevation: 4,750m (15,600ft) to 5,895m (19,341ft) to 3,068m (10,065ft)
Distance: 16.5km (9.5 miles)
Trekking Time: 12-14 hours
Vegetation Zone: Glacial, High Alpine, Low Alpine, Rainforest
Day 8.
A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and present you with a certificate confirming you summited Mount Kilimanjaro. We are then met by our vehicles and transferred back to the hotel for a well-earned rest and celebration with your guides.
Camp: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
Elevation: 3,068m (10,065ft to 1,640m (5,380ft)
Distance: 10km (6.5 miles)
Trekking Time: 3-4 hours
Vegetation Zone: Rainforest
Final Day.
After breakfast, a vehicle will transfer you to your next destination. If you have additional time we recommend you extend your stay. Omura offers safari packages to see nature at its finest or maybe a relaxing beach trip to Zanzibar.
