Kilimanjaro Route: The Umbwe Route
Photo Credit: Andy Liu
Overview
If you’re ready for an intense physical challenge in an unforgettable setting, choose the Umbwe Route. It’s the best of the short Kilimanjaro routes.
KILIMANJARO ROUTE HIGHLIGHTS
- Hike in Arusha National Park before the climb
- Trek through the rainforest
- Challenging nighttime summit bid
- Thomson’s top-quality amenities
- Rock scramble up the Barranco Wall
- Rigorous trails
- 96% summit success with Thomson
- Personal porters available to all trekkers*
- 6 days trekking, 8 days in Tanzania
*Personal porter hire available for an additional fee.
Extend your trip with a safari!
Visit the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater on a 5-day or 7-day safari; call us for custom safari options.
Unsure which Kilimanjaro route best fits your needs? See how they stack up on our Route Comparison page.
Arrival Day
Arrive into Tanzania
A staff member will greet you at the airport and escort you to your lodge, nestled in the hills outside Arusha.
Overnight: Rivertrees Country Inn
Acclimatization Day
Arusha National Park
Spend a full day exploring Arusha National Park on scenic acclimatization hikes. You'll have a chance to spot unique wildlife.
Overnight: Rivertrees Country Inn
Trek Day 1
Begin Trek to Umbwe Cave Camp
After lunch at the trailhead, you'll begin your climb. Hike steep trails through lush rainforest on your way to your first mountain camp.
Overnight: Umbwe Cave Camp (9,350')
Hours trekking: 6-7
Trek Day 2
Umbwe Cave to Barranco Camp
Trek past waterfalls and giant groundsel trees into the Great Barranco Valley. On clear nights, you may be able to glimpse Uhuru Peak from your camp.
Overnight: Barranco Camp (12,795')
Hours trekking: 6-7
Trek Day 3
Barranco to Karanga Camp
A steep rock scramble up the Barranco Wall brings you to the rolling ridges of Karanga Valley. Kilimanjaro's famous glaciers loom in the distance.
Overnight: Karanga Camp (13,107')
Hours trekking: 4-5
Trek Day 4
Karanga to Barafu Camp
Hike at a steady incline over barren, rocky landscapes reminiscent of the surface of the moon.
Overnight: Barafu Camp (15,331')
Hours trekking: 2-3
Trek Day 5
Barafu to Summit / Millennium Camp
Wake before midnight to begin your challenging summit bid. Stop on the way to watch the sun rise over Mawenzi. Take time to celebrate your achievement and capture some memorable summit photos before descending to tonight's camp.
Overnight: Millennium Camp (12,959')
Hours trekking: 8-10 ascent to summit / 4-7 descent to camp
Trek Day 6 / Departure Day
Mweka Gate / Return to North America
Hike back through dense rainforest to Mweka Gate where you'll enjoy a farewell lunch with your group. Enjoy a hot shower and rest in a day room in Arusha before your evening flight home.
Overnight: Planet Lodge
Hours trekking: 4-6
Rivertrees Country Inn
This former coffee plantation blends simple elegance and modern convenience. Farmhouse-style rooms overlook the Usa River. Enjoy hearty meals in a beautiful open-air thatched-roof dining area.
Mountain Camps
Camp in comfort in customized all-weather tents with upgraded zippers, flysheets, and closed-cell full-ground pads. Private toilet tents and solar-lit dining tents are provided daily. Hot meals are prepared from fresh ingredients by the camp’s chef. In the afternoons, hot drinks and snacks are provided.
Mount Meru Hotel
Opened in the 1960’s, this Arusha mainstay was recently renovated top to bottom. Reliable modern conveniences, a variety of dining options, a beautiful pool, and a central location make it one of the best places to start or end your safari or trek.
6 days
International airfare not included
Single accommodations: $525
Personal Porter: $330
Can’t find a date that works for you? Call us to set up a private trek!
Please note: We can’t guarantee departures with only one guest. A small group supplement of $500 per person will be applied to departures with two or three participants.
All prices are subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to produce this information accurately. We reserve the right to correct errors.
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ACCLIMATIZATION DAY
ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
Enjoy wildlife viewing in a hidden gem of a national park! Its diverse landscapes and abundant wildlife often draw comparison to its larger counterparts in northern Tanzania.
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ACCLIMATIZATION DAY
ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
Arusha National Park also has unique assets, such as the exquisite colobus monkey, which makes its home in the lush forest canopy. Keep your eye out for them.
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ACCLIMATIZATION DAY
ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
Due to the lack of predators in Arusha National Park, giraffes are everywhere. Be sure to take some photos when you spot them!
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ACCLIMATIZATION DAY
ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK
Head into the foothills of Mount Meru with a park ranger and your guide, and follow a gentle uphill trail to the Tulutuluisia Waterfall.
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TREK DAY 1
START YOUR TREK
And so it begins. Meet your support team, weigh your bags, and get ready for an amazing experience!
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TREK DAY 1
RAINFOREST
Trek through the dense rainforest of rubber trees and giant fig trees, scrambling up steep sections of roots and rock.
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TREK DAY 1
RAINFOREST
Spend the first day of your trek under the tangled canopy of moss-coated vines. Learn how to control your gait and discover what it truly means to go "pole, pole."
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TREK DAY 1
UMBWE CAVES CAMP
Arrive at your camp, nestled under canopies of vines, and spend some time bonding with your group.
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TREK DAY 2
HEATHER ZONE
As you begin your trek, you'll notice the vegetation begins to thin as you hike through the heather zone. There will be some exciting rock scrambling ahead!
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TREK DAY 2
ROCK SCRAMBLE
Hike through a hall of heather and make an exciting scramble up rocks to finally emerge to your first view of Kibo.
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TREK DAY 2
THE VIEW!
Kick back and enjoy your first view of Kibo, the monstrous mountain in the distance. You've earned it!
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TREK DAY 2
LUNCH ON THE TRAIL
Dine al fresco and revel in the view of Kili's unique landscape. The food is so tasty, you'll almost forget you're on a mountain!
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TREK DAY 2
MOORLAND
Take in the view and appreciate the unique landscape, which is covered in unusual flora and volcanic rock.
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TREK DAY 2
BARRANCO VALLEY
The valley floor is filled with Giant Groundsels, also known as "Dr. Seuss trees." They can only be found on Kili, and grow as tall as 20 feet!
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TREK DAY 2
BARRANCO CAMP
Your camp sits in the shadow of the Barranco Wall, which you'll climb tomorrow. Get some rest!
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TREK DAY 3
BARRANCO WALL
Traversing narrow switchbacks and scrambling up the Barranco Wall is every trekker's dream! Be sure to show "Kissing Rock" a little love when you pass by it at the top.
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TREK DAY 3
TOP OF BARRANCO WALL
Once the scramble is over, take a moment to rest and enjoy the view at the top of the wall. You've earned it!
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DAY 3
KARANGA VALLEY
Venture through the mist-covered valleys and over some of the world's highest plateaus. You've almost arrived at your next camp.
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TREK DAY 3
KARANGA CAMP
Sleeping at a lower altitude tonight will further help you acclimatize. On a clear night, you can see the lights of Moshi town!
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TREK DAY 4
HIKE TO BARAFU CAMP
Proceed steadily upward through the high alpine desert. Enjoy the extraordinary views as you pass massive volcanic formations scattered throughout the fields of scree.
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TREK DAY 4
BARAFU CAMP
Camp in this lunar landscape where you may see the hanging glaciers that drape Kilimanjaro's summit cone.
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TREK DAY 5
SUMMIT DAY!
This is the moment you've prepped for: Summit Day. Fire up your headlamps! Your summit bid begins just after midnight.
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TREK DAY 5
STELLA POINT
Reaching Stella Point is a major accomplishment and serves as a gateway to the glaciers and Uhuru Peak. You're so close!
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TREK DAY 5
GLACIERS
No one believed explorer Johannes Rebmann in 1848 when he sighted Kilimanjaro's snow capped peak, but here they are!
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TREK DAY 5
UHURU PEAK
You did it! Congratulations on summiting Mount Kilimanjaro. Hugs, photos, and pats on the back are in order.
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TREK DAY 5
VIEW OF MAWENZI PEAK
While standing on the Roof of Africa, enjoy spectacular views of the jagged, tower-like Mawenzi Peak and the slopes below.
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TREK DAY 5
DESCEND
Time to head back and begin your careful descent over fields of scree. Only 8,000 feet to go to your next camp!
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TREK DAY 5
MWEKA DESCENT ROUTE
Follow the path and hike down toward the clouds. Your trek will take you from the Arctic to the Heather Zone.
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TREK DAY 5
MWEKA MILLENNIUM CAMP
Retire to the Mweka Millennium Camp, a quiet space with a view of all that you've accomplished.
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TREK DAY 6 / DEPARTURE DAY
RAINFOREST
Enjoy your last morning on the mountain before trekking through the lush, green canopies of the rainforest to the gate.
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TREK DAY 6 / DEPARTURE DAY
MWEKA GATE
Celebrate the completion of your mountain adventure with a farewell lunch at the park gate. This is the time to thank your crew for making your trek a success!
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TREK DAY 6 / DEPARTURE DAY
KIA LODGE
Land Rovers will transfer you from Mweka Gate to your dayroom at Kia Lodge. Relax by the pool or in your room.
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TREK DAY 6 / DEPARTURE DAY
KIA LODGE
Farewell! Use your dayroom for a shower and some rest before your flight home this evening.
Everyone planning to climb Kilimanjaro needs to know about Thomson
Wonderful trip! What an adventure and experience! The crew in Arusha provided an A+, world class experience that exceeded my expectations. I now know why, through experience, Thomson is one of the World’s Best safari outfitter. From accommodations pre/post trip and the mini-safari, to gear and delicious food on the mountain, it was the perfect…
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The trip was unforgettable and it was all because of the Thomson staff in Boston and on the mountain.
Thank you for all your help in planning our Kilimanjaro trip. James, Calvin and George were beyond amazing throughout the trip. My dad and I would not have made it to the summit without their help. They taught about the history of the mountain, immersed us into the Tanzania culture and their individual tribal culture.…
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I spent spring break climbing Kilimanjaro with my father. I could have stayed in Tanzania forever!
I spent my high school spring break climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with my father. I was given the incredible opportunity to travel to Africa, and I wanted to do something special.
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Thanks for helping us achieve our dream!
We just got back from our trip and wanted to say “Asante!” as the trip was AMAZING!!! We cannot thank you enough for taking the time to walk us through the trip planning process, information on required gear, and what to expect on Kilimanjaro. It certainly was appreciated when we hit the summit with negative
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An extremely challenging and amazing adventure
It was an extremely challenging and amazing adventure. I was quite pleased that I was able to summit. My trek mate and I both had a little bit of altitude sickness but we powered through it and were both ecstatic to have made it to the top. First, my expectations were exceeded in all facets
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I had dreamed about this for over 20 years.
I have to say I was really pleased to have chosen Thomson Safaris for my Kilimanjaro trek. All three of us were successful in reaching the summit, and the complete arrangements were near perfect.
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I had an amazing adventure! I loved the beautiful Umbwe trail.
The crew and guides were wonderful. I have to say that I felt pretty special – they took really good care of me and everything else. All was very professional. The last push up to Uhuru peak is hard and cold but well worth it with the amazing sunrise at the top. After it got…
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