A ten-day journey that pairs the cultural richness of the Kilimanjaro foothills with the climb up Africa's highest mountain. You spend a day at Materuni Waterfall and with a Chagga coffee family, then seven days on the Machame Route with experienced guides, freshly prepared meals and a celebration back in Moshi.
Your Janel Safaris driver meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and transfers you to Ameg Lodge in Moshi. Take time to settle in and relax after your journey, or enjoy the lodge's peaceful gardens.
Later, meet your mountain guide and our operations team for a personal pre-trek briefing. We review the trekking plan, talk through mountain safety and check your equipment so you are ready for the climb.
Enjoy a welcome dinner and a restful evening.
Before heading onto the mountain, discover the landscapes and living traditions of the Kilimanjaro foothills. A guided walk through farms and countryside around Materuni Village leads to the Materuni Waterfall.
Afterwards, spend time with a Chagga family and learn how locally grown coffee is prepared the traditional way, from roasting the beans to drinking a freshly brewed cup.
Return to Moshi in the afternoon to rest and prepare for the climb.
After breakfast, drive to Machame Gate for park registration. The trail climbs into the rainforest, where tall trees, dense vegetation and forest birds make a fine introduction to Kilimanjaro.
Your guide sets a steady pace up to Machame Camp. Settle in, enjoy a freshly prepared dinner and rest beneath the forest canopy.
Leave the rainforest behind as the trail climbs into open heath and moorland. Views of the mountain and the plains below widen as you approach the Shira Plateau.
Your crew will have camp ready at Shira Cave. The evening is for a warm meal, rest and preparing for the next stage.
Today crosses Kilimanjaro's high-altitude desert to Lava Tower at about 4,630 m. The landscape turns rugged, with striking volcanic formations and wide mountain views.
After a break, descend to Barranco Camp. Climbing high and sleeping lower is one of the most effective ways to acclimatise. Dinner and rest in the Barranco Valley.
Start the morning with the Barranco Wall. Your guide leads you up the rocky trail, and the views across the valleys and peaks repay the effort.
Beyond the wall, the path crosses ridges and valleys to Karanga Camp, giving your body more time to adjust to the altitude. A freshly prepared meal and a quiet evening follow.
Climb to Barafu Camp, your base for the summit attempt, across rugged high-altitude terrain with Kilimanjaro's volcanic landscape opening up around you.
On arrival your guide reviews the summit plan and checks you are prepared for the night ahead. Eat an early dinner, organise your kit and rest as much as you can before the late-night start.
The summit attempt begins around midnight. Climb beneath the stars to Stella Point and on to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m, the highest point in Africa. Weather permitting, the views across the mountain and its glaciers are extraordinary.
After celebrating and taking photographs, descend to Barafu Camp for a short rest, then continue to Mweka Camp. It is a demanding day, and a warm meal and a full night's sleep are especially welcome.
After breakfast, make the final descent through the rainforest to Mweka Gate. Once the park formalities are done, receive your summit certificate.
Our team drives you back to Ameg Lodge for a hot shower and time to relax.
In the evening, join us for a celebration dinner. Share stories and photographs from the climb, and recognise the determination, teamwork and support that brought you here.
Enjoy a final breakfast at Ameg Lodge. At the agreed time, your driver transfers you to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight home.
Thank you for choosing Janel Safaris. We hope to welcome you back to Tanzania.
Entrance fees, traditional coffee-making and lunch.
Up to 15 kg per climber.
Catered to your dietary requirements.
Altitude and wellbeing monitoring every day, including pulse oximeter readings.
We help you hire any kit you are missing.
For climbers who meet the park's certification requirements.
Including the People Behind the Mountain porter project.
Must cover high-altitude trekking to 6,000 m, medical treatment and emergency evacuation.
Sleeping bag, hiking boots, waterproof clothing and similar.
Lodge · Moshi
Tented camps · Machame Route
We follow KPAP's published porter-treatment guidelines and Responsible Travel standards. Company loads are no more than 15 kg per porter, excluding the porter's personal kit. Every crew member earns at least the legal minimum wage, paid within two days of the descent, and gets three adequate meals a day, proper shelter, sleeping equipment and the right gear for the weather. Sick or injured porters receive proper care.
We explain the tipping procedure before the climb and name the exact number of crew, so no extra people appear at the tipping ceremony.
A pre-climb acclimatisation day at Materuni Waterfall with a Chagga coffee experience; larger Mountain Hardwear Trango 4 sleeping tents shared by two; larger Space Station and Stronghold dining and camp tents; extra porter and camp support; one-to-one guide support on summit night with additional summit support; extra private toilet facilities; and a portable hyperbaric chamber as supplementary emergency equipment, subject to confirmed equipment arrangements.
We create work for qualified Tanzanian guides, porters, cooks and drivers, support fair working conditions and staff welfare, and buy food, supplies and services locally where practical. We are building partnerships with credible local organisations for education and livelihood projects, manage waste responsibly and follow park regulations. We are working towards an annual record of contributions that we can share with partners and guests.
Migration timing, off-season finds, and dispatches from our guides. About one note a month.
Tailor-made safaris, mountain expeditions and Indian Ocean escapes, designed and led from Arusha, Tanzania since 2025.
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Tanzania · visits by appointment
