Safari Tour

Days 1-2: Arusha National Park / Acclimatization

Two nights at our private camp at 6,500 feet on Mt. Meru in Arusha National Park aid in your acclimatization, with warm-up hikes to look for bushbuck, giraffe, and black-and-white colobus monkey.

Days 3-5: Kilimanjaro / Shira Plateau

Meeting our porters and trail guides at 7,400 feet, we hike through lush montane forests and keep an eye out for a colorful array of birdlife and evidence of forest elephant. Ascending through the giant heath zone where Kili’s ancient lava flows are still visible, we move up to our Shira Ridge Camp (11,450'), with its dramatic view of Kilimanjaro’s glaciers that climbers on other routes never see. We continue to Moir Camp at 13,640 feet.

Days 6-11: Pofu Camp / School Camp / Crater Camp / Summit Day

Traversing to Pofu Camp (13,200'), our panoramas stretch across the West Kilimanjaro and Amboseli National Park plains, home to the well-known elephant population long studied by Cynthia Moss and Joyce Poole. Reaching the lunar-like alpine zone, we ascend from Third Camp (13,000') to School Camp (15,600')—just 3,200 feet below the summit! Higher up at Crater Camp (18,800'), with its extraordinary setting near the Furtwängler Glacier, we can hike right to the rim of Kili’s astonishing inner crater, a surreal moonscape. The next day, our two-hour climb from Crater Camp is short, bringing us to Uhuru Peak (19,341'), Kili’s true summit and the roof of Africa. We’ll be on the summit for sunrise, with magnificent views of the vast African plains before the daytime clouds arrive. A descent along the Mweka Route brings us back to our lodge for a well-deserved hot shower and victory celebration. Depart in the evening of Day 11 via Arusha, or join our post-climb safari or other extensions.