On day 2, you’ll visit Arusha National Park, which is a short drive away. The Park has beautiful places to see, like the Momela lakes, Ngurdoto Crater, and Mount Meru. Your guide will take you on a hike through the forest, where you might spot animals like giraffes, bushbucks, colobus monkeys, and many types of birds.

 You’ll also enjoy a picnic lunch in a lovely spot and get to learn interesting things about the park’s nature and history from your guide. After the park visit, you’ll return to the Hotel for a briefing about your Kilimanjaro climb. You’ll pack for the next day, have dinner, and rest well for your adventure. You can leave any items you don’t need for the climb with the hotel reception, ready to collect when you’re back. Your Refresh Africa Tours guide will help you with this.

 ACCOMMODATION: Hotel in Arusha

MEAL PLAN: ALL MEALS ARE INCLUDED (FULL BOARD)

Elevation: 2,385 meters > 2,780 meters (7,825ft >9,121ft)
Distance: 7km / 4.3 miles
Trekking time: 4 -6 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest/Rain Forest

Accommodation: Big Tree Camp

 Leave Arusha with your packed lunch and head to the Lemosho entrance gate. Once there, start your hike through the beautiful Afromontane Forest. As you walk, you’ll come across unique plants and animals found only in this area. Look out for trees like hagenia, fig, and juniper along the trail. This part of the hike takes about 2.5 to 3.5 hours.

 When you reach the forest camp, at 2780 meters (9120 feet), you’ll have a tasty dinner and then rest for the night.

MEAL PLAN: ALL MEALS ARE INCLUDED (FULL BOARD)

Elevation: 2,780 meters > 3,500 meters (9,121ft > 11,483ft)
Distance: 8.5km / 5.3 miles
Trekking time: 5-7 hours
Habitat: Moorland

Accommodation: Shira Camp 1

You’ll wake up at 5:30 am and enjoy a hot drink of your choice. By 6:15 am, you’ll pack your bags, have breakfast, and get ready to start hiking to Shira 1 Camp. The hike will take around 5-6 hours, and the guide will adjust the speed to suit the group.

When you arrive at the camp, you’ll have lunch and some free time to look around. You can take a short walk to see Shira Cathedral, a big rock formation with amazing views of the area.

In the evening, your guide will talk about the next day’s plan and give you any gear you might need. After dinner, you’ll rest for the night and prepare for the adventure ahead. The camp is at 3610 meters (11600 feet).

MEAL PLAN: ALL MEALS ARE INCLUDED (FULL BOARD)

Elevation: 3,500 meters > 3,9o0 meters (11,482ft > 12,795ft)
Distance: 8km / 5 miles
Trekking time: 5 hours
Habitat: Moorland/Semi desert

 Accommodation: Moir Camp

 You’ll wake up at 5:30 am and enjoy a hot drink of your choice. At 6:15 am, you’ll pack your bags, have breakfast, and get ready to start hiking. Today’s trek to Moir Camp will take around 5-6 hours, with lunch waiting for you when you arrive.

 In the afternoon, your guide will lead a short hike to help you get used to the altitude. This walk follows the “go high, sleep low” method, which helps your body adjust.

 You’ll have dinner and spend the night at Moir Camp, which is 3995 meters (13200 feet) above sea level.

 MEAL PLAN: ALL MEALS ARE INCLUDED (FULL BOARD)

Elevation: 4,200 meters (13,780ft)
Distance: 11km / 7 miles
Trekking time: 7 -9hours
Habitat: Semi-desert

Accommodation: Barranco Camp

At 5:30 am, you’ll start your day with a warm drink of your choice. By 6:15 am, you’ll pack your bags, eat breakfast, and begin the hike. The journey to Baranco Camp takes about 5 hours, and along the way, you’ll pass through Lava Tower Camp, which sits at 4600 meters (15000 feet). You’ll stop there for 1-2 hours to have lunch and help your body adjust to the altitude.

Afterward, you’ll continue walking to Baranco Camp, where you’ll have dinner and spend the night. Baranco Camp is located at 3900 meters (13000 feet).

MEAL PLAN: ALL MEALS ARE INCLUDED (FULL BOARD)

Elevation: 3,960 meters > 3,963 meters (12,106ft >13,002ft)

Distance: 5.5km / 3.4 miles

Trekking time: 5 hours

Habitat: Alpine desert

Accommodation: Karanga Camp

Your day starts at 5:30 am with a hot drink to wake you up. At 6:15 am, you’ll pack your bags, have breakfast, and begin your hike. This part of the journey takes you from Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp, and it’s all about helping your body adjust to the altitude. The highlight of the day is climbing the impressive Great Barranco Wall, a huge lava formation that makes the morning exciting. As you go up, take breaks and enjoy the amazing views around you.

Unlike some guides who rush the trek, you’ll end your day at Karanga Camp. Spending more time at high altitude helps improve your chances of reaching the summit. At Karanga Camp, you can relax and enjoy the peaceful Karanga Valley. You’ll have lunch, dinner, and spend the night there. The camp sits at an elevation of 3930 meters (13000 feet).

MEAL PLAN: ALL MEALS ARE INCLUDED (FULL BOARD)

Elevation: 3,963 meters > 4,640 meters (13,002ft > 15,223ft)

Distance: 3km / 1.9 miles

Trekking time: 3 hours

Habitat: Alpine desert

Accommodation: Barafu Camp

Your day starts early at 5:30 am with a hot drink to wake you up. By 6:15 am, you’ll pack your bags, have breakfast, and get ready for the day’s hike. You’ll walk for 3 to 4 hours to reach Barafu Camp, where you’ll have lunch.

In the afternoon, your guides will help you prepare for the summit climb by discussing what to wear and getting everything ready. After this, you’ll take some rest and have an early dinner around 5:00 pm. Rest is very important at this point because your climb to the summit will begin at midnight. The journey from Barafu Camp to the summit (Uhuru Peak) will take 6 to 7 hours. Barafu Camp is located at an elevation of 4600 meters (15000 feet).

MEAL PLAN: ALL MEALS ARE INCLUDED (FULL BOARD)

Elevation: 4,640 meters > 5,895 meters > 3,790 meters (15,223ft >19,341ft >12,434ft)
Distance: 13.4km / 8.3 miles
Trekking time: 12-15 hours
Habitat: Arctic

Accommodation: Mweka Camp

Today is the big day—you’ll reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro after 6 to 7 hours of hiking, enjoying incredible views along the way. Once at the top, take some time to capture the moment with photos. Afterward, you’ll head back down to Barafu Camp, where your tent will be ready for you to change back into your regular hiking gear.

Pack your bags, have lunch, and continue descending to Mweka Camp. This will be the longest day of your trip, with about 12 to 13 hours of hiking, but the experience is truly worth it. You’ll enjoy dinner and spend the night at Mweka Camp, located at 3100 meters (10000 feet) above sea level.

MEAL PLAN: ALL MEALS ARE INCLUDED

Elevation: 3,790 meters > 1,630 meters (12,443ft >5,348ft)
Distance: 12.1km / 7.5 miles
Trekking time: 6 hours
Habitat: Rain Forest

Accommodation: Hotel in Arusha

The last stretch of the journey takes you on a calm hike through the rainforest, ending at Mweka Gate. Here, you’ll wrap up park formalities and receive your certificates—a proud reminder of your achievement! Once that’s done, you’ll meet your transport and head back to your hotel in Moshi. There, you can enjoy a refreshing shower and maybe treat yourself to a cold drink before celebrating your accomplishment. You’ll spend the night at the hotel in Arusha.

MEAL PLAN: ALL MEALS ARE INCLUDED

On the last day, after breakfast or lunch at your hotel Arusha, one of the team members will accompany you as you are transferred to the airport.

 MEAL PLAN: BREAKFAST PLAN