DAY 1: MOSHI • Elevation: 3,000-ft/914-m • Welcome to Moshi, Settle into Your Accommodation

Mount Kilimanjaro - Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro airport, you receive a warm welcome and are transported to your cozy accommodation in Moshi, where you will spend two relaxing nights with views of the town and the snow-capped peaks of Kilimanjaro.

Moshi is a delightful town rich in history, offering a variety of excellent restaurants and charming coffee shops. The central market is a vibrant must-visit, bustling with life and colorful local characters.

Tomorrow morning, you will meet your team and guides for a detailed climb briefing and a comprehensive gear check.

DAY 2: MOSHI • Elevation: 3,000-ft/914-m • Travel: Meet Your Guides in Moshi & Begin Orientation

Mount Kilimanjaro - After breakfast, you meet your Tusker guides for your climb orientation and a final equipment check. This is a wonderful opportunity to get to know your team leaders, seek their advice, and gather any additional gear or supplies needed for your climb.

Afterwards, the group heads out for lunch in Moshi. This is a great chance to explore the bustling Tanzanian town of the north. Your guide will also show you around the vibrant Moshi market at the foot of Kilimanjaro.

DAY 3: SIMBA CAMP • Elevation: 8,760-ft/2,670-m • Travel: 4.3 miles/6.9 km • 2.5-3 hours

Mount Kilimanjaro - After breakfast, you leave Moshi for a 2-hour drive to the starting point on Kilimanjaro’s northern side, Nalemuru Gate. Here, you meet the full crew and check into the park.

The winding trail crosses village fields and enters the rainforest for an easy hike. You arrive at Simba Camp, located at the edge of the heath and moorland zone, with stunning views of Kenya’s plains below. After freshening up, you enjoy your first magnificent, well-deserved Kilimanjaro dinner.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Lodging: Signature Mountain Camp

DAY 4: SECOND CAVE • Elevation: 11,320-ft/3,450-m • Travel: 4.35 miles/7 km • 3-4 hours

Mount Kilimanjaro - Waking up to the melodious birdsong of the early morning, you start your day with a hearty breakfast and a medical check-up. The group then sets out, hiking through the shorter vegetation of heather. The views of Kibo Peak and the Eastern Icefield on the crater rim are breathtaking.

You are now at a crucial elevation to help your body adjust to the lower oxygen pressure. This is important for later acclimatization to higher altitudes. Therefore, an afternoon hike to a higher elevation is taken to prepare for the thinner air in the days ahead.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Lodging: Signature Mountain Camp

DAY 5: THIRD CAVE • Elevation: 12,912-ft/3,936-m • Travel: 2.6 miles/4.2 km • 3 hours

Mount Kilimanjaro - Today’s trek offers one of the most beautiful views on Kilimanjaro’s northwest slopes.

It’s a relatively easy and short trek to Third Cave today, on the western slopes. The elevation gain is just 1,600-ft/488-m and is part of our well-planned climbing strategy to acclimatize for the higher elevation ahead. You have the freedom to explore the slopes for superb views or simply relax around camp in the serene mountain environment.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Lodging: Signature Mountain Camp

DAY 6: POFU CAMP • Elevation: 13,180-ft/4,017-m • Travel: 4.2 miles/6.7 km • 5-6 hours

Mount Kilimanjaro - Today is a full-day trek as we traverse the rarely used western slope toward Moir Camp. Slowly gaining just 260-ft/80-m, you trek through the giant heather with Kibo Peak just ahead on the left and the vast Shira Caldera down to your right.

Shira was once one of Kilimanjaro’s peaks until it erupted for the last time 500,000 years ago and collapsed in on itself. Over the millennia, it has transformed from a deep caldera to a vast plateau, filled with centuries of sediment.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Lodging: Signature Mountain Camp

DAY 7: MOIR CAMP • Elevation: 13,650-ft/4,160-m • Travel: 6.2 miles/10 km • 6-7 hours

Mount Kilimanjaro - You’ll notice that we do not gain much altitude in these early days of the climb. This will make it much easier later on as you adjust to the elevation. After a full day, we climb the Lent Group and descend into Moir Camp, nestled at the foot of a giant lava flow at the head of a deep canyon carved by ancient glaciers.

You will observe the alternating layers of lava and sediment towering over the lateral moraine on the edge of the valley. Evenings are spectacular with heat lightning illuminating the plateau.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Lodging: Signature Mountain Camp

DAY 8: BARRANCO CAMP • Elevation: 12,950-ft/3,950-m • Travel: 6.2 miles/9.9 km • 7 hours

Mount Kilimanjaro - We begin the uphill trek into the alpine zone toward Lava Tower at 15,200-ft/4,633-m. At the base of the 320-ft/98-m tower, we stop for lunch, allowing our bodies a short time to acclimatize.

Making the steep descent, we hike past the uniquely beautiful plant life in this unusual habitat, such as the giant lobelias and senecios. Camp is situated at the foot of the Barranco Wall. There’s a buzz of excitement as climbers from around the world anticipate the next morning’s climb up this massive, imposing structure.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Lodging: Signature Mountain Camp

DAY 9: KARANGA CAMP • Elevation: 13,200-ft/4,023-m • Travel: 3.6 miles/5.8 km • 4-5 hours

Mount Kilimanjaro - Emerging from your tent, you can’t help but focus on the wall, contemplating its fortress-like structure. The Barranco Wall stands like a sentinel, blocking your highest goal, Uhuru Peak. Right after breakfast, we start our scramble up the wall. It takes about two hours, as we ascend about 500-ft/152-m out of the valley, surrounded by dazzling views of ancient lava flows and towering peaks.

Then we take a steep, meandering hike with Kibo Peak over your left shoulder, down into Karanga Valley, and up the other side to camp.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Lodging: Signature Mountain Camp

DAY 10: BARAFU CAMP • Elevation: 14,950-ft/4,556-m • Travel: 2.1 miles/3.4 km • 4 hours

Mount Kilimanjaro - It’s a challenging but rewarding climb up the rocky, craggy slopes to Barafu High Camp, sometimes called Kosovo. Tusker has special permission to camp here. Because the camp is at high elevation, it is quite cold and windy at night. The air starts getting quite thin, and you find yourself breathing hard.

There is a buzz of excitement in the air, as your climbing team anticipates the toughest day just ahead. The clouds move quickly in and out, revealing the eroded Mawenzi Peak, rising from the plains below. In the afternoon, you gather around your guides for a detailed briefing of our climbing strategy for the next day to the summit.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Lodging: Signature Mountain Camp

DAY 11: KILIMANJARO SUMMIT • Elevation: 19,341-ft/5,895-m • Travel: 2.75 miles/4.5 km • 7-9 hours

Mount Kilimanjaro - Our climb to the summit starts a couple of hours before sunrise. Most of the ascent is in daylight as we have found that our climbers prefer the warmer temperatures and spectacular views on the most demanding part of the climb. At mid-day, we reach the rim of the crater. Behind you is Mawenzi Peak - a thrilling sight, while the crater’s ice-walls loom ahead above you.

We now continue to Uhuru Peak (1-2 hours) - the highest point in Africa (19,341-ft/5,895-m). Your feeling of euphoria is intense, as the culmination of your challenge approaches. Reaching the summit, you celebrate with your fellow climbers then trek down into our camp in the awe-inspiring crater, beneath the summit. After settling in, we hike up to the seldom-visited Ashpit, where fumaroles and the smell of sulfur are signs that Kilimanjaro is still a dormant volcano.

DAY 11: MILLENNIUM CAMP • Elevation: 12,590-ft/3,837-m • Travel: 6.3 miles/10.1 km • 5-6 hours

Mount Kilimanjaro - Still high from the summit, the crater dawn light tops off your magical experience. Before the invigorating descent, you can take another hike to Uhuru Peak. We then start a slow 3-hour descent through the scree to Barafu Camp for a short break and a snack. Then a further two hours brings us down to the edge of the rainforest at Millennium Camp.

Once at camp, it’s time to relax and enjoy our last dinner followed by a deep and restful sleep on Mount Kilimanjaro, before the final descent to the national park gate tomorrow.

DAY 13: MWEKA GATE / MOSHI • Elevation: 5,500-ft/1,676-m • Travel 7.5 miles/12 km • 6 hours • Drive to Moshi: 30 mins

Mount Kilimanjaro - It’s a 6-hour hike from Millennium Camp to Mweka Gate where we sign the book, enjoy a final lunch, and say goodbye to your porters. Your guides accompany you on a short drive back to the hotel in Moshi where a hot shower and a cold drink await your arrival.

We all enjoy a celebratory meal in the evening.

Tomorrow your driver will arrive in plenty of time for you to catch your flight home, or since you’re already in Africa, you may choose to continue your adventure with a wildlife Safari. If you’re interested in resting from your adventure, you can also choose to explore the nearby beaches and ancient town of Zanzibar. Call us or visit our website to learn more.

DAY 14: Safari Day-1 - Tarangire National Parks

Tarangire National Park - Embark on an exhilarating safari adventure through Tanzania’s premier National Parks, where an extraordinary encounter with Africa’s wild animals awaits your discovery!

Stay at one of Tanzania’s iconic traditional wildlife lodges, perched on the edge of the Rift Valley escarpment, with spectacular views of the vast African plains.

DAY 15: Safari Day-2 - Lake Manyara National Parks & Depart Tanzania

Lake Manyara National Park - Embark on an exhilarating safari adventure through Tanzania’s premier National Parks, where an extraordinary encounter with Africa’s wild animals awaits your discovery!

Stay at one of Tanzania’s iconic traditional wildlife lodges, perched on the edge of the Rift Valley escarpment, with spectacular views of the vast African plains.

If you’ve opted to go on Safari, you will be picked up and transported to a different gate where you are just a short flight from Africa’s astounding wildlife reserves – the Serengeti Plains, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, and Lake Manyara. Where you can ride your wave of euphoria and go exploring in the incredible wilderness of the African savannah.

Or you can also hop on a short flight to the fascinating world of Zanzibar. Discover the ancient culture, relax on the world’s most beautiful palm-fringed beaches, and snorkel the awe-inspiring coral reefs.

Talk to one of our trip planners to learn more.

Dar es Salaam - Today your driver will arrive in plenty of time for you to catch your flight home. You will be picked up at the lodge and transported to the airport gate in plenty of time to check-in and catch your flight.

If you’ve opted to go on Safari, you will be picked up and transported to a different gate where you are just a short flight from Africa’s astounding wildlife reserves – the Serengeti Plains, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, and Lake Manyara. Where you can ride your wave of euphoria and go exploring in the incredible wilderness of the African savannah.

Or you can also hop on a short flight to the fascinating world of Zanzibar. Discover the ancient culture, relax on the world’s most beautiful palm-fringed beaches, and snorkel the awe-inspiring coral reefs.

Talk to one of our trip planners to learn more.

• Kilimanjaro National Park Entry Fees
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Breakfast

• Gratuities for guides and crew
• Rental Gear: Save thousands of dollars by renting clean & sanitized, Tusker approved trekking gear.

The Tusker Spiral Route is the ultimate itinerary for that once-in-a-lifetime climb of Kilimanjaro. This 14-day journey begins in the north, spiraling through the mesmerizing and less-travelled western escarpments before culminating at Uhuru Peak. Founder Eddie Frank ingeniously carved out this unique path by amalgamating four beautiful routes, each with their distinctive charm.

Savor the stunning vistas as you navigate around the peak, enjoy the warmth as you scale to the summit in full daylight instead of the dark of night. The ascent will test your acclimatization skills at high altitude, challenging terrains and offer region-specific food experiences. The most skilled squad of High Altitude First Responder guides accompany you ensuring safety, supplementing the almost five decades of our mountaineering heritage on Kilimanjaro. Continue reading to uncover what sets the Tusker Spiral Route apart.

• Infants are not permitted to participate in a climb

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.