Detailed 10-Day Kilimanjaro Hike and Rwanda Gorilla Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Arusha to Machame Gate, Machame Camp
Your driver will pick you up from your hotel and drive to Machame Village, where you will receive your packed lunch and can buy mineral water. Depart for Machame Gate through local villages and farms. On arrival, head to the park offices for registration, then start your ascent up Mount Kilimanjaro.
The Machame route is quite scenic, so take time to enjoy the plants and views. The road gets muddy and slippery, so trekking poles are a must. Take a short break for lunch, then continue to Machame Camp. Dinner and overnight stay at the camp.
Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira Camp
Wake up to a cold morning on the mountain. After breakfast, leave the rainforest and continue up a steep, rocky ridge with good views. The plants change as you climb higher, with the Lobelia deckenii and Senecio kilimanjari beginning to appear.
Take a short break for lunch just below the Shira Plateau, then continue your ascent for views of the mountain and Kibo glaciers. Reach Shira Camp within a few hours. Dinner and overnight stay at the camp.
Day 3: Shira Camp (Lava Tower) to Barranco Camp
Wake up to views of the Shira Plateau. Continue east, an important day for acclimatization. Hike across the Shira Plateau to the junction for the Shira and Lemosho routes, with a detour option to the Lava Tower for faster hikers.
Stop for lunch and a short rest, then descend gradually to Barranco Camp, passing through different plant zones. The camp sits in a valley close to the Great Barranco Wall. Dinner and overnight stay at the camp.
Day 4: Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp
Wake up to the sight of the Great Barranco Wall, your first challenge for the day. After breakfast, climb this steep but manageable wall, reaching the top in about 1 to 2 hours, then descend into the greener Karanga Valley.
One more climb brings you to Karanga Camp for lunch and a short break before continuing to Barafu, or “ice,” Camp. At this point, you will have completed the South Circuit, with views of the summit from different angles. You will make the final ascent that same night, so prepare your gear and get an early dinner and rest.
Day 5: Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) to Mweka Camp
A wake up call around 23:30 hrs or midnight, followed by hot tea and biscuits, sends you into the night heading northwest, ascending through heavy scree toward Stella Point, then continuing to Uhuru Peak at 5,895m (19,341 ft), typically through snow the whole way.
Time on the summit depends on weather conditions. Enjoy this achievement, then descend to Mweka Camp with a lunch break and a brief rest at Barafu Camp. Dinner and overnight stay at Mweka Camp.
Day 6: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate to Arusha/Moshi
On your final day at the mountain, continue your descent to Mweka Park Gate after breakfast. Sign for and receive your summit certificate, then travel to Mweka Village for lunch before heading to your hotel in Arusha or Moshi for celebrations, a shower, and rest.
Day 7: Transfer to Kilimanjaro JRO Airport, Flight to Kigali, Rwanda
Enjoy a later start after breakfast, then your driver will take you to JRO Airport in Kilimanjaro for your flight to Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, with time for shopping along the way if needed.
On arrival in Kigali, your guide will meet you and drive you to Volcanoes National Park to check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, drive to the park headquarters for a briefing and gorilla family assignment before beginning your trek, accompanied by ranger guides.
Once you find the gorillas, spend an hour observing them and taking photos. Return to the starting point to receive your trekking certificate, then drive back to your hotel for lunch and rest. In the evening, visit Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village for a community experience, time permitting.
Day 9: Exit to Kigali
After breakfast, check out and drive to Kigali for a city tour, including the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, museums, and art centers. Check in at your hotel and have lunch, then spend the rest of the day at leisure enjoying the hotel’s amenities.
Day 10: Departure
Wake up early, have breakfast, and do some final souvenir shopping before your driver takes you to the airport for your flight home.
Book this 10-Day Kilimanjaro Hike and Rwanda Gorilla Tour today and combine a summit climb with mountain gorilla encounters in Rwanda.
