Savannah to Summit Kilimanjaro Expedition Tanzania|W2E

Itinerary:

DAY ONE: RIVERTREES GREETING

You step outside Kilimanjaro International Airport and you find yourself in the landscape you’ve been dreaming of. You did it. You’re here. Time to transfer to Rivertrees Country Inn to meet your fellow wild women at 4 p.m. for a trek briefing and a delicious welcome dinner.

DAY TWO: MACHAME GATE

Machame Gate is waiting for you this morning, as are the friendly porters, guides, and cooks that will spend the next six days trekking with you to Uhuru Peak, the roof of Africa. Coffee farms and villages will dot the drive to your adventure’s starting line.

Your first day’s destination is Machame Camp. Each day, porters and cooks will walk ahead to set up the camp in time for your arrival. The moss-covered canopy of Kilimanjaro’s cloud forest extends above you as you walk towards the heathers, tall grasses, and wildflowers. Take a look around you as you ascend for you might just catch a glimpse of your ultimate destination, Kibo Peak, as it calls you closer every day.

Elevation Gain: 1,200 meters / 3,935 feet

Hiking time: 6 to 7 hours

DAY THREE: SHIRA PLATEAU

Notice the change in vegetation as you gain altitude. The trees diminish in size, giving way to Kilimanjaro’s famous high altitude plants, Scenecio, Kilimanjari, and Lobelia Deckenii. You climb the Shira Plateau and realize: you are walking on the remains of the first volcano that expired on Kilimanjaro 500,000 years ago.

Continue to Shira Camp and after relaxing a bit you can do a small thirty-minute acclimatization hike above the campsite. With Kibo to the west and Mount Meru to the east, you will fall asleep in the company of giants tonight.

Elevation Gain: 840 meters / 2,760 feet

Hiking time: 6 to 8 hours

DAY FOUR: BARRANCO CAMP

After breakfast, hike east on the Shira Plateau before reaching the junction for the Shira and Lemosho Routes. Continue on through the barren landscape before stopping for lunch. You’ll reach the highest point of the day after lunch before descending to Barranco Camp. If you prefer to move at a quicker pace, you can take a detour via Lava Tower, a 300-foot lava formation jutting out of the mountainside.

Although this up and down day ends with an elevation gain of only 110 meters, by early afternoon you will have climbed 690 meters to a height of 4,530 meters before beginning your descent to Barranco Camp. This day is critical for acclimatization.

Elevation Gain: 690 meters / 2,264 feet

Hiking time: 7 to 10 hours

DAY FIVE: KARANGA VALLEY

You will leave Barranco Camp after breakfast for Karanga Valley. The day begins with a 2-3 hour scramble up Barranco Wall. This is the hardest part of the day and in some places, you will have to use your hands to pull your body up. After reaching the top, you’ll make a short descent into the lush green of Karanga Valley and hike a short and steep uphill before reaching your camp for the night. Look westward for an unforgettable sunset over Mount Meru before tucking into your tent for a well-deserved rest.

Elevation Gain: 250 meters / 820 feet

Distance: 7 km

Hiking time: 3 to 5 hours

DAY SIX: BARAFU CAMP

After a hearty breakfast, begin your hike to Barafu Camp. On the way to Barafu, take in the beauty of Kibo’s glaciers. Your path passes through an alpine desert with little vegetation, giving you stunning views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks as well. Tuck yourself and get some sleep for your midnight summit to Uhuru Peak!

Elevation Gain: 400 meters, 1,320 feet

Distance: 6 km

Hiking time: 3 to 5 hours

DAY SEVEN: FINAL ASCENT

You wake up before 10 pm, unzip your sleeping bag, and smile at the butterflies in your stomach telling you: this is it. Here is your final ascent to Uhuru Peak. Hike by the light of your headlamp and from the glow of the full moon for the next six hours. The ascent to the crater rim is the most challenging part of the entire trek. The trail is very steep until you reach the crater rim at Stella Point.

The path from Stella Point to Uhuru Peak is a gradual climb. The altitude, however, will make your hike long and demanding. You will hike for an hour more along the crater rim until you reach Uhuru, at last. You let out a collective breath of accomplishment before taking a moment for scanning the landscape and capturing photos of your group at the peak. Don’t stay too long, the gale force winds and low oxygen levels mean it’s nearly time to go. On the way down from Uhuru to Millenium Camp, enjoy views of the mountain, crater, clouds, and glaciers.

At Barafu Camp, it is time for you to replenish with breakfast and a short rest. After your nap, you will hike another three to five hours to down to Millenium Camp.

Elevation Gain: 1,295 meters / 4,240 feet

Elevation Loss: 2,795 meters / 9,170 feet

Hiking time: 6 hours to the rim, 1 hour to Uhuru, 3 to 4 hours back to Barafu, 2 hours to Millenium Camp

DAY EIGHT: ARUSHA

After breakfast, you finish the trek with a hike back through the forest towards Mweka Gate. You look back towards your path and smile with pride at the incredible adventure you just completed. Your ride home will meet you to take you back to your hotel in Arusha so you can take a well-earned shower, get a massage, put on clean clothes, and have a farewell dinner.

Elevation Loss: 1,600 meters / 5,250 feet

Hiking time: 5-7 hours

DAY NINE: DEPARTURE DAY

Book your international flights for any time after breakfast:)

Trip Price

$3,995 USD

What's Included

Transfer to and from the mountain and group airport transfer

Service of a private English speaking professional & qualified female mountain guide

Cook and adequate porters to carry both trip provisions & clients private bags

Park fees, hut fees, and rescue fee

All food and catering equipment, breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Free storage of excess baggage not required on the mountain hike

Tent, sleeping bags, boiling water, oxygen and chemical toilet on trek

2 nights at Rivertrees Country Inn

Optional single private upgrade: $450 USD ( this includes 6 nights in a single tent, 2-night hotel room), subject to availability