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9 Days Northern Circuit Route

Mount Kilimanjaro

From

$2745

Duration

9 days

Tour Type

Tour highlights

9 Days Northern Circuit Route

The Northern Circuit route is the newest route up Mount Kilimanjaro and arguably the best. That’s because the a combination of all of the best elements of the other routes, rolled into one fantastic hike. If you’re looking for beautiful scenery, plenty of solitude, a healthy challenge, and the potential to spot wildlife, this is definitely the route for you. The Northern Circuit route follows the same route as Lemosho route for the first few days, but rather than sticking to the south side of Kibo, it turns to the little-used northern trails instead.

Max Guests

10

Min Age

14

Tour Location

Languages Support

Journey to the Top of Africa with Confidence

Itinerary idea in detail

  • 7,742 ft to 9,498 ft, 4 miles, approx. 3-4 hours
After breakfast in your hotel you will be given an overall briefing from your guide. At 9am you will be met by our staff, who will drive you several hours to the Western side of Mt. Kilimanjaro and to the Londrossi Gate, where our guides and porters will prepare and pack the equipment and supplies Once at the gate you will be given a packed lunch and after registration with the Kilimanjaro Park office, we will drive for another 45mins to Lemosho Glades where your trek will begin with ascending into the rainforest. You will ascend for approx. 3 hours in dense rain forest which could be very wet and muddy so be ready with your gaiters and trekking poles. During the trek we will have a break and you can enjoy the rest your packed lunch. We will reach the Mti Mkubwa Camp also known as ‘Big Tree’ Camp in late afternoon. After arrival, you will be taken to your camp and tent which has already been set up by the porters who ran ahead, where you will be greeted with boiled drinking water and hot washing water. Once you have freshened up and settled in, a hot dinner will be served in the mess-tent..
  • 9,498 ft to 11,500 ft, 5 miles, approx. 5-6 hours
From the forested slopes of Lemosho you ascend through a podocarpus and juniper forest and then break out on to a zone of heather and lichen-draped volcanic rock and the Shira Plateau, which used to be Kilimanjaro’s third peak before it collapsed. Lunch is taken on the trail and you arrive in camp mid-afternoon. The view of Kibo (the peak of Kilimanjaro) is breathtaking from this vantage point. Overnight at Shira 1 Camp.
  • 11,500 ft to 12,500 ft, 4 miles, 3-4 hours
After breakfast you will continue on your hike across and up the Shira plateau to Shira Camp 2 at 3,850 meters. Here you will join trekkers from the Machame Route whilst enjoying stunning view across the valley below and Western Breach of Kilimanjaro above. The plateau is exposed so be prepared for a cold night with temperatures getting below zero.
  • 12,500 ft to 13,580 ft (Lava Tower), down to 15,190 ft, 8 miles, 5-7 hours
We leave the forest behind now and a gentle grade walk takes you across the high altitude Shira Caldera to Shira Cave with fabulous views of Arrow glacier. We will camp here for the night at 4200m.
  • 13,580 ft to 13,200 ft, 7 miles, 5-7 hours
We climb out of the Moir Valley and take a short detour to reach the summit of Lent Hills (15,400ft). After admiring the views we return to the trail and head eastwards around the northern circuit trail. The final section of today’s walk undulates until reaching the location of Pofu Camp.
  • 13,200 ft to 12,700 ft, 5 miles, 5-7 hours
From Pofu Camp we cross numerous small valleys as the trail continues eastwards through a landscape that has increasingly sparse vegetation to eventually reach Third Cave Camp.
  • 12,700 ft to 15,600 ft, 3 miles, 4-5 hours
There is a steady ascent to reach the saddle, a lunar landscape between the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. From here we continue upwards and reach School Hut in the early afternoon. The remainder of the afternoon is spent resting and preparing for the summit day.
  • 15,600 ft to 19,341 ft to 10,065, 4 miles ascent, 7 miles descent, 6-8 hours ascent, 4-6 hours descent
We start the final and most demanding part of the climb around 1 a.m on a switchback trail through loose volcanic scree to reach the crater rim at Gillman’s Point We rest here for a short time to enjoy the spectacular sunrise over Mawenzi. We then head on to Uhuru Peak, passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area. We retrace our steps along the crater rim to Stella Point and then descend down through Barafu Camp to reach Mweka Camp
  • 10,065 ft to 5,380 ft, 6 miles, 3-4 hours
Once again you will be woken for your final celebratory breakfast where our team will thank and congratulate you in their unique, special way! We will then set off for the final 3 hour scenic descent to Mweka Gate. After lunch you will dropped off at the hotel where you can relax under a long, well deserved hot shower.

INCLUDES

  • All meals on the hike.
  • All Park entrance fees.
  • All prices are quoted in US Dollars.
  • Camping equipment if applicable (tents
  • mattresses
  • sleeping bags
  • pillows
  • table and chairs)
  • Flying Doctors rescue insurance for the time of the tour with Smile With Us Africa.

EXCLUDES

  • Flights (International)
  • Alcoholic and soft drinks
  • Tips for Guides, Porters & Chef
  • Personal expenses in nature such as money for souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees etc.
  • Visa fees (100 USD for American and 50 USD for non-American)
  • Immunization documents (yellow fever recommended for visa processing on arrivals)
  • Government imposed increase of taxes and /or park fees

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Words From Our Happy Clients

Joana N
Joana N
2024-06-04
Verified
Incredible experience Just amazing! We went on a 2 day safari trip to Nyerere and it was amazing! We had not expected to see so many animals, and to get so close. The guide, Mr Maarufu was very knowledgeable. In the evening we had dinner and spent the night at Nyerere tent camp. It was a great place, with good service, and all facilities. The food was delicious! On the second day we went on a walking safari with a great Maasai guide before ending the safari with a river boat tour. We had an amazing experience. Special thanks to our friendly and skilled guide Mr Maarufu (Mr. Famous).
Fe S
Fe S
2024-05-31
Verified
Amazing experience We had a great experience in Nyerere with an amazing guide Mr Maarufu (Mr Famous) he explained and showed us everything ! We couldn’t be happier! A lifetime experience
Celine_Fodor
Celine_Fodor
2024-02-10
Verified
Fulfillment of a lifelong dream! Dear team at "Smile with us", My mom, my sister, and I had the pleasure of participating in a two-day safari organized by your company. I must say, we are absolutely thrilled! Our guide Murshid went above and beyond to provide us with the best possible safari experience, despite our limited time. His kindness and care made us feel safe and well taken care of throughout our journey. I cannot emphasize enough how grateful we are for that. As German visitors, "Smile with us" helped us fulfill a lifelong dream, and we couldn't be happier. We are already planning to come back in the next few years - this time for a whole week! We are impressed by your ability to tailor individual trips according to customers' wishes. The fact that we had the entire vehicle and our guide exclusively for us made our stay even more enjoyable. Thank you to the entire team at "Smile with us". You have made us overjoyed! Warm regards, Celine
nhaqueoi
nhaqueoi
2024-02-09
Verified
Absolutely brilliant safari From start to end the experience with Jacob and Smile With Us was brilliant. We'd never been on safari before but Jacob made it simple, suggesting a fantastic 6-day trip from Dar es Salaam to Selous and Mikumi national parks. Nothing was too much trouble. On the day we started the wonderful driver and guide Omari showed up with a rugged Land Cruiser, which is just as well as there had been a lot of rain and the vehicle's 4-wheel drive was needed at times as we sloshed through deep mud and water. Throughout Omari was incredible. Really knowledgeable and nothing was too much trouble. He also has a deep respect and love for animals and wildlife, even to the extent of waiting for a column of soldier ants to cross the road in front of us. We saw elephants, lions, hippos, giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest, impala, warthogs, hyaena, zebra and loads of birds and other animals. Perhaps one of the highlights was seeing a huge crocodile eating a zebra on land right next to our vehicle while hordes of vultures waited to come in for their turn. Omari always seemed to have a six sense when it came to finding interesting things to see. He was also one of the most friendly and sociable people I've met, always stopping to chat and exchange info with other drivers and park rangers, or helping change a tyre on another car. The accommodation was good, and we never had to worry about food or water. There were long distances covered, especially driving between Selous and Mikumi, but for us that was part of the fun, and having the opportunity to see ordinary life across Tanzania. The last night was our wedding anniversary and Jacob arranged for a group of Maasai warriors to sing and dance for us at dinner while delivering a cake. Truly special memories. We can't recommend Smile With Us Tours enough. If you choose one company, choose this one.
Anja K
Anja K
2023-12-31
Verified
Unforgettable adventure! Great time! It was a very special experience! Henry is a super friendly and pleasant guide with whom we learned and laughed a lot. The car was well maintained and in good condition. We will never forget these 6 days. The safari exceeded our expectations. Everything was organized smoothly, there was always enough to eat and drink, and the opportunity to customize the schedule. Asante 🙏 Kwa heri!
Sheela A
Sheela A
2023-12-14
Verified
1 Day Safari from Zanzibar The one day safari from Zanzibar to Mikumi was excellent! We had originally booked Nyerere, but due to the weather the location was changed. Smile with Us was great about facilitating this change and everything went smoothly. Our tour guide Jacob was amazing and made sure we got great close up photos of lions, giraffes, elephants, etc. The only small problem we had was at the end when the driver was 20 minutes late to pick us up and was not responding to us.
Katja S
Katja S
2023-11-18
Verified
Memories of a lifetime! We are back from our incredible 17-days-tour and I would highly recommend booking with Smile with us Tours in Africa! The communication and planning of the tour, choosing accommodations and activities was a very good experience. Jacob has arranged all accommodations and activities for our exciting individual itinerary and everything was very well organized, whereever we arrived. Our guide on our long safari was Erick: He is speaking very good English and is just an amazing person with so much knowledge about nature, wildlife and culture – it was really a pleasure to travel with him! Up from our arrival at the airport we have enjoyed every minute of our long safari. There is nothing, he can’t deal with or what is impossible for him. Asante sana – we left with memories of a lifetime! For sure we will plan our next trip with Jacob and his team to explore more places of this beautiful country.
eatg
eatg
2023-11-14
Verified
Great experience From start to end of the trip, Smile With Us Tours in Africa was very attentive and provided us with an unforgettable safari tour. Starting with Jacob who helped us out in the reservations and also tweaking the tour for our needs. And Hendrick, our guide and driver, who was very professional. During the two day trip to Mikumi we were able to see a total of 14 lions, giraffes, elephants, hippos, impalas, zebras, jackals, and more. We had a great time and unforgettable experience.
henrikith
henrikith
2023-10-29
Verified
Great experience with a great guide! We (couple) went on 2 day safari with Smile With Us Tours Africa. It was a great experience, much thanks to our great guide Apollo. The guide picked us up in Dar es Salaam and drove us to Nyerere National Park/Selous (app. 4 hours). The drive to the park is itself interesting. We were able to see parts of rural Tanzania we would otherwise not have seen. When we arrived in Selous we had a small breakfast before beginning the safari gane drive. It was amazing. We had not expected to see so many animals, and to get so close. The guide was very knowledgeable. In the evening we had dinner and spent the night at Selous Safari Lodge. It was a great place, with good service, and all facilities. The second day we went on a walking safari with a great Mwanda guide before ending the safari with a river boat tour. Our guide then drove us back to Dar. We had an amazing experience. Thank you so much to Smile With Us Tours and especially our friendly and skilled guide Apollo.
FussyTraveler
FussyTraveler
2023-10-23
Verified
Fantastic, Wow, Amazing!! We have just got back from an amazing safari / trip with this company!!!! From initial contact with the Jacob via email it was totally seamless .... Collection by Mr Nurdin at our hotel to airport transfer was completely private along with the tour. We had a safari jeep to ourselves, unlike others we saw that were "full" and seemed cramped Our guide 'Mr Maarufu' was superb - nothing was a problem for him and he made sure we got close to the animals but was respectful and always kept the animals feeling safe. His knowledge was outstanding, a really really nice man. The lodge which we had chosen to stay at was Selous Impala, it was very comfortable and luxurious, All the staff were very friendly. 5* Luxury We would highly recommend Smile with Us tours - 5* company Jacob and Maarufu made the whole trip amazing!!

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