9-Day Kilimanjaro
Northern Circuit
The Grand Traverse
Kilimanjaro's Most Complete Route
The Northern Circuit is Kilimanjaro's longest, newest, and most rewarding route — and the one with the highest summit success rate. Over nine days you traverse nearly the entire mountain, walking the full 360-degree circumference of Kibo before approaching the summit from the remote northern and eastern slopes. Starting at Londorossi Gate like the Lemosho Route, you cross the Shira Plateau before breaking away north into a wilderness that almost no other trekkers ever see.
With nine full days on the mountain, your body has exceptional time to acclimatise naturally. The route's gentle gradient, combined with our KPAP-certified guides and daily altitude monitoring, produces a 98%+ summit success rate. If you want the best possible chance of standing on Uhuru Peak — and the most comprehensive Kilimanjaro experience available — this is the route.
360° Mountain Views
The only route that circumnavigates Kibo. You see every face of the mountain — the western forests, the southern glaciers, the northern plains, and the eastern crater rim.
98%+ Summit Success
Nine days provides unmatched acclimatisation. Your body adapts gradually and thoroughly — giving you the highest statistical chance of reaching Uhuru Peak of any Kilimanjaro route.
Remote Northern Wilderness
After Shira, the trail leaves the crowds behind. The northern circuit is Kilimanjaro's quietest wilderness — just your team, the mountain, and vast African plains stretching toward Kenya.
Elevation Profile — 9 Days
After breakfast at your hotel, we drive to Londorossi Gate (2,100m) to complete park registration before beginning our trek. The path winds through lush, pristine montane rainforest — keep your eyes open for colobus monkeys in the canopy. The trail undulates steeply at times before arriving at our first night's camp beneath the giant trees.
We leave the forest behind and ascend through zones of giant heather and volcanic rock onto the Shira Plateau. The trail steepens as we climb toward the plateau's edge, where the first dramatic views of Kibo cone open up before you. Camp is set at 3,610m with sweeping sunset views across the plateau.
A relatively shorter day spent crossing the Shira Plateau — one of the highest plateaus on Earth. An optional side-trip to Shira Cathedral (3,872m) is highly recommended for extra acclimatisation. The sweeping vistas make this a photographer's dream before a gradual climb to Shira 2 Camp.
Today the Northern Circuit truly begins. We leave the busier southern trails behind and trek north into the remote high alpine desert. The path climbs gradually toward the Lent Hills with extraordinary views of the Kenyan plains and Amboseli far below. Moir Hut (4,200m) is a quiet, spectacularly positioned camp that very few Kilimanjaro trekkers ever see.
A superb day of wilderness trekking along the true northern flank of Kilimanjaro. The trail undulates across high desert plains with the Kenyan border visible to the north. This is the most isolated section of the entire mountain — no other route comes here. Buffalo Camp sits in a wild valley where buffalo tracks are often seen in the morning dust.
Continuing our clockwise circuit eastward around Kibo, the landscape becomes increasingly lunar and silent. We pass the Third Cave — a massive volcanic rock shelter — and make camp nearby. The summit massif towers above us now, and the quiet of this rarely visited corner of Kilimanjaro is profound.
The final push to our summit base camp. A steady but manageable ascent brings us to School Hut (4,750m) on the eastern side of Kibo. Unlike the crowded Barafu Camp used by southern routes, School Hut offers a more peaceful final night before the push. We arrive early, eat well, and rest completely — the summit alarm is set for just before midnight.
The night you have trained for. We begin around midnight, climbing steep volcanic scree by headtorch toward Gilman's Point (5,681m) on the crater rim. The eastern approach is quieter and offers a different perspective of the mountain. From Gilman's Point we traverse the rim past Stella Point to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) — the Roof of Africa. After sunrise photographs and celebrations, we descend via the Mweka Route to Millennium Camp for the night.
Our final morning on the mountain. We descend through lush montane rainforest to Mweka Gate where your Kilimanjaro summit certificate is presented. Emotional goodbyes to your porter team, then our vehicle transfers you back to Moshi for a hot shower and a well-earned celebratory dinner. You have completed Kilimanjaro's ultimate route.
- All park entry fees & camping fees
- Professional licensed KPAP guide
- All porters and support staff
- All camping equipment (tents, sleeping mats, dining tent)
- Chef-prepared meals on the mountain (all meals from Day 1 lunch to Day 9 lunch)
- Hot drinks and snacks during the trek
- Pulse oximetry altitude monitoring throughout
- Emergency oxygen cylinder
- Transfer from/to Moshi hotel
- Kilimanjaro summit certificate
- All Tanzanian government taxes
- KINAPA rescue fees
- International flights and visa
- Travel insurance (required — must cover high altitude)
- Personal hiking equipment (boots, poles, sleeping bag)
- Hotel accommodation before / after the climb
- Tips for guides and porters (customary — guidelines provided)
- Alcoholic beverages
- Personal snacks and energy supplements
- Medication (Diamox etc.) — consult your doctor
Fitness & Preparation
No technical climbing is required. However, you should be comfortable walking 5–8 hours per day for 9 consecutive days with a light daypack. Begin training 4–5 months in advance with regular hiking, cardio, and leg-strength work. The Northern Circuit's gradual profile makes it achievable for determined trekkers, but the summit night remains demanding.
Best Seasons
The best months to climb are January–March and June–October when conditions are driest and clearest. We operate year-round — our guides know the mountain in all seasons and will brief you on current conditions pre-departure.
Essential Gear
- ›Waterproof hiking boots (well broken-in)
- ›Sleeping bag rated to -15°C
- ›Trekking poles (highly recommended)
- ›Waterproof jacket and trousers
- ›Warm fleece and thermal base layers
- ›Warm gloves, balaclava, warm hat
- ›Daypack 25–35L with rain cover
- ›Headlamp with spare batteries
Full gear list provided on booking confirmation.
Best Route
Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route — 7 Days
Scenic
Kilimanjaro Machame Route — 6–7 Days
Classic
Kilimanjaro Marangu Route — 6 Days
The Ultimate Circuit Awaits
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