The Grand Traverse
Northern
Circuit
The only route that encircles the entire mountain — 360° of Kilimanjaro, the highest success rate on the peak.
8
Days
5,895m
Uhuru Peak
~95%
Success Rate
~96km
Total Distance
The only route that encircles the entire mountain — 360° of Kilimanjaro, the highest success rate on the peak.
The Northern Circuit is, quite simply, the greatest way to climb Kilimanjaro. No other route gives you this: a complete circumnavigation of Africa's highest peak, crossing through every major ecological zone, every landscape, every face of the mountain. Eight days, 96 kilometres, one summit — and a story that belongs entirely to you.
Beginning on the western slopes near Londorossi Gate, the route shares its opening with Lemosho before curving north across the pristine Shira Plateau and then sweeping east along the northern flank — terrain that sees fewer than 3% of all Kilimanjaro climbers. Out here, it is raw, silent, and spectacularly wild. Mawenzi towers above you. The curvature of the earth becomes visible on the horizon.
The reward for this longer, more gradual approach is simple: a summit success rate that stands near 95% — the highest of any route on the mountain. Your body has had time to acclimatise properly. Your lungs are ready. And when you step onto Uhuru Peak at 5,895m, you have seen every corner of this extraordinary mountain to earn it.
~95% success rate — achieved through superior acclimatisation built over 8 gradual days around the mountain.
The only route to circle the entire mountain — west face, north face, east face. Every angle of Kilimanjaro, one journey.
The northern face sees only 3% of all climbers. Pristine trails, no crowds, and landscapes of extraordinary remoteness.
Rainforest, moorland, heathland, alpine desert, glacial zones — the Northern Circuit crosses them all in a single expedition.
Eight days on the trail — the minimum Northern Circuit schedule: it follows Lemosho for the first two days, then after the Shira plateau turns north near Lava Tower onto the quieter northern slopes before the eastern summit approach. Click each day to expand full details.
The guides and a mountain support crew will arrive at the hotel. Then you will travel by vehicle (roughly 3–4 hours) to Kilimanjaro National Park's western entrance: Londorossi Gate. After the quick formality of acquiring climbing permits and registering with the search and rescue service, the group continues upwards towards their drop-off point by off-road vehicles. In the forest, exotic moss and flowers delight the eye while bird calls entertain the ear. You may see black-and-white colobus monkeys as well as signs of the elephants that travel in this area. We will overnight at Forest Camp (Mti Mkubwa Camp).
Today you will trek across a plateau of grassy moorland and heather scattered with volcanic rock formations. Our destination for today is 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.
On day three the trek crosses the Shira Plateau from Shira Camp 1 to Shira Camp 2 for lunch. Here nine-day trekkers usually spend the night at Shira Camp 2, where they will join trekkers from the Machame Route. But for eight-day trekkers the trek continues heading east, passes through the “Garden of the Senecios,” then enters the high alpine desert zone; you then join the northern circuit heading down to Moir Camp at 4,200m.
Day four involves a moderately 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.
Day five starts 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.
Day six 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.
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 check-point 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 about 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 scree 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 this day 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.
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 in Moshi.
All tiers include the complete 8-day Northern Circuit with expert guides, full board on the mountain, hotel accommodation, and everything you need to summit Africa.
Select your group size to see your savings across all tiers
The Northern Circuit runs year-round. Its longer duration means exceptional conditions in both dry seasons (Jun–Oct and Jan–Feb). Click any date to open the booking form.
Click any date to instantly open the booking form with your selected departure pre-filled.
No other route gives you the full picture. The Northern Circuit is for those who don't want a version of Kilimanjaro — they want the whole thing. Eight days. Every face. One summit.
Northern Circuit — Ember Tours
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