MOUNT KILIMANJARO TREK

6-Day Umbwe Route

The Steepest, Most Direct Path to Uhuru Peak

The Umbwe Route is the steepest route on the mountain, with the shortest and most direct path to the Southern Glaciers, Western Breach, and Uhuru Peak. It's probably the most scenic, non-technical route on Kilimanjaro — but it's also quite taxing, mainly because of the relatively fast ascent to higher altitude. The rewards are plentiful, but this very steep route is best suited to experienced trekkers. This 6-day version adds an extra night at Karanga Camp compared to the 5-day itinerary, spreading out the ascent for better acclimatization.

DURATION

5–6 Days

DIFFICULTY

Very High

SCENERY

Very Good

TRAFFIC

Very Low

Trip At A Glance

Day 0
Arrival — Kilimanjaro Airport → Chanya Lodge
1
Day 1
Umbwe Gate → Umbwe Cave
2
Day 2
Umbwe Cave → Barranco Camp
3
Day 3
Barranco Camp → Karanga Camp
4
Day 4
Karanga Camp → Barafu Camp
5
Day 5
Barafu Camp → Summit (Uhuru Peak) → Mweka Camp
6
Day 6
Mweka Camp → Mweka Gate → Moshi
Day 0
Departure — Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport

Welcome To Tanzania

Thank you for choosing Chagga Village, a local tour company in Moshi, Tanzania. Make yourself at home and enjoy your African adventure with us. Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, a Chagga Village representative will meet you and transfer you to your overnight accommodation at Chanya Lodge in Moshi (bed & breakfast). Your head guide will meet you for a briefing, a gear check, and to arrange any equipment you may need to hire.

DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

  • ARRIVALArrival — Kilimanjaro Airport

    Overnight at Chanya Lodge, Moshi (bed & breakfast).

  • DAY 1Umbwe Gate → Umbwe Cave

    Departing from Moshi, you'll drive to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate. You'll wait for your permits to be issued while watching the crews prepare for the journey ahead. Enjoy the beautiful rainforest scenery and winding trails while your guide tells you about the local plants, animals, and wildlife. At these lower elevations, the trail can be muddy and slippery — we recommend gaiters and trekking poles here. The path follows a ridge between two deep valleys, up through dense montane forest. The camp is perched between huge trees and thick undergrowth.

    DISTANCE

    9.6km / 6mi

    DURATION

    6–8 hrs

    TERRAIN

    Rainforest

    ELEVATION

    1,651m → 2,944m



    NOTE
    Altitude gained: 1,293m

  • DAY 2Umbwe Cave → Barranco Camp

    After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, you'll emerge from the rainforest and continue on a steep ascending path along the Umbwe ridge, which then descends slightly to Barranco Camp, set in the valley below. Temperatures begin to drop.

    DISTANCE

    4.75km / 3mi

    DURATION

    4–6 hrs

    TERRAIN

    Moorland

    ELEVATION

    2,944m → 3,986m



    NOTE
    Altitude gained: 1,042m

  • DAY 3Barranco Camp → Karanga Camp

    After breakfast, you'll continue up a steep ridge along the adventurous Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley and the junction that connects with the Mweka Trail. This is one of the most impressive days to watch the power, agility, and strength of your crew as they move over this wall with apparent ease. Overnight at Karanga Camp.

    DISTANCE

    5.2km / 3mi

    DURATION

    3–4 hrs

    TERRAIN

    Alpine Desert

    ELEVATION

    3,986m → 4,034m



    NOTE
    Altitude gained: 48m

  • DAY 4Karanga Camp → Barafu Camp

    You'll continue up toward Barafu Camp. Once you arrive, you'll have completed the South Circuit, which offers a variety of breathtaking views of the summit from many different angles. An early dinner and rest follow as you prepare for summit night. Overnight at Barafu Camp.

    DISTANCE

    3.3km / 2mi

    DURATION

    3–4 hrs

    TERRAIN

    Alpine Desert

    ELEVATION

    4,034m → 4,662m



    NOTE
    Altitude gained: 628m

  • DAY 5Barafu Camp → Summit (Uhuru Peak) → Mweka Camp

    Excitement builds as morning comes with an early start, between midnight and 2 a.m. — the most mentally and physically challenging part of the trek. You'll continue toward the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers, staying warm and focused on the accomplishment ahead. Moving in a switchback pattern toward the northwest, you'll ascend through heavy scree toward Stella Point on the crater rim, where you'll be rewarded with a magnificent sunrise. From there, the remaining hour-long ascent to Uhuru Peak is likely to include snow. Congratulations — one step at a time, you'll reach Uhuru Peak, the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the entire continent of Africa. After photos and celebrations, you'll begin the steep descent down to Mweka Camp, stopping at Barafu for lunch and a brief rest. We recommend gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel and volcanic ash on the way down. A well-deserved rest awaits for your last evening on the mountain.

    ASCENT

    4.86km / 3mi · 5–7 hrs

    DESCENT

    11.5km / 7.1mi · 5–6 hrs

    TERRAIN

    Glaciers, Snow-Capped Summit

    SUMMIT ELEVATION

    5,895m



    NOTE
    Elevation: 4,662m → 5,895m (gained 1,233m), then descending to 3,106m (lost 2,789m). Overnight at Mweka Camp.

  • DAY 6Mweka Camp → Mweka Gate → Moshi

    After breakfast and a heartfelt ceremony of appreciation with your crew, it's time to say goodbye. You'll continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. As the weather warms up, the terrain becomes wet, muddy, and steep, so we recommend gaiters and trekking poles. From the gate, a vehicle will meet you at Mweka village and drive you back to your hotel in Moshi (about 30 minutes) for a well-earned hot shower, dinner, and celebrations.

    DISTANCE

    9.1km / 5.7mi

    DURATION

    3–4 hrs

    TERRAIN

    Rainforest

    ELEVATION

    3,106m → 1,633m



    NOTE
    Altitude lost: 1,473m. Overnight at a hotel in Moshi (bed & breakfast), before your onward journey home, on safari, or to Zanzibar.

  • DEPARTUREDeparture

    Today you'll be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight home.

What's Included / What's Not Included

What's Included

Crew

  • ✓  Lead guide(s) and assistant guide(s) for groups of 2 or more
  • ✓  English-speaking guides, trained as Wilderness First Responders
  • ✓  Cook, porters, and equipment, including personal client luggage (15kg per client)
  • ✓  A porter-to-client ratio of 3–4 to 1

Equipment

  • ✓  2-inch foam sleeping mat and pillow
  • ✓  Walk-in dining tent, table, and backed chairs
  • ✓  Wash basins with hot water each morning and evening

Food & Drink

  • ✓  Three meals a day, plus an afternoon snack during the trek
  • ✓  Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options on request
  • ✓  Treated drinking water (minimum 3L per day while trekking, with more available at camp)
  • ✓  Coffee and tea during the trek

Health & Safety

  • ✓  Pulse oximeter and altitude sickness checklists
  • ✓  First aid kit and emergency oxygen

Preparation & Fees

  • ✓  Kilimanjaro National Park fees and VAT
  • ✓  Camping/hut, rescue, conservation, and other taxes
  • ✓  Fair and sustainable crew wages
  • ✓  Pre-trek briefing with your guide

Accommodation & Transfers

  • ✓  Round-trip airport transfer between Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and Moshi
  • ✓  Round-trip transfer between Moshi and the park gate
  • ✓  Hotel stays in Moshi before and after the trek (2 nights total, bed & breakfast)

What's Not Included

  • ✗  Gratuities and tips
  • ✗  Personal trekking gear, such as a sleeping bag and clothing
  • ✗  Favorite beverages (soda and alcohol at hotels)
  • ✗  Additional accommodation or meals resulting from an early descent
  • ✗  Tanzania entry visa
  • ✗  Travel insurance
  • ✗  Domestic or international flights
  • ✗  Personal expenses
  • ✗  Personal hire gear, such as trekking poles or sleeping bags
  • ✗  Personal spending money for souvenirs, etc.

Ethical Climbing

At Chagga Village, we believe the tourism industry has both an obligation and a real opportunity to protect the world's natural habitats, cultural heritage sites, and communities. We actively support environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

As a responsible travel company, we help raise public awareness around the fair treatment of porters on Kilimanjaro, and support fair salaries, proper equipment, food, clothing, and sleeping conditions for our crew.

Every climb is reviewed to make sure crew members receive fair salaries, tips, food, equipment, and sleeping conditions. We're proud of that, and our clients are too — check out our TripAdvisor page to see what people are saying about us.

Recommended Tipping Guide

Tipping is customary on Mount Kilimanjaro for all members of your mountain crew. Although they receive a fair wage, tips make up an important part of their total compensation. Industry recommendations are about $20 a day for the guide, $15 a day for the assistant guide, $12 a day for the cook, and $8 a day for each porter, shared among everyone on the trip.

NOTE
To keep tipping fair and transparent, there's a tipping ceremony at the Chagga Village office after your descent, with envelopes provided for each crew member.

All quotations are based on double occupancy, both for pre- and post-trek accommodation and on the trek itself. A single supplement fee applies if you'd like a single room for your pre- and post-trek accommodation.

Know Before You Go

We're completely flexible and happy to customize your trip to suit your time, budget, and interests — just let us know what you have in mind.

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BOOK YOUR 6-DAY UMBWE ROUTE TREK NOW
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