All meals during the climb are included. Please allow about US$30-US$50 for the two lunches (days 1 and 10) not included.

On trek, the emphasis is on a varied and well-balanced diet with a greater amount of fresh fruit and soup to maximise the daily intake of fluids.

Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests. The availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets, eg gluten-free or dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent in Tanzania and we strongly recommend you bring these specialised dietary items from home.

The menu has a high liquid and carbohydrate content, the two important elements for successful climbing. At higher altitudes, stimulants (such as coffee) and less digestible foods (such as meat) are not recommended. Our evening meal at the highest camp on Kilimanjaro is a meatless stew as our experience shows this to be the ideal preparation for the summit day. At mealtimes, a selection of hot drinks is available. Soup is served twice daily.

Daily meals

Bed tea: Tea or coffee served in your tent.

Breakfast: Seasonal fresh fruit (mango/banana/watermelon), porridge, cooked eggs, sausage, bacon and toast.

Energy snacks, such as biscuits, bananas and chocolate bars, are provided for the daily walk

Lunch: Either a packed lunch on longer days or, more usually, a hot lunch served in camp by a small team who have raced ahead of the clients. A hot lunch typically consists of soup, bread or pancakes, cheese, tuna, jam, peanut butter, pasta salad and cake.

Afternoon tea: Served in late afternoon. It is an opportunity to drink lots of hot drinks and snack on peanuts or popcorn.

Dinner: The main meal of the day and always consists of three courses: soup and bread, followed by the main dish, which could be rice, potatoes or pasta with fish, meat or vegetables, and is followed by a dessert often of fruit.

Summit snacks: While we provide enough food for the climb, we recommend you bring some of your favourite snacks and keep them for the summit day. The summit day is a long, tough climb and having your favourite snacks can provide a very welcome boost.

Water

While the water we provide on Kilimanjaro is suitable for drinking you may wish to be extra safe and treat it with your own water-purification tablets.

Arrive at the lodge and meet your Kilimanjaro Chief Guide and crew to join a comprehensive trek briefing. Get a clear picture of the Lemosho Route, summit strategy, altitude awareness and mountain safety, while any pre-booked equipment is checked and issued.

Pick up useful Swahili trail phrases, understand leave-no-trace principles and porter welfare standards, then enjoy a relaxed start to group camaraderie over a Tanzanian group dinner. The setting, beneath Mount Meru’s silhouette, sets an anticipatory mood for the days ahead.

Begin your Kilimanjaro trek at the Lemosho Gate, stepping into cool, emerald montane rainforest where colobus and blue monkeys flicker through giant heather and tree ferns. The gently rising path threads between buttress roots to reach Lemosho Forest Camp, your first night above the clouds.

Walk beneath tangled lianas while hornbills call and distant cicadas hum. Guides set an easy pace for acclimatisation as the team handles camp chores, hot washing water and meals—freeing you to focus on the rhythm of the forest and the adventure unfolding.

Climb out of the forest into open moorland draped with giant heather and protea, cresting the rim of the ancient caldera to stride across the wide, high Shira Plateau. The horizon opens in every direction as you settle into Shira One (3,550m) amid vast skies and tawny grasses.

Feel the shift from lush to high-alpine as the mountain’s volcanic story comes into view. The plateau’s broad, undulating expanse offers ideal acclimatisation walking and the chance to watch cloud seas drift and dissolve in the afternoon light.

Explore the plateau’s sculpted lava and stride to the buttressed crown of Shira Cathedral, a rocky prominence ringed by spires and pinnacles. Panoramas reach to Mount Meru floating on the clouds before you continue to camp near Shira Hut (3,840m).

This purposeful acclimatisation hike builds confidence and steadies the breath. Guides explain the mountain’s geology and the forces that fashioned Shira’s amphitheatre, while the crisp moorland air and big sky instill a calm, summit-minded rhythm.

Walk lava ridges beneath the shimmering Western Breach glaciers, pausing near the stark monolith of Lava Tower (4,550m). After lunch at altitude, descend to the sculpted gullies and giant senecio of the Great Barranco Valley, encircled by towering cliffs.

This classic “climb high, sleep low” profile supports acclimatisation while showcasing Kilimanjaro’s icy cap up close. Watch light rake the glacier faces and listen to the wind’s hush in a landscape that feels both immense and intimate.

Tackle the famed Barranco Wall, a hands-on, steady scramble that threads ledges and the playful “Kissing Rock.” Traverse rolling terrain with sweeping views of the Southern Icefields to reach the Karanga Valley, the final reliable water point before high camp.

The route blends light exposure with grand scenery, rewarding you with shifting perspectives over the plains. Pockets of hardy alpine vegetation cling to the slopes, a reminder of life’s resilience at the edge of the equatorial ice.

Ascend compacted scree along Barafu Ridge to Barafu High Camp (4,600m), where the summit pyramid commands the skyline. Take a short acclimatisation hike to roughly 4,800m, then rest and hydrate as the air thins and stars sharpen.

Guides deliver a precise summit briefing covering layers, pacing, nutrition and the mental game for a night ascent. Turn in early—headlamps, thermos and summit snacks at the ready—for the mountain’s defining push.

Set out at midnight on zigzagging volcanic scree, breathing steadily toward the rim for a glorious Stella Point sunrise. Follow the crater edge past wind-etched snow to Uhuru Peak (5,895m), the roof of Africa and one of the Seven Summits.

Pause for photos and reflection at the famous sign before descending to thicker air. The combination of altitude, dawn light and silent icefields makes this a rare, resonant summit moment.

Follow a well-constructed trail from alpine desert through giant heather to the rich, damp hush of montane forest. Listen for Hartlaub’s turaco and sunbirds as you step down through changing ecosystems to Mweka Gate, where summit certificates await.

The descent traces Kilimanjaro’s ecological tapestry in reverse, swapping glacial vistas for fern-scented shade. Emerging to smallhold farms and red-earth roads, you feel the mountain’s scale and your own progress measured in every biome crossed.

Return to lush gardens for a well-earned exhale and celebrate your climb at the Moivaro Coffee Plantation Lodge. Cool off in the pool, toast the team and swap summit stories as Mount Meru forms a twilight backdrop.

Savor Swahili-influenced dishes and freshly brewed local coffee during a convivial celebratory dinner. It’s a warm, authentic close to days spent high on the mountain and a fitting salute to shared effort.

Unwind on white-sand arcs and swim in the Indian Ocean’s clear shallows on Zanzibar. Wander the coral-stone lanes of Stone Town, explore spice farms and sample coastal Swahili cuisine scented with clove and cinnamon.

This is an optional extension at additional cost, bookable on tour. Balance your summit effort with languid beach time and cultural depth, from carved Zanzibari doors to sunset hues over dhows offshore.

Extend your adventure with game drives on the wildlife-rich floor of the Ngorongoro Crater and across the plains of the Serengeti or baobab-studded Tarangire. Scan for the Big Five and the drama of predator-prey encounters.

This is an optional extension at additional cost, bookable on tour. Seasonal movements of wildebeest and zebra shape the spectacle, while Maasai landscapes and great skies deliver classic East African safari atmosphere.

Stroll shaded lanes on a guided coffee estate walk to trace the bean-to-cup process from ripe red cherries to roasting and grinding. Meet growers, see processing up close and finish with a tasting of fresh Tanzanian coffee.

This cultural mini-experience deepens your connection to northern Tanzania’s volcanic soils and plantation heritage. It is an optional activity at additional cost, bookable on tour, and fits neatly before or after the climb.