Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb

We offer 5 different climbs following the Shira or Machame trails to the 19,340 foot summit. Our climbs all take 7 to 8 days and all have a very high success rate. Over 95% of our clients reach the summit at Uhuru Peak and we take great pride in this. Our average daily ascend rate is a little under 2000 feet per day. This makes the hike itself very doable for most people and gives our clients enough time to aclimate themselves to the change in elevation.

Prices to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro vary significantly based on the number of people in your group. For pricing please contact us at Kili@WestsideSafari.com. Tell us the number of people in your group and about when you would like to go. If you are a solo climber and would like to join an existing group please let us know and we will try to accomodate you.

8 Days: Shira - Southern Circuit - Mweka
Day 1 - Montane Forest (9,000ft)
We drive to Lemosho Glades in Kilimanjaro National Park where you’ll meet your crew and start the hike. From here we’ll walk a few hours through the undisturbed forest to our camp. Lunch will be provided during our hike and with luck you’ll be able to see Colobus monkeys and signs of elephant or buffalo.
Day 2 - Shira Plateau West side (11,300ft)
Today’s hike will take us through the Montane Forest and the Hagenia Zone. By taking our time walking through the forest, we should spot some of the plentiful game and bird life. Your guide will point out the unique environmental differences that characterize these separate equatorial zones.
Day 3 - Shira Plateau East Side (12,950ft)
Our hike today will take us across the Shira Plateau and onto the western slope of the Kibo Massif. Camp will be in the upper heath zone.
Day 4 - Barranco Camp (14,300ft)
Today we’ll hike past a prominent rock called Lava Tower to the Barranco camping area. This camp is situated in a valley below the Western Breach and Great Barranco Wall and is filled with large numbers of giant senecio and lobelia plants. This will be your first introduction to the alpine zone on Kilimanjaro, the only plant life being the hardiest of plants.
Day 5 - Barafu Hut (15,090ft)
After breakfast we leave the Barranco Hut to ascend a steep ridge, which bisects the Barranco Wall in the Karanga Valley. We join the Southern Circuit Path and follow it until it meets the upper portion of the Mweka trail. We then hike up the Mweka trail to Barafu Hut. The view from our camp is one of the best on the mountain and includes the main peak of Kibo, across the east plateau to Mawenzi and down to the plains below Kili.
Day 6 - Summit Crater Camp (18,500ft)
Today we climb to the outer crater-rim of Kibo and reach Stella Point in time for sunrise. From here we continue along the flat, sandy floor of the crater until we reach the Furtwangler glacier at the bottom of the outer rim wall. Summit Crater Camp, just below Uhuru Peak and next to magnificent Furtwangler Glacier, is almost 3,000 feet higher than any mountain in the Alps and higher than all but two mountains in North America. If time permits, we can walk over to the ash pit of the Reusch Crater before returning to camp for dinner.
Day 7 - Mweka Hut (10,500ft)
Summit day! We will start our ascent to the summit (19,340ft) around 7:00am and reach the summit by 9:00am. After taking in the view from Uhuru Peak we’ll begin the long descent down to Barafu Hut for lunch and then to our camp at Mweka Hut.
Day 8 - Mweka Park Gate
We make the final descent to the trail head today. Here we will have lunch and say goodbye to our mountain crew before leaving Kilimanjaro.


8 Days: Shira - Western Breach - Mweka
Day 1 - Montane Forest (9,000ft)
We drive to Lemosho Glades in Kilimanjaro National Park where you’ll meet your crew and start the hike. From here we’ll walk a few hours through the undisturbed forest to our camp. Lunch will be provided during our hike and with luck you’ll be able to see Colobus monkeys and signs of elephant or buffalo.
Day 2 - Shira Plateau West side (11,300ft)
Today’s hike will take us through the Montane Forest and the Hagenia Zone. By taking our time walking through the forest, we should spot some of the plentiful game and bird life. Your guide will point out the unique environmental differences that characterize these separate equatorial zones.
Day 3 - Shira Plateau East Side (12,950ft)
Our hike today will take us across the Shira Plateau and onto the western slope of the Kibo Massif. Camp will be in the upper heath zone.
Day 4 - Lava Tower (14,300ft)
Today we’ll hike to a prominent rock called Lava Tower. This will be your first introduction to the alpine zone on Kilimanjaro, the only plant life being the hardiest of grasses and lichens. We’ll have a spectacular view of our final ascent route up the Western Breach.
Day 5 - Arrow Glacier (16,000ft)
With the Western Breach ascent route in full view we will spend a few hours climbing to the base of the route where we’ll make camp near Arrow Glacier. An afternoon hike further up the route before relaxing in the camp will help with acclimatization and improve our performance the following day.
Day 6 - Summit Crater Camp (18,500ft)
We’ll wind our way up the Western Breach (non-technical) for about the six hours to the crater rim. We can explore the inner crater and the ash pit before moving to our high camp on the crater floor.
Day 7 - Mweka Hut (10,500ft)
Summit day!. We will start our ascent to the summit (19,340ft) around 7:00am and reach the summit by 9:00am. After taking in the view from Uhuru Peak we’ll begin the long descent down to Barafu Hut for lunch and then to our camp at Mweka Hut.
Day 8 - Mweka Park Gate
We make the final descent to the trail head today. Here we will have lunch and say goodbye to our mountain crew before heading off to our lodge in Arusha for overnight.


7 Days: Shira - Southern Circuit - Mweka
Day 1 - Montane Forest (9,000ft)
We drive to Lemosho Glades in Kilimanjaro National Park where you’ll meet your crew and start the hike. From here we’ll walk a few hours through the undisturbed forest to our camp. Lunch will be provided during our hike and with luck you’ll be able to see Colobus monkeys and signs of elephant or buffalo. The hike will take us through the Montane Forest and the Hagenia Zone. By taking our time walking through the forest, we should spot some of the plentiful game and bird life. Your guide will point out the unique environmental differences that characterize these separate equatorial zones.
Day 3 - Shira Plateau East Side (12,950ft)
Our hike today will take us across the Shira Plateau and onto the western slope of the Kibo Massif. Camp will be in the upper heath zone.
Day 4 - Barranco Camp (14,300ft) Today we’ll hike past a prominent rock called Lava Tower to the Barranco camping area. This camp is situated in a valley below the Western Breach and Great Barranco Wall and is filled with large numbers of giant senecio and lobelia plants. This will be your first introduction to the alpine zone on Kilimanjaro, the only plant life being the hardiest of plants.
Day 5 - Barafu Hut (15,090ft)
After breakfast we leave the Barranco Hut to ascend a steep ridge, which bisects the Barranco Wall in the Karanga Valley. We join the Southern Circuit Path and follow it until it meets the upper portion of the Mweka trail. We than hike up the Mweka trail to Barafu Hut. The view from our camp is one of the best on the mountain and includes the main peak of Kibo, across the east plateau to Mawenzi and down to the plains below Kili.
Day 6 - Mweka Hut (10,500ft)
Summit day! Setting out in the dark between 1 and 2 a.m, it can be bitterly cold and windy ascending the pumice and rock scree. The sun will be up by the time we reach the crater rim at Stella Point which is about 19,000ft. We’ll finish the summit push by following the crater rim around to Uhuru Peak (19,340ft). From Kili's summit Mount Meru and the Pare Mountains punctuate the wide African plains beneath us. After summit photos and mutual congratulations we’ll descend to Mweka Camp. Day 7 - Mweka Park Gate
We make the final descent to the trail head today. Here we will have lunch and say goodbye to our mountain crew before leaving Kilimanjaro.


7 Days: Machame - Southern Circuit - Mweka
Day 1 - Machame Camp (10,200ft)
We’ll drive to Mount Kilimanjaro National Park and through Machame village to the trailhead where we will meet our crew. Following the trail through Montane forest and stands of giant heather our first camp is in a small clearing.
Day 2 - Shira Hut (12,600ft)
Today we'll hike up through giant heath forests and moorland. A portion of the hike follows a ridge which overlooks the Shira Plateau to the west where we’ll stop for lunch. The last part of the hike is magnificent as we enter the alpine desert zone with panoramic vistas including the southern ice fields.
Day 3 - Barranco Hut (12,800ft)
We'll traverse east towards a prominent rock outcropping called ‘Lava Tower’, then descend into a valley below the Western Breach. The Barranco Camp is a beautiful camp in a valley filled with giant groundsel, lobelia and a small stream dropping from the Breach Wall. The elevation is just a couple hundred feet higher than the camp at Shira hut, but during the hike we will reach 15,000ft which will be important for acclimatization.
Day 4 - Karanga Camp (13,800ft)
Trekking beneath the south face of Kilimanjaro and the Heim, Kersten and Decken glaciers, we’ll cross two valleys traversing around the summit towards the Karanga Valley. The Karanga Valley is a little deeper than the others we’ll cross today, but not as large as Barranco Valley. During the hike we’ll also see the Diamond Glacier just east of the Western Breach and the dramatic long icicles reaching down to the Balletto Glacier below it.
Day 5 - Barafu Hut (15,090ft)
From the Karanga camp we’ll climb to our high camp at Barafu located on a high desert plain littered with volcanic boulders. Looking southeast we’ll see the dry plateau which the Marangu route crosses with Mawenzi Peak in the distance. A few platforms have been leveled for tents among the rocks and pumice for our alpine bivouac. This camp marks the completion of what is called the South Circuit which traverses the south side of Kilimanjaro providing views of the summit from many different angles. Day 6 - Mweka Hut (10,500ft)
Summit day! Setting out in the dark between 1 and 2 a.m, it can be bitterly cold and windy ascending the pumice and rock scree. The sun will be up by the time we reach the crater rim at Stella Point which is about 19,000ft. We’ll finish the summit push by following the crater rim around to Uhuru Peak (19,340ft). From Kili's summit Mount Meru and the Pare Mountains punctuate the wide African plains beneath us. After summit photos and mutual congratulations we’ll descend to Mweka Camp.
Day 7 - Mweka Park Gate
We finish our climb of Kilimanjaro with a descent to the trail head today where we have lunch and say goodbye to our climbing crew before leaving the mountain


7 Days: Machame - Western Breach - Mweka
Day 1 - Machame Camp (10,200ft)
We’ll drive to Mount Kilimanjaro National Park and through Machame village to the trailhead where we will meet our crew. Following the trail through Montane forest and stands of giant heather our first camp is in a small clearing.
Day 2 - Shira Hut (12,600ft)
Today we'll hike up through giant heath forests and moorland. A portion of the hike follows a ridge which overlooks the Shira Plateau to the west where we’ll stop for lunch. The last part of the hike is magnificent as we enter the alpine desert zone with panoramic vistas including the southern ice fields.
Day 3 - Lava Tower (14,300ft)
Today we’ll hike to a prominent rock called Lava Tower. This will be your first introduction to the alpine zone on Kilimanjaro, the only plant life being the hardiest of grasses and lichens. We’ll have a spectacular view of our final ascent route up the Western Breach.
Day 4 - Arrow Glacier (16,000ft)
With the Western Breach ascent route in full view we will spend a few hours climbing to the base of the route where we’ll make camp near Arrow Glacier. An afternoon hike further up the route before relaxing in the camp will help with acclimatization and improve our performance the following day.
Day 5 - Summit Crater Camp (18,500ft)
From the Karanga camp we’ll climb to our high camp at Barafu located on a high desert plain littered with volcanic boulders. Looking southeast we’ll see the dry plateau which the Marangu route crosses with Mawenzi Peak in the distance. A few platforms have been leveled for tents among the rocks and pumice for our alpine bivouac. This camp marks the completion of what is called the South Circuit which traverses the south side of Kilimanjaro providing views of the summit from many different angles.
Day 6 - Mweka Hut (10,500ft)
Summit day! We will start our ascent to the summit (19,340ft) around 7:00am and reach the summit by 9:00am. After taking in the view from Uhuru Peak we’ll begin the long descent down to Barafu Hut for lunch and than to our camp at Mweka Hut.
Day 7 - Mweka Park Gate
We make the final descent to the trail head today. Here we will have lunch and say goodbye to our mountain crew before leaving Kilimanjaro.