Trekking Overview

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The 9 Days Northern Circuit Route begins at Londorossi Gate on the western side of Kilimanjaro. Over nine carefully planned days, climbers cross lush rainforest, open moorland, alpine desert, and the dramatic northern circuit before ascending to the summit.

Because the 9 Days Northern Circuit Route includes extended acclimatization, it is ideal for travelers flying long distances who want a safer adjustment to altitude. This makes the 9 Days Northern Circuit Route the most recommended program for serious summit success.

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​Why Choose the 9 Days Northern Circuit Route?

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The 9 Days Northern Circuit Route is widely regarded as the best itinerary on Kilimanjaro because it provides maximum time for acclimatization. With an extra day compared to shorter programs, the 9 Days Northern Circuit Route significantly increases your chances of reaching Uhuru Peak (5,895m) safely and comfortably.

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Benefits of the Northern Circuit 

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​The 9 Days Northern Circuit Route is widely regarded as the best itinerary on Kilimanjaro because it provides maximum time for acclimatization. With an extra day compared to shorter programs, the 9 Days Northern Circuit Route significantly increases your chances of reaching Uhuru Peak (5,895m) safely and comfortably.

 

Extended Acclimatization

The 9-day trek allows more time for your body to adjust to the altitude, increasing the likelihood of reaching the summit without experiencing altitude sickness.

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Spectacular Scenery

The route offers diverse landscapes, including views of Kenya's plains, alpine deserts, and the stunning beauty of Kilimanjaro’s northern face.

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Less Crowded

Unlike the more popular routes, the Northern Circuit is quieter, giving you a more peaceful and personal trekking experience.

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High Summit Success Rate

Due to the longer duration and gradual ascent, this route boasts one of the highest success rates for reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro.

 

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Tour Map

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Trekking Itinerary

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Day 0: Arrival Kilimanjaro (JRO) Airport - Moshi

 

​​​​​Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to your hotel in Moshi. Attend a pre-climb briefing with your trekking company, complete a final gear check, and prepare for your trek.

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• Accommodation: PrimeLand Hotel

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Day 1: Moshi to Mti Mkubwa Camp

 

After breakfast, you will be picked up at the hotel around 8:00 am and driven to the village of Nale Moru for the starting point of the Rongai route. The first stage of the trek is through farmland and pine forests. You may have chance to see the beautiful Colobus monkeys or if you’re lucky enough, elephants or buffalos. Our first camp will be the Simba Camp located at the edge of the moorland zone at 2625m.

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Distance covered: 8km / 5mi

Approx time taken: 4 – 5 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

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• Accommodation: Mti Mkubwa

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Day 2: Mti Mkubwa Camp to Shira 1 Camp

 

​​​​​​Around 08:00am we will start our second day hiking to Saddle Hut. We will pass through the steep path along the ridge of saddle. We will experience amazing views of the Meru crater; both the ash cone and little Meru can be seen. On the way, we will continue to see some of the best wildlife and flowers in the forest. After arriving at Saddle Hut, we will have a hot lunch and a short rest, in the afternoon we will hike to before little Meru to help with acclimatization before returning back to the hut for dinner and an overnight stay.

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Distance covered: 12km

Approx time taken: 3.5 hours

Zone: Montane Forest

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner 

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• Accommodation: Shira Camp 1

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Day 3: Shira 1 Camp to Shira 2 Camp

 

Today you cross the heart of the Shira Plateau, a vast volcanic landscape that feels like another planet. The terrain is open and rolling, with rocky outcrops, sparse vegetation, and sweeping views in every direction. To the south, the dramatic rock formation known as Shira Cathedral rises from the plateau — a massive buttress surrounded by steep spires and pinnacles that catches the light beautifully.

The walking is relatively gentle, with only 350 meters of elevation gain, giving your body another day to acclimatize before the higher altitudes ahead. The Kibo dome dominates the eastern horizon, growing larger with each step. By this point, you’ve been on the Lemosho route for three days — but tomorrow everything changes. From Shira 2, the Northern Circuit diverges north, leaving all other routes behind.

Shira 2 Camp is one of the busiest camps on Kilimanjaro, shared by Lemosho, Machame, and Northern Circuit climbers. Enjoy the company — from tomorrow, you’ll have the mountain largely to yourself.

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Distance covered: 8km

Approx time taken: 4-6 hours

Zone: Montane Forest

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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• Accommodation: Shira Camp 2

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Day 4: Shira 2 Camp to Moir Camp

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This is the day the Northern Circuit begins in earnest. While Machame and Lemosho climbers head south toward Lava Tower and the Barranco Wall, your route turns north into Kilimanjaro’s quiet wilderness. Within an hour of leaving Shira 2, you’ll notice the change: the trail empties, the landscape opens, and the silence deepens. You are now on exclusive Northern Circuit territory.

The trail climbs gradually through alpine desert toward Moir Camp at 4,200 meters. The Lent Hills rise nearby, and in the afternoon your guide will lead an acclimatization hike to their summit at approximately 4,600 meters, offering panoramic views across the northern slopes and toward the Kibo summit. This “climb high, sleep low” strategy is key to the Northern Circuit’s exceptional success rate.

Moir Camp is one of the most remote and beautiful campsites on Kilimanjaro, tucked into a valley surrounded by volcanic rock formations. The chances of seeing another group here are slim. As darkness falls, the Milky Way stretches overhead with an intensity that few places on earth can match.

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Distance covered: 12km

Approx time taken: 5-7 hours

Zone: Alpine Desert

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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• Accommodation: Moir Camp

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Day 5: Moir Camp to Pofu Camp

 

The northern traverse continues across some of the most remote terrain on Kilimanjaro. The trail follows a broad, undulating path along the mountain’s northern flank, with the Kibo dome towering to your left and the vast plains of northern Tanzania and Kenya stretching to your right. On clear days, the views are extraordinary — you can see across the border into Kenya’s Amboseli region, with its flat-topped acacias and the shimmer of distant dust.

The northern side sits in a pronounced rain shadow, and the difference is visible everywhere. Vegetation is sparser than on the western and southern slopes, the soil more volcanic and loose, the air noticeably drier. This is Kilimanjaro’s least visited face, and the sense of remoteness is profound. The trail rises and falls gently, with a net loss of altitude that aids recovery after the previous day’s acclimatization hike.

Pofu Camp (also called Buffalo Camp) sits at 4,025 meters in a sheltered position on the northern slopes. The name comes from the Cape buffalo that occasionally wander to these altitudes. Evenings here are cold, clear, and extraordinarily quiet.

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Distance covered: 12km

Approx time taken: 3.5 hours

Zone: High Alpine 

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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• Accommodation: Pofu Camp

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Day 6: Pofu Camp to Third Cave Camp

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The final leg of the northern traverse arcs eastward, curving around Kilimanjaro’s northeastern shoulder. The terrain remains stark alpine desert — volcanic scree, scattered boulders, and the occasional hardy lichen clinging to rock. Mawenzi’s jagged pinnacles grow more prominent ahead as you approach the eastern side of the mountain, a dramatic contrast to Kibo’s smooth dome.

By afternoon you reach Third Cave Camp at 3,800 meters, where the Northern Circuit joins the approach used by Rongai route climbers. Third Cave is named for the small cave formations in the rocky terrain nearby, which historically served as shelters on traditional routes up the mountain. You’ve now completed the northern loop — in the past three days you’ve walked halfway around Kilimanjaro, from west to east, across terrain that very few people ever see.

Tomorrow’s climb to School Hut will be the steepest day on the route, so tonight is a good time to rest, eat well, and prepare your summit gear.

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Distance covered: 10km 

Approx time taken: 5-7 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

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• Accommodation: Third Cave Camp

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Day 7: Third Cave Camp to School Hut

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Today is the steepest climbing day on the Northern Circuit, ascending 920 meters through barren alpine desert to School Hut at 4,720 meters. The trail climbs steadily, crossing loose volcanic scree with views of Mawenzi’s shattered spires to the east and the Saddle stretching between the two peaks. The air thins noticeably, and your pace slows naturally — pole pole, as your guides remind you.

School Hut sits just below the start of the summit trail, on the northeastern side of Kibo. This is the same high camp used by Rongai route climbers. The name dates back to early mountaineering on Kilimanjaro, when the hut was used as a training base. From camp, you can see the route your headlamp will illuminate in a few short hours — a steep scree slope climbing toward the crater rim.

You’ll arrive by early afternoon, eat an early dinner prepared by your cook, and try to rest before the midnight summit attempt. Your guides will brief you on what to expect and help you prepare your gear. After seven days and a full lap of the mountain, you are superbly acclimatized for the push to the top.

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Distance covered: 7km 

Approx time taken: 5-6 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

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• Accommodation: Third Cave Camp

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Day 8: Summit Night - School Hut to Uhuru Peak to Millennium Camp

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You wake around midnight to hot tea and biscuits, then begin the summit push under a sky full of stars. The ascent follows a switchback trail through loose volcanic scree, climbing steadily in the darkness with headlamps illuminating the path ahead. Your guides set a slow, deliberate pace — this is where the 1:1 staff-to-climber ratio on summit night makes the biggest difference, with a dedicated guide focused entirely on your progress, breathing, and morale.

After five to six hours of climbing, you reach Gilman’s Point (5,681m) on the crater rim as dawn begins to break. From Gilman’s, you traverse the rim past Stella Point (5,756m), walking alongside Kilimanjaro’s shrinking glaciers, before the final push to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) — the roof of Africa. On a clear morning, the sunrise paints the glaciers gold and the shadow of Kilimanjaro stretches across the plains far below.

After photos and celebration at the summit sign, you descend steeply to the crater rim, then down through scree to the southern side of the mountain. The descent continues to Millennium Camp at 3,950 meters, where you’ll rest for the night. You’ve now completed the full circle — ascending from the west, traversing the north, summiting from the east, and descending toward the south.

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Distance covered: 13km 

Approx time taken: 12-16 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

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• Accommodation: Third Cave Camp

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Day 9: Millennium Camp to Mweka Gate

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The final day descends 2,310 meters via the Mweka route on Kilimanjaro’s southern side — the same descent path used by Machame and Lemosho climbers. This is your fourth distinct face of the mountain: you started in the western rainforest, traversed the northern desert, summited from the east, and now descend through the southern cloud forest. No other route gives you this breadth of experience.

The trail drops quickly through moorland and into dense, lush rainforest that feels worlds apart from the barren northern slopes you walked just days ago. Birdsong fills the canopy, moss drapes every branch, and the humid air is heavy with the scent of vegetation. The contrast is extraordinary — a vivid reminder of the range of ecosystems packed onto a single mountain.

At Mweka Gate (1,640m), you sign out of the park, collect your summit certificates, and say goodbye to your mountain crew. This is the traditional moment to hand over tips and thank the guides, porters, and cook who made your climb possible. Your vehicle will be waiting to drive you back to your hotel in Moshi or Arusha, where a hot shower and a cold drink await.

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Distance covered: 13km 

Approx time taken: 4-5 hours

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch 

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Accommodation: PrimeLand Hotel