Three ladies taking a selfie at summit with glacier in background

Northern Circuit

Name: Northern Circuit
Brand: Follow Alice
SKU: 2131338588
Price: 3325 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (31 reviews)

Trips/Climb Kilimanjaro

11 days

The Northern Circuit takes you up the northern slope of the mountain, where few trekkers go. The views are just amazing! It's a nine-day trek (the longest one on offer) and as such has the highest summit success rate. It's also a very pretty and varied route. We love it, and highly recommend this route to anyone keen to climb to the roof of Africa!

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival day

We fetch you from Kilimanjaro International Airport and drive you to your lodge. Here you meet your mountain crew and fellow trekkers. Relax and bond over dinner, followed by a briefing from your lead guide.

Group Picture Kilimanjaro Team Holding Flag

Day 2: Hike in pristine forest

Today you drive to Londorossi Park Gate, where you’re recorded in the Kilimanjaro National Park records. You then start the trek from Lemosho Gate, hiking through mountain rainforest for three to four hours to reach Mkubwa Camp (2,895 m), where you stay the night.

Day 3: Enter the heath zone

Today you trek through the last of the rainforest, before entering moorland terrain. The trail leads towards Shira Plateau and Shira 1 Camp (3,505 m), where you stay the night. All in all today’s hike takes about five to six hours.

Day 4: Walk the Shira Plateau

Today you make your way across the Shira Plateau to Shira 2 Camp (3,810 m) on a trek that lasts four to six hours. Temperatures start to change rather dramatically at this point of the trek, with the nights sometimes plummeting below freezing.

Day 5: Break from the crowds

On this day you can expect a trek of two to three hours through the high alpine desert. You climb to Shark’s Tooth rock formation. You then head back down Moir Camp (4,206 m). This is an important acclimatisation day.

Day 6: Traverse the northern slope

Today you hike for four to five hours. The trek begins with a steep incline as you journey around Kibo’s north face. You then walk through the alpine desert to reach Pofu Camp (4,033 m), where you spend the night.

Day 7: Descend to Third Cave

Much like the past couple of days, the journey today is lengthy but can be very rewarding. Buffaloes are sometimes spotted here. You cross valleys on this trek of four to six hours and end at Third Cave (3,870 m), where you stay the night.

Day 8: Walk through alpine desert

Today you undertake a steady climb over the Saddle, a stretch of barren land connecting the two peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. The terrain is pretty inhospitable, being high-altitude desert. You climb for four to five hours to arrive at Kibo Hut (4,750 m), where you get some rest before the big day!

Day 9: Summit day!

It’s all been leading to this. So it's time to dig deep. Your guide wakes you at midnight to get ready. The route ascends northwest into the dark night. In about six to seven hours you reach Stella Point, and then, after another hour of walking, you're at Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), the highest point in Africa! You did it!! You then hike down for six to eight hours to Mweka Camp (3,068 m). All in all, you hike for 12 to 16 hours today!

Day 10: Last day on the mountain

Today you do the last bit of hiking (three hours) down to the foot of the mountain through a beautiful section of rainforest. At Mweka Gate (1,640 m) you meet your driver, who takes you back to the lodge. Time for high-fives and a celebratory drink! Followed – trust us – by an epically long sleep.

Two climbers navigating down a hill on Mt Kilimanjaro on their way to Mweka Camp

Day 11: Departure day

We salute mighty Mt Kilimanjaro and take you to the airport, where we part ways. Unless, that is, you're heading on safari with us, in which case the adventure continues!

FA Tanzania group photo with Dez Nov 2021

Inclusions

Price Includes

Dedicated trip manager

In-depth preparation documents

Assistance and advice concerning Covid testing requirements

Pre-climb Zoom consult

2 overnight stays at Lindrin Lodge in Moshi (incl. breakfasts and dinners)

In-depth pre-climb safety briefing at Lindrin Lodge

Price Does Not Include

Tanzanian visa

Airfares

Airport transfers ($25 per person per transfer)

Traveller's insurance

Tip for mountain crew

Single supplement ($200) if required

Where you'll stay

Lindrin Lodge

Lindrin Lodge in the town of Moshi offers chalet accommodation in a pretty and well-maintained garden setting.

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Gallery

Lucy Lofton photo of group pics at Lemosho Gate

Arwa looking over clouds at Shira 2 Camp on Kilimanjaro

View of Uhuru Peak with moorland vegetation in the foreground

Wildebeests grazing in Maasai Mara, Kenya, with setting sun

FAQs

Do I climb the Barranco Wall on the Northern Circuit route?

No, the Northern Circuit doesn't lead you up Barranco Wall. The Barranco Wall is on the southern slope of Kilimanjaro, while the Northern Circuit leads you across the northern slope. If you're fearful of heights, the Northern Circuit is a very good option for you.

Is the Northern Circuit an easy or hard route?

None of the routes up Kilimanjaro is easy; this is a tough mountain that requires fitness, determination and teamwork to successfully climb! That said, the Northern Circuit is one of the easier routes in the sense that it gives you plenty of time to acclimatise to the increased altitude. This means your chances of developing altitude sickness are low, and you should be able to make it to the summit.

What is the distance of the Northern Circuit route?

The Northern Circuit is the longest of the seven Kilimanjaro routes. This is what gives it such an excellent acclimatistion profile. The entire route is 98 km (61 miles).

What is the scenery like on the Northern Circuit route?

The scenery along the Northern Circuit is fantastic! For starters, you see so much of the mountain and have views in so many directions. This is because you ascend the western slope, traverse the northern slope, and then descend the southeastern slope. You walk through rainforest, moorland, alpine desert and the arctic zone.

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