9 Days Kilimanjaro Climb Northern Circuit Route
Customize Your Adventure, Create Lifelong Memories
Tour Overview
The Northern Circuit is the newest and longest route on Mount Kilimanjaro. It begins in the West at the Londorossi Gate and follows the same path as the Lemosho route for the first two days. After crossing the Shira plateau the path veers north near Lava Tower, following the longer Northern Circuit instead of the more popular Southern Circuit via Barranco Valley The route circles around the quieter northern slopes to the east side of the mountain. The Northern Circuit is longer than the other trails on Kilimanjaro, taking a minimum of eight or nine days to complete. The eight day trek skips the additional acclimatization day that is usually spent at Shira Camp 2 and continues straight on to Moir Camp
Tour Itinerary
The Northern Circuit Route begins at Londorossi Gate (2,100 meters) in the West, the same start points as the Lemosho Route. The drive to Londorossi Gate takes approximately two hours from Moshi and considerably longer from Arusha. Registration with the Kilimanjaro National Park authorities occurs at the gate and then you will be driven further up the mountain to the trailhead starting point. Most tour operators serve lunch here before the short first day trek to Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,820 meters) begins. You may get lucky and spot large wildlife like elephant and buffalo that sometimes emerge from the rainforest onto the path as you trek towards your first camp. Dinner will be served when you reach MtiMkubwa Camp.
- Distance covered: 8km / 5miles
- Approx. time taken: 3-4 hours
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Today you will trek across a plateau of grassy moorland and heather scattered with volcanic rock formations. Our destination for today is the Shira 1 Camp from where there are often views of Kibo Peak floating on the clouds. We gain a reasonable amount of altitude today and parts of the route are fairly steep.
- Distance covered: 8.5km / 5.3mi
- Approx. time taken: 7 hrs
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Today you will get the chance to view the Northern Ice fields from the western side of the mountain with some unusual views of Kibo. Our steady climb across the moorland of the Shira Plateau will help with acclimatization and we enjoy great panoramic views. Our destination today is the Shira 2 Camp. In the afternoon you will take an acclimatization walk then head back to camp for dinner and overnight.
- Distance covered: 8km / 5mi
- Approx. time taken: 5 hours
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
This day is a long trek heading east which passes through the ‘Garden of the Senecios’ and then enters the high alpine desert zone. The morning is spent trekking up to Lava Tower and the iconic Shark’s Tooth rock formation at 4,600 meters, where you will have lunch. After lunch, you will join the Northern Circuit heading down to Moir Camp at 4,200 meters. This is an important day in your trek as you will get to experience high altitude and then sleep low, which is good for the acclimatization process.
- Elevation:3850m/11,500ft to 4200m/13780ft
- Distance: 14km/8mi
- Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
- Habitat: Moorland
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
This day is moderately involving the steep climb out of Moir Valley. Trekkers can take a small detour here to climb the summit of Little Lent Hill at 4,375 meters before returning to the Northern Circuit trail. From here the route follows a series of inclines and declines, skirting around the northern slopes of Kibo to Buffalo Camp (4,020 meters).The trek gives great vistas out across the plains that lie north of Kilimanjaro and stretch out to the Kenyan / Tanzanian border. You will arrive at Buffalo Camp just after midday, where you will have lunch and have time to rest after a long day hiking.
- Distance covered: 12km / 7mi
- Approx. time taken: 5-7 hours
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
This day begins with a climb up the Buffalo ridge and down into Pofu Camp where lunch is usually served. The route then continues east around the northern slopes to the Rongai Third Cave at 3,800 meters. The trek is shorter than the day before and by now you should be feeling well acclimatized to the altitude. You will arrive at the Third Cave just around mid-afternoon.
- Distance covered: 8km / 5mi
- Approx. time taken: 5-7 hours
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
This day involves a steady incline up and over the Saddle which sits between the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi Peak. Trekkers then continue walking south-west up to School Hut (4,800 meters). After arriving at School Hut, you will be served an early dinner and then you should get some shut eye as you will be awoken before midnight to start your summit attempt. Remember to prepare all your gear, including warm clothes, insulated water bottles, snacks, headlamp and camera before going to bed.
- Distance covered: 5km / 3mi
- Approx. time taken: 4 - 5 hours
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
You will be awoken around 11:30 with hot tea and biscuits and will then begin the steep incline up the slopes of Kibo under the cover of darkness. Your first checkpoint is Hans Meyer Cave where you will take a short break. The climb steepens as you approach Gilman’s Point (5,681 meters), which will be around 5-6 hours after departing School Hut. Take a moment to enjoy the approaching dawn and incredible view out and across to Mawenzi Peak, but remember you still have 2 hours trekking to reach Uhuru Peak so dig deep for the energy. The slope flattens as you head west around the crater rim and you should arrive at the summit at or just after sunrise. Your stay here will be brief so get as many pictures as you can of the incredible views and surrounding glaciers. You will then retrace your steps back around the crater rim to Stella Point (5,739 meters) where you will turn south and head down the heavily screed slopes of Kibo to Barafu Camp (4,680 meters). Most trekkers take a short break here before continuing down to Millennium Camp (3,950 meters) for your final night on the mountain. In total you will be trekking for 14-16 hours on day eight, so it is important to pace yourself, remain hydrated and keep your blood sugar levels up. Note: Some tour operators return via Gilman’s Point to Horombo Hut using the Marangu Route depends on our client’s choice.
- Distance covered: 6km / 4mi and 12km/7mi
- Approx. time taken: 6-8hours and 4-6hours
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
The final day is a short hike through the dense montane rainforest from Millennium Camp (3,950 meters) to Mweka Gate (1,640 meters). At the gate you will need to sign-out with the authorities, who will also provide you with your official certificate – a green certificate for those who made it to Gilman’s Point and a gold certificate for those who reached Uhuru Peak. It is customary to give your guide and porter tips before being driven back to your hotel at Panama Garden resort .
- Distance covered: 12km / 7miles
- Approx. time taken: 5-7 hours
- Hotel: Bed & Breakfast
Includes
- Private transport to & from Kilimanjaro International Airport to your accommodations in Moshi
- 2 nights of accommodation in Moshi
- Transportation to & from the Kilimanjaro gate
- Park entry fees
- 18% VAT on tour fees & services
- 3 meals daily while on the mountain
- Enough treated & filtered drinking water throughout the trek
- Friendly and professional mountain guides, cook and porters
- Government taxes
- Fair wages for the mountain crew as approved by the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA), Kilimanjaro Association of Tour Operators (KIATO)
- Portable oxygen tanks
- Ox meter
- Emergency first-aid kit
- Stethoscope
- Portable flush toilet with a toilet and tent
- Mountain climbing certificates
Excludes
- Flights (International)
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Meals while in Hotel
- Laundry (Available at the hotel)
- Personal items and toiletries
- Tips for guides, porters and cook
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Hear from our happy travelers
louis V2025-08-08Verified Inoubliable Expérience inoubliable grâce à Regan et Saidi qui ont toujours été à l’écoute et de bon conseil pour nous !Merci pour tout Rosh Expéditions. Curious104008244282025-06-09Verified All the things you need from a guide. We (us 2) went for a 4-day hike on Mount Meru. We were picked up on time and everything was well organized.Regan is a good guide with lots of experience, and has a good sense of humor. Regan is the guide of a team which consists of friendly and helpful people who will make you feel comfortable throughout the trip. We experienced this once one of us got very ill due to a bite of a tick. Although we were unfortunate to cancel the trip, Regan and his team made Sure we got down well and safe and made our way back to Arusha. Not making it to the Summit was an enormous dissapointment, however, travelling and guidance by Regan and his team was a 5-star experience.Excellent guide, responsible behaviour, Nice food and kind/warm people. Julien K2025-03-24Verified Climbing the Kili, crazy experience I had a wonderful time with Regan, Said and the whole team of Roshi Expeditions on the climb to Kilimanjaro.They will make sure you will climb safe and provides an incredible service when it comes to comfort and quality of life in the camp.It was a unforgettable experience, we made friends and memories. Thank you again and best of luck for the future ! Julien Passport578129325812025-03-12Verified Excellent - do it with ROSHEXPEDITIONS Regan and Saïd were such great guides. They accompanied us all the way up Kilimanjaro. The atmosphere was so cool. The porters were also incredible. They were all extremely professional and friendly. There's nothing to say. What's more, the guides shared their knowledge of the natural environment surrounding Kilimanjaro National Park with us. They took good care of us when we were a bit ill. Without the porters and guides, we'd never have made it. And above all, thank you to Regan for all the organisation. An experience I won't forget. I recommend Roshexpedition ++. Justine B2025-03-11Verified Amazing experience We were a group of 3 friends to climb Kilimanjaro at the end of February 2025. We highly recommend Regan and his team who enabled us to do this adventure in exceptional conditions. Stephanie S2024-09-09Verified First Safari + Excellent Guides = Great Experience It was just a spectacular life-impacting trip for me! We were well taken care off throughout the entire experience and our guides provided so much fun and interesting information! The accommodations and food were excellent. I had a lot of anxiety about traveling around the world to such a different place. But as soon as we arrived my anxiety was gone. People were so welcoming and we were well taken care of by our hosts! The animals and experience of the safari was absolutely amazing! We were able to view so many natural animal interactions that are once in a lifetime. Again our guides were so knowledgeable and did an excellent job taking us where we needed to go for great views! ❤️ Radha W2024-08-16Verified A remarkable, rewarding experience! 5 star service! I hiked to the top of Mt Meru and I can promise you, I .wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for Regan and Benny! I struggled at some points (due to some personal issues) and they were always there with encouragement, hot tea, and a nudge. They believed in me and made me believe it to! They were right, I did it! A life changing experience! I never, ever felt like they were impatient with me, they truly wanted me to succeed! We also had a great group of porters and a chef who took care of all our needs, hot bowls of water, delicious food, wake up knock with hot tea and a friendly smile! Then we went on a safari with Rosh. The migration, wow, what an incredible sight! Wildebeest and Zebras as far as we could see. Our guides, Philip and Elly, were always on their game, always working hard to get us to the best sight to see the animals and we saw them all! I personally love the elephants! We always had cold drinks, snacks and delicious lunches. Then, on to Zanzibar! Great resort on the east coast, near Paje, but outside town, a short walk to a quiet stretch of beach. We snorkeled, and rode ATVs, did a spice tour, visited local villages and played in the ocean. These guys can provide the whole package and it was amazing! Gergely D2024-08-09Verified Amazing experience! The company organized a Kilimanjaro climb and a 4-day safari for us. Everything went perfectly, they were really attentive and helpful, and solved all of our problems quickly. We had a much better experience than in other similar mountains, they really went the extra mile by providing everything we needed and then some more. I can only recommend the team! Jill M2024-08-05Verified Outstanding experience from trekking Mt Meru to Safari & Zanzibar This was my second trek with Regan and Rosh Expeditions and there is a reason I have used them twice! The first trek was Kilimanjaro and was such a rewarding experience that I brought friends back with me to do My Meru. We hiked Mt Meru and it was magical! The forest was beautiful and lush, we saw baboons, buffalo, zebra and antelopes. You hike with a Ranger but we were never in any danger. Summit night was challenging, windy but not too cold, an exhilarating experience. It is amazing to see be above the clouds and see the sun rising behind Mt Kilimanjaro . Our guides, Benny and Regan were phenomenal. Encouraging, supportive and ready with hot tea, snacks or an offer to carry your pack if needed. The porters were a fun group, always smiling and offering to help, bringing hot was water, filling out water bottles, up before us and to bed after us. Our cook, Rama, kept us well fed! The lodging at the camps was comfortable, quiet, flush toilets, 4 person rooms with a mattress and pillow, and beautiful views. Can’t recommend Rosh Expeditions enough!! We then went on a safari with this company. We saw everything and more! All the camps were phenomenal, our guides, Philip and Elly, always knew where to be to get the best views. They are so knowledgeable about the plants and animals - I learned so much! We had a cooler in the vehicle and it was stocked with cold water and Coke Zero!The great migration was just so amazing to see, wildebeest and zebras everywhere! Just a fun and fabulous experience from start to finish! Kev S2024-07-30Verified Tanzania adventure Friends and I used Rosh Expedition for 3 separate tours in Tanzania. Regan and his team picked us up at Kilimanjaro Airport and took us to our excellent accommodations in Moshi.The next day we set off on the first adventure which was to the village of Mataruni to visit the waterfalls and learn about the origins of coffee. This was an excellent tour to a Chagga tribe village at the base of Kilimanjaro.From Roshi we traveled to Arusha to prepare to hike Mt Meru. This was a 4 day hike. Regan, Benny and the rest of his staff (porters, guides and cook) were all excellent and knowledgeable. They were very supportive to ensure that we were all successful in our summit. I knew we were in good hands.Our next adventure was a 5 day safari. We had an aggressive tour by design and we covered a lot of ground. We toured Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Serengeti National Park. Our guides, Philip and Elly, were excellent in locating all the animals. There was a significant amount of coordination with this tour and everything went according to plan. All of our accommodations were outstanding. We really connected with all of staff and really bonded with all of them. I highly recommend Rosh Expeditions and will certainly use them again when I return.