Day 1
2,986 ft
Arrive · Kilimanjaro Intl.
JRO · · · ·
Airport pickup and transfer to Moshi. Evening briefing, gear-check, and an early night.
Route Guide · Full Circumnavigation · 96% summit rate
NORTHERN
CIRCUIT.
THE QUIET ONE.
Nine days on the mountain via the quiet northern slopes. The longest acclimatization profile we offer and the highest summit rate of any Peak Planet trip.
02 · The honest overview
NORTHERN CIRCUIT.
QUIET NORTHERN SLOPES.
The longest itinerary on the mountain. Eight nights up, the widest acclimatization profile we offer, and the highest summit rate of any Peak Planet trip.
WHY BOOK THIS ROUTE
- Highest summit rateNine days on the mountain and the widest acclimatization profile we run, a 96% success rate, our highest.
- The quiet oneThe northern slopes see almost no traffic, you circle three-quarters of the mountain in near solitude.
- 360° of KilimanjaroLemosho glades, the Shira Plateau, the remote north, and a crater-rim summit, every aspect of the mountain.
- Gradual and walkableDistance rather than steepness, long, steady days your body can absorb.
HONEST DRAWBACKS
- The most timeEleven days door to door is the biggest calendar commitment on the mountain.
- Higher costMore days on the mountain means a higher price than the shorter southern routes.
- Long days underfootThe low traffic comes from distance, expect several long, wide northern traverses.
03 · Day by day
THE ITINERARY
Day 2
6,890 → 9,121 ft
Londorossi Gate → Mti Mkubwa
Rainforest · 2.9 miles · 3 – 4 hrs
Registration at Londorossi, then the Lemosho trailhead. An easy forest walk to Big Tree Camp among the colobus monkeys.
Day 3
9,121 → 11,500 ft
Mti Mkubwa → Shira 1
Heath / moorland · 4.9 miles · 5 – 6 hrs
Climb out of the forest into giant heather and up to the western rim of the Shira Plateau.
Day 4
11,500 → 12,600 ft
Shira 1 → Shira 2
Alpine desert · 6.3 miles · 5 – 6 hrs
A gentle plateau crossing with Kibo ahead the whole way. We hike to the Cathedral to acclimate before dropping into camp.
Day 5
12,600 → 15,190 → 13,660 ft
Shira 2 → Lava Tower → Moir Hut
Climb high · sleep low · 7.2 miles · 6 – 7 hrs
Up to Lava Tower for lunch, then drop north to Moir Hut, a quiet camp most routes never see.
Day 6
13,660 → 13,600 ft
Moir Hut → Buffalo Camp
Northern slopes · 4.4 miles · 4 – 6 hrs
Swing onto the northern circuit proper. From here the crowds vanish and the mountain opens up.
Day 7
13,600 → 12,800 ft
Buffalo Camp → Third Cave
Alpine desert · 5.1 miles · 4 – 5 hrs
A wide, remote traverse across the northern flank with long views toward Kenya. Steady, walkable ground.
Day 8
12,800 → 15,600 ft
Third Cave → School Hut
Summit approach · 3 miles · 3 – 4 hrs
Round the eastern side of Kibo to School Hut, the launch point for summit night. Eat and sleep early.
Day 9
15,600 → 19,341 → 12,530 ft
Summit · Uhuru Peak · Millennium
Summit day · 8.9 miles · 12 – 14 hrs
Midnight start to Gilman's Point on the crater rim, along to Uhuru at sunrise, then a long descent to Millennium Camp.
Day 10
12,530 → 5,381 ft
Millennium → Moshi
Certificates · 7.6 miles · 4 – 5 hrs
Walk out through the rainforest to Mweka Gate. Certificate ceremony, hot showers, celebration dinner.
Day 11
2,986 ft
Departure or Safari add-on
JRO · · · ·
Late check-out and transfer to the airport, or onwards to the Serengeti with our partner camps.
04 · What you pay for
EVERYTHING
IN THE PRICE.
Included
- Park & gate fees (camping, rescue, summit, conservation)
- Two hotel nights — one pre-climb, one post-climb
- JRO airport transfers (both directions)
- WFR-certified lead guide on every climb
- 1:2 guide-to-climber ratio · max 12 per group
- Daily pulse-ox + Lake Louise altitude monitoring
- Emergency oxygen on every trek (Gamow bag on Northern Circuit)
- Helicopter evacuation insurance to 5,000 m
- Ferrino four-season tents + sleeping cot
- Three meals daily on the mountain
- Filtered, treated drinking water, unlimited
- KPAP-compliant porter wages, audited
Not included
- International flights to JRO
- Tanzania entry visa (~$100)
- Travel & medical insurance (required)
- Personal climbing gear (rental list provided)
- Lunch & dinner in Moshi
- Tips for guides & porters (~$340 / climber)
On the trail
GALLERY
Photography placeholders — final route images will replace these before launch.
Summit morning on the roof of Africa
High alpine terrain
Summit-night ascent
The final push to the top
High camp before summit night
Big country below the mountain
In their words
CLIMBERS ON
THIS ROUTE.
★★★★★5.0 · 461 reviews on Tripadvisor4.9★ on Google · Read all reviews →
★★★★★
The best outfitter on the mountain
We selected the longer Northern Circuit route to ensure altitude acclimatization. Superb porters, and service that could not have been better — prompt and cheerful. Observing the other trekking companies during our climb, it was obvious that Peak Planet was the best outfitter on the mountain.
Read on Tripadvisor →● Northern Circuit
★★★★★
Private trek on the Northern Circuit
We booked a private trek with Peak Planet along the longest, 55-mile Northern Circuit, which has the highest success rate of all the routes. From booking to arrival and departure, the care on the mountain was exemplary.
Read on Google →● Northern Circuit · Private
Troyvia Tripadvisor★★★★★
Top notch professional organization
Your team was great. Had a wonderful experience. Couldn't have had more professional service. Everything was absolutely excellent. You have great people and I loved each and every one of them. Staff treated us like family — great people.
Read on Tripadvisor →
● Machame · 9 Days
05 · Upcoming departures
PICK A DATE
NORTHERN CIRCUIT
Arrival
Oct 05
→
Departure
Oct 15
5 of 12 spotsFilling
$3,469
Per climber · All in
NORTHERN CIRCUIT
Arrival
Oct 18
→
Departure
Oct 28
11 of 12 spotsOpen
$3,469
Per climber · All in
NORTHERN CIRCUIT
Arrival
Dec 16
→
Departure
Dec 26
11 of 12 spotsOpen
$3,469
Per climber · All in
NORTHERN CIRCUIT
Arrival
Jan 04
→
Departure
Jan 14
11 of 12 spotsOpen
$3,469
Per climber · All in
NORTHERN CIRCUIT
Arrival
Jan 15
→
Departure
Jan 25
9 of 12 spotsOpen
$3,469
Per climber · All in
NORTHERN CIRCUIT
Arrival
Feb 01
→
Departure
Feb 11
12 of 12 spotsOpen
$3,469
Per climber · All in
CodeRouteLengthDifficultyDatesAvailabilityPriceAction
06 · Our verdict
WOULD WE BOOK THIS ROUTE?
The Northern Circuit is the climb we point serious summit-seekers toward. The longest acclimatization profile and the lowest traffic on the mountain add up to a 96% success rate, our highest.
“If your priority is standing on the summit, healthy, this is the route with the best odds we offer.”
Ben J., Experience Designer
07 · Common questions
QUESTIONS
ABOUT THIS ROUTE.
Which side of Kilimanjaro does the Northern Circuit route climb?
You start at the same western trailhead as the Lemosho route and hike through rainforest onto the Shira Plateau. Near Lava Tower you split away from Lemosho and circle the remote northern slopes, the only route on that side of the mountain, before curving east to begin the summit push from School Hut. By the time you reach the crater rim you have crossed roughly three-quarters of the way around Kilimanjaro.
Is there a video of the Northern Circuit route?
Yes. Watch our short Northern Circuit route video, linked below. It follows the full path from Londorossi Gate across the Shira Plateau, around the quiet northern slopes and up from School Hut to Uhuru Peak, then down through Mweka, so you can picture the terrain, the camp spacing and how far the route swings around the mountain before you book.
Read nextWatch the route video
Are there optional side hikes on the Northern Circuit route?
Yes. Two acclimatization detours branch off the main trail: a short climb to Shira Cathedral at about 12,800 feet for sweeping views before you drop into camp, and, near Lava Tower, an optional push up to the ruined hut at Arrow Glacier around 15,700 feet for climbers who are feeling strong. Both are side trips your guide can offer rather than required stops, and both help your body adjust to altitude.
How much solitude does the Northern Circuit actually offer?
A lot. Historically, fewer than one in a hundred Kilimanjaro climbers choose the Northern Circuit, making it the least-traveled route on the mountain. Once you swing onto the northern slopes past Moir Hut you leave the traffic of the busier southern routes behind, and camps such as Buffalo Camp and Third Cave often host only a handful of other groups a night, if any.
07 · Ready to book?
GET A QUOTE
FOR THIS ROUTE.
Send a quote request and our team will reply within four hours with a full breakdown — no hidden fees, no upsells at the briefing.
From $3,319 per climber