What the Northern Circuit is
The Northern Circuit is the longest route on Kilimanjaro: a nine-day climb that starts on the western side like Lemosho, crosses the Shira Plateau, then circles the remote northern slopes of the summit cone before reaching Uhuru Peak, 5,895m (19,341 ft), from the east via Gilman's Point. You descend the southern side on the Mweka trail, so by the end you have seen the mountain from every direction.
It has the highest summit-success rate of any route, around 95%, and it is the quietest. Once you turn north at the Lava Tower on day four, you may go two or three days seeing almost no other groups. The trekking totals about 88km (55 miles).
The extra days are not padding. They are nights spent between 3,500m and 4,200m, giving your body time to adapt before the final climb to high camp. Each additional night at that height improves your odds on summit night.
Who the Northern Circuit suits, and who it doesn't
The Northern Circuit is the right choice if:
- You are over 50, or climbing above 4,000m for the first time, and want the best possible chance of reaching the top.
- You have had altitude sickness before, on Kilimanjaro or anywhere else.
- You want wilderness. The northern slopes are the least-visited part of the mountain.
- You want the complete Kilimanjaro experience, with views from the west, north, east and south.
It probably isn't the right choice if:
- You are short on time. Nine days on the mountain plus travel days is a real commitment.
- You have good altitude experience. The Lemosho route will likely give you the same outcome in seven days at lower cost.
- Budget is the deciding factor. The Machame route is the best value with a solid acclimatisation profile.
Northern Circuit vs Lemosho
The two routes share the same trail from Londorossi Gate across the Shira Plateau to the Lava Tower. The seven-day Lemosho crosses the plateau in a single long day; the Northern Circuit takes two shorter ones.
Then they split. Lemosho heads south to Barranco, the Barranco Wall, Karanga and Barafu, joining the busy Machame trail. The Northern Circuit turns north to Moir Hut and spends three days traversing the northern slopes to School Hut, the eastern high camp. It reaches the crater rim at Gilman's Point rather than Stella Point.
The result is two more nights on the mountain, six nights above 3,500m before summit night (Lemosho has four), far fewer people, and a success rate of about 95% against Lemosho's 90%. You lose the Barranco Wall, which some climbers love, and you add the cost of two more days of crew, food and park fees.
The acclimatisation profile
The Wilderness Medical Society advises raising your sleeping altitude by no more than about 500m a day above 3,000m (9,800 ft), with extra time built in every three to four days (Luks et al., 2024 update). The Northern Circuit comes closer to that than any other standard route:
- Night 1, Mti Mkubwa, 2,820m (9,252 ft).
- Night 2, Shira 1, 3,505m (11,500 ft): a gain of about 685m.
- Night 3, Shira 2, 3,810m (12,500 ft): only about 300m higher, a deliberately short day.
- Night 4, Moir Hut, 4,200m (13,780 ft): after lunch at the Lava Tower, 4,630m (15,190 ft).
- Night 5, Buffalo Camp, 4,020m (13,189 ft): slightly lower.
- Night 6, Third Cave, 3,870m (12,697 ft): lower again, letting your body consolidate.
- Night 7, School Hut, 4,750m (15,584 ft): high camp.
- Summit, 5,895m (19,341 ft), then night 8 at Mweka Camp, 3,100m (10,171 ft).
By summit night you have slept six nights above 3,500m and been to 4,630m once already. The official breakdown from Kilimanjaro National Park, collected in the early 2000s and reported by Altezza Travel, showed success climbing from 64% on seven-day climbs to 85% on eight-day climbs. Those figures predate modern operator standards, but the direction is clear: time on the mountain is the biggest factor you control.
Summit night from School Hut
Your guide wakes you at School Hut around 11 p.m. You leave at about midnight and climb by headlamp up the north-eastern scree, joining the Marangu summit trail near Hans Meyer Cave. Gilman's Point on the crater rim, 5,685m (18,652 ft), is about 935m (3,070 ft) above camp, and most climbers reach it around sunrise, with Mawenzi silhouetted against the dawn behind them. From Gilman's, the walk around the rim past Stella Point to Uhuru Peak takes 1.5 to 2 hours.
Expect −10°C to −20°C (14°F to −4°F) before wind chill. After the summit you descend the southern side via Stella Point and Barafu to Mweka Camp, which closes your loop around the mountain. Summit day is 11 to 15 hours of walking. Our planning guide's summit-night section covers it hour by hour.
Best months for the Northern Circuit
- January to early March and June to October: the best conditions. The northern slopes are drier than the south year-round.
- April, May and November: the rainy seasons. The western start through the forest gets very muddy, so we usually suggest postponing or switching to Rongai.
See best time to climb Kilimanjaro for more detail.
How to prepare for the Northern Circuit
No single day on the Northern Circuit is harder than on Lemosho, but you walk for nine days in a row, including a 14km day to Moir Hut and 18km on summit day. Train for endurance: back-to-back weekend hikes of five to seven hours, carrying a daypack of 6–8kg (13–18 lb), on hilly ground.
The north is colder and more exposed than the south, and you spend five nights above 3,800m. Bring a sleeping bag rated to at least −15°C (5°F), a warm hat for camp evenings and enough layers to stay comfortable at Buffalo Camp and School Hut. Our training guide sets out a 12-week plan, and the gear list covers the rest.
What's included
Your price covers park, camping and rescue fees and VAT; a KPAP-compliant crew, larger than on shorter routes to carry nine days of food and fuel; all mountain meals and drinking water; tents, mats and a mess tent; pulse-oximeter monitoring; and transfers to Londorossi Gate and back from Mweka Gate. The full list is below.
You bring your own sleeping bag (or rent one), trekking gear and crew tips. See our Kilimanjaro gear list and tipping guide.
How we keep you safe
Even on the best-acclimatised route, mild acute mountain sickness (headache, nausea, poor sleep) is common at altitude. The serious forms, cerebral edema (HACE) and pulmonary edema (HAPE), are rare, and descent is the treatment. The northern slopes are remote, so our safety routine matters even more here:
- Guide team: a lead guide with assistant guides, so one can turn back with a climber while the group continues.
- Daily pulse-oximeter checks: blood-oxygen saturation, pulse and symptoms, recorded every day.
- Firm turnaround rules: worsening headache despite painkillers, confusion, loss of balance or breathlessness at rest means descent.
- Evacuation: the park rescue fee is included. Your travel insurance must cover trekking to 6,000m (19,700 ft) and helicopter evacuation.
Talk to your doctor about acetazolamide (Diamox) before you travel. Our altitude sickness overview explains the warning signs.
Porter welfare and crew size
A nine-day climb needs more food, fuel and water than a shorter one, so the crew is bigger: plan for around four porters per climber rather than the usual three. The Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) standard applies to every one of them: a maximum load of 20kg (44 lb) excluding personal kit, three meals a day, proper sleeping gear and shelter, and wages paid promptly after the climb (KPAP guidelines). We pay the same fair rates on every route. Ask any operator whether it is a KPAP partner before you book; our sustainability page explains how we work with our crews.
- Highest summit success rate of any route (~95%)
- Circles the summit cone through the quiet northern slopes
- Views from every side of the mountain
- Best acclimatisation of any route
- Seven nights on the mountain before summit night
