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Highlights
Challenge yourself on one of Mount Kilimanjaro’s toughest routes
Discover amazing rainforest birds, monkeys, and other wildlife.
Fuel your hike with hot, hearty meals prepared by your cook.
Marvel at the peak from nearly every angle as you complete the Southern Circuit.
Watch the spectacular sunrise from Stella Point before you summit Uhuru Peak.
Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa, and the Umbwe Route is one of the shortest ways to reach the top. It is also one of the most difficult ascents because it gives you very little time to acclimate to the elevation before you attempt the summit. This route is recommended if you have a lot of trekking experience at high altitude.
On this guided trek, you’ll be walking through the diverse climate and altitude zones of the mountain. You’ll experience everything from the humid rainforest to the rocky alpine desert before you reach the snow-capped summit. Some of the route highlights will be the Barranco Wall, views of the peak from the Southern Circuit, and a magnificent sunrise from Stella Point. This is a very challenging trek, but you’ll have plenty of support from your expert guides, porters, and cooks. You’ll also have the opportunity to befriend other hikers from around the world at the communal camping sites along your route.
Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa, and the Umbwe Route is one of the shortest ways to reach the top. It is also one of the most difficult ascents because it gives you very little time to acclimate to the elevation before you attempt the summit. This route is recommended if you have a lot of trekking experience at high altitude.
On this guided trek, you’ll be walking through the diverse climate and altitude zones of the mountain. You’ll experience everything from the humid rainforest to the rocky alpine desert before you reach the snow-capped summit. Some of the route highlights will be the Barranco Wall, views of the peak from the Southern Circuit, and a magnificent sunrise from Stella Point. This is a very challenging trek, but you’ll have plenty of support from your expert guides, porters, and cooks. You’ll also have the opportunity to befriend other hikers from around the world at the communal camping sites along your route.
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6-Day Mount Kilimanjaro on Umbwe Route Itinerary
Day 0 Arrive the day before for pre-trek briefing
If you have opted for the optional airport transfers, you will be picked from Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha Airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi.
Pre-trek briefing at your Moshi hotel. You should be planning to arrive at least one day before the start of the trek. Today you will spend time having a pre-trek briefing. The team will also review your equipment and rent any equipment which is needed. Please note that the accommodation or airport transfers for this day are not included but can be booked as a supplement.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: None
Meals: None
Day 1 Arrive at the Umbwe Gate and start your hike
Your tour will depart from your hotel in Moshi. It’s about an hour’s drive to the Umbwe Gate. After completing the registration formalities you’ll start your trek through the rainforest. As you follow the steep forestry track to Umbwe Camp, be sure to look for monkeys in the dense trees.
Overnight Location: Camping on Mount Kilimanjaro (2,850m / 9,350’)
Distance: 5 to 6 hours, 11 km, 1190m of elevation gain
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Day 2 Hike Umbwe Ridge to Barranco Valley
As you trek today, the trees will become sparser as the terrain becomes rockier. After climbing steadily up the ridge, the trail will flatten out as you approach Barranco Camp in the valley. Here you’ll join the other hikers who have been ascending the Machame Route.
Overnight Location: Camping on Mount Kilimanjaro (3,900m / 9,350’)
Distance: 4 to 5 hours, 6 km, 1150m of elevation gain
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3 Climb the Barranco Wall and trek the Karanga Valley
Since the Umbwe Route ascends Kilimanjaro quickly, today will be an important day for acclimatization. A major challenge on the route is the infamous Barranco Wall. It will be a steep climb up a cliff that is just over 250m high! From here you’ll be continuing into the Karanga Valley with one final steep stretch up to Karanga Camp.
Overnight Location: Camping on Mount Kilimanjaro (3,995m / 13,106’)
Distance: 3 to 4 hours, 5 km, 50m elevation gain
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4 Complete the South Circuit and trek to Barafu
By today you have completed the Southern Circuit, which means you’ve enjoyed views of Uhuru Peak from nearly every angle. Otherwise, the trail is barren as you hike through the alpine desert to Barafu Camp. Dinner and bedtime will be early since your wake-up call is at midnight!
Overnight Location: Camping on Mount Kilimanjaro (4,673m / 15,331’)
Distance: 3 to 4 hours, 4 km, 650m of elevation gain
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5 Reach the summit and trek to Mweka Camp
You’ll begin your trek in the middle of the night to allow enough time to reach the summit and return to safer altitudes. You’ll hike through difficult terrain and pass between Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers before you begin the extremely challenging section up to Stella Point. Your reward for surviving the wind, cold, and the steep climb will be the magnificent sunrise at Stella Point. From here it’s about another hour’s hike through the snow to reach the summit. You’ll have a few minutes to celebrate being at the highest point in Africa at the top of Uhuru Peak. From here it’s still a long day ahead, as you’ll return to Barafu for lunch and continue to Mweka Camp for the night.
Overnight Location: Camping on Mount Kilimanjaro (3,100m / 10,170)
Distance: 10 to 13 hours, 18 km, 1195m of ascent and 2800m of descent
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6 Arrive at Mweka Gate and drive back to Moshi
After a night at a much more comfortable elevation, you’ll begin the last leg of your hike through the forest to Mweka Gate. Once you’ve arrived you’ll receive your summit certificate and your driver will take you back to Moshi.
Overnight Location: Hotel in Moshi
Distance: 3 to 4 hours, 10 km, 1680m of descent
Meals: Breakfast
6-Day Mount Kilimanjaro on Umbwe Route Price and Dates
This guided hiking tour of Mount Kilimanjaro is always run as a private tour for your group only and the pricing depends on your group size.Prices below are per person:
- Guided Groups of 4: from USD1760* per person
Accommodation on the 6-Day Mount Kilimanjaro on Umbwe Route
All the included accommodations are camping tents at designated campsites along the trail. Tents are good quality and waterproof with a sleeping pad. The provided tents are double occupancy. Private tents and private toilets can be rented as additional gear. Small group mess tents with tables and chairs are provided as well.
In some cases, the accommodation listed below may need to be substituted for other, comparable accommodations.
Single Rooms and Solo Travelers
You can pay a supplement to have a private tent (please enquire for more information).
What’s Included in the 6-Day Mount Kilimanjaro on Umbwe Route Tour?
Meals
5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners, and purified drinking water are included.
Accommodations
Camping accommodations for 5 nights are included.
Transportation during the Tour
This tour includes the transfers between Moshi and the trailhead before and after the tour. Airport transfers can be booked as a supplement.
Also Included
- Experienced mountain guides
- Porter and cook salaries
- Park fees
- Quality four-season tents (based on twin share)
- Sleeping mattress
- Emergency oxygen cylinder
- Mess tents with table and chairs
- Conservation, camping and rescue fees
- VAT (18% charged by the government)
Not included
- Visas if required
- Flights to and from Tanzania
- Personal equipment such as sleeping bag, trekking poles, etc. (rental options are available)
- Tips and gratuities
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Alcoholic beverages
Not included
- Extra nights in Moshi or Arusha
- Private toilet rental added to your gear
- Additional equipment rentals (available locally)
- Private tent rental
- Add-on bundles are available
- Airport transfers
- How hard is the 6-Day Mount Kilimanjaro on Umbwe Route?
- Is there first aid available on the 6-Day Mount Kilimanjaro on Umbwe Route?
- Do I need a visa to travel to Tanzania?
- Are meals included on the 6-Day Mount Kilimanjaro on Umbwe Route?
- Do I need insurance?
- How do I get to Moshi to start this tour?
- Is the 6-Day Mount Kilimanjaro on Umbwe Route tour in English?
- Are equipment rentals included?
- Where does the 6-Day Mount Kilimanjaro on Umbwe Route tour end?
- Do I need special vaccines to travel to Tanzania?
- Are there any travel restrictions for Tanzania?
- When is the best time to travel to Tanzania for this tour?
We rate this tour as a 5 / 5. The Umbwe route is short and direct with little time to acclimatize. It is recommended that only experienced hikers with a lot of time hiking at high elevations attempt this route. No technical climbing skills are required, but the trail can be very steep with challenging footing in some sections.
Yes, the experienced and professional guides are all trained in first aid as well as in the use of personal protective equipment.
Check with your local country about visa requirements. You could also try this website, though you should verify with your government.
5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners, and purified drinking water are included.
Yes, it is mandatory to have health and medical insurance to join this trip, and your insurance should cover hiking at high altitudes. Get your Travel Insurance.
Fly to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO).
Yes, the tour guide is English-speaking.
A tent, sleeping pad, and mess tent are all included. You’ll need to provide your own personal trekking equipment such as a sleeping bag, hiking boots, and trekking poles. You will have the opportunity to rent anything you are missing locally the day before your departure.
The tour ends with a transfer back to Moshi. Airport transfers or extra nights in Moshi can be booked as a supplement.
Check with your family doctor.
Please check with your local government about travel restrictions before you book your tour. This map from the US Department of State provides an overview of the current status in countries around the globe. The UK‘s Foreign Office and Government of Canada also provide advice on foreign travel. Note that the travel advice may change depending on your nationality.
The best time to travel to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is when the weather is warmest and driest, which tends to be December-March and June-October.
Customer Ratings
Monkey Adventures is an East African (Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda) operator offering Safari Tours, Kilimanjaro climbs, and Gorilla tracking (Uganda). They have offices in Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda. The company offers Kilimanjaro climbs over different routes with a duration of 5 days to 9 days and all their departures are guaranteed. You can opt for a group joining trek (depending on if there is a group on that day) or a private trek just for your group.
Monkey Adventures is proud to share that the Tanzania National Parks Authority, Government of Tanzania recently presented them with the “Best Tour Operator” award for 2018/2019 and the company has also been recognized as the Travellers’ Choice Winner – 2020 by Tripadvisor. In the past, Monkey Adventures have also won the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2018 and 2019.
Monkey Adventures guides hold certifications such as Kilimanjaro Guide Licence, Wilderness First Aid Responder, Tourism College Certificates, Kilimanjaro search and rescue, High altitude Medicine Skills Acquisition Program for Mountain Guide, and more.
