Girlstrek recommend Qatar Airlines to travel from Australia to Kilimanjaro International airport near Arusha. On arrival you will be met and privately transferred to The School of St Jude for dinner and accommodation for the next two nights.

Meals: Dinner

As we prepare of our trekking days ahead today we enjoy and easy day exploring and interacting with the School of St Jude as well as the local town of Arusha.

In 2002, The School of St Jude opened with one teacher and a handful of sponsored students.

Today, The School of St Jude is a pioneering leader in charitable education within Africa. They provide free, quality education to 1,800 bright primary and secondary students who come from considerably poor backgrounds. The students at St Jude's are provided with everything they need for a successful education, ensuring their students' well-being and future success.

Located across three campuses, they provide boarding for all secondary students and employ around 300 Tanzanian staff.

We encourage you to listen to the Conversation with Gemma Sisia, the founder of the School of St Judes.

Later in the day we meet Paul Bernard and his assistant guides for a full trek briefing and gear check.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Trek: 10 - 11 kms / 5-6 hrs / Rainforest / Elevation 1180m

After a good breakfast we depart the School of St Jude and drive to the Machame Gate to commence our trek. The very first part of the journey is on 4x4 track before we enter into rainforest. The forest will greet you with bird noises from the canopy and possibly the black and white colobus monkeys and other monkeys. Today is the lest steep of our days even though we rise just over 1100 metres.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Trek: 5 kms / 4 - 5 hours / Scrub and exposed ridge / Elevation 870m

After breakfast we begin our trek through Heather Moreland to Shira cave. Today we leave the forest and continue through a shrubby foilage and eventually out on to a hard, rocky ridge. This is the best day to get a clear view of Uhuru Peak, Kilimanjaro's summit.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Trek: 10 km / 6 hours / Semi desert / Elevation 790m

Today we are trekking higher and sleeping lower to assist the group with acclimatization and prepare us for success to reach the summit. The landscape is rocky and semi desert and we take our pace nice and slow to the Lava tower. Breathlessness and headaches will cause you irritability and the descent to Barranco Camp for our overnight camp will be a welcome relief.

Barranco is well positioned for beautiful sunsets.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Trek: 5 km / 3 hours / Desert / Elevation 110 m

The day begins with a scramble up the steep ‘Barranco Wall’, but all the hard work is rewarded with the views you get both during and after climbing it. Travel on through lots of “ups and downs” with the summit’s glaciers looming above to your left and the jagged peaks of Mawenzi straight ahead. You will reach Karanga Valley Camp after 3-4 hours for a hot lunch.

This is our pre summit day.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Trek: 4 km / 4 hours / Stone scree & ice / Elevation 620m

Departing at camp at 8:00am after a very good breakfast we trek 4 km (3 hours) to Barafu Hut (4673m), the base camp of Kilimanjaro's peak. The aim is to get as much rest as possible at Barafu in preparation for our departure for the summit at midnight.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Trek: 8.5 km / 4 hours / Stone scree and Ice

Sunrise on 16 June 2024 is 6:30 am.

We depart at midnight for our summit attempt. We need good headlamps for this part our or journey and extra batteries are essential. The journey to Uhuru peak is 5.5 km taking approximately 6 - 7 hrs. At the summit we spend a short time taking photos and being amazed at the great views.

We then begin our descent first to Barafu Hut (4673m) where we will rest/ sleep for an hour. From here depending on how the group feels we will either descent to Millennium Camp (3846m) or Mweka Hut (3100m). This will be determined on this day.

**The pre training you do will prepare you for this day. All the stairs, hill climbs and high impact cardio sessions you do will have your ready to manage the hours and the kilometres this day.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Trek: 10 km / 3 hours / Forest

Our final day's trek takes us through lush forest to the Mweka Gate where we exit the National Park. Celebrations are made around as we thank our porters, cook and guides for helping us all achieve our goal.

Then it is in to the vehicles and off to the Planet Lodge for the next exciting part of your journey. Planet Lodge will captivate you with the natural beauty of the Tanzanian landscape. Our unique African village-styled accommodations offer you a peaceful sanctuary where you can unwind and connect with nature.

Here your "non-trek" luggage will be awaiting for you.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

After an early breakfast at Planet Lodge you will be picked up by your safari guide at 8am for your day exploring Lake Manyara National Park.

Lake Manyara is a beautiful little park, which is famous for its tree climbing lions, elephants and large troops of baboons. The park is home to an amazing variety of birds and animals considering its small size. A short visit to this serene park will greatly diversify your safari experience as the lush green jungle habitat is of stark contrast to the other parks you will visit during your safari.

We overnight at the Country Lodge beautiful little safari lodge with only 11 cottages and a swimming pool set amongst a lush garden. We will spend two nights at this accommodation.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Often called the eighth natural wonder of the world, the Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact crater in the world. About 2 million years ago the Ngorongoro volcano erupted, and its walls collapsed. The volcano floor sank to create a natural enclosure with its 600m tall walls. Now, at over 19 kilometres wide, Ngorongoro Crater is filled with great areas of acacia forest, hippo filled swamps and open grasslands. These different habitats contain over 30,000 animals – including elephants, warthogs, flamingoes, magnificent birdlife, the rare black rhinoceros and all the predatory cats. The Maasai can also be seen grazing their cattle alongside the buffalo and wildebeest.

We travel to the crater after breakfast and spend the day exploring. Later on, we return to the Country Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Tarangire National Park is almost 3000 sq km in size and is probably best known for its huge numbers of elephants and baobab trees. The name of the park comes from the Tarangire River which crosses through the park. Tarangire is especially spectacular during the dry season (June - November) as wildlife concentrations rival that of the Serengeti (since enormous populations of elephants and other animals are drawn to the Tarangire River as their only source of water). With its varied habitats and permanent water in the Tarangire River the park is home to over 2000 elephants and 500 bird species.

We enjoy our third day on safari and at the day's end we travel back for our final night at Planet Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Today, flight time dependent, you will be collected from the Lodge and transferred back to the airport.

Meals: Breakfast

Price includes

13 days Fully hosted experience with GirlsTrek

Local Tanzanian mountain guide & assistant guides - English Speaking

Local Tanzanian porters (3 per trekker)

Professional trekking cook

All accommodation: 2 nts boarding school, 6 nts camping, 4 nts lodges

Camping including sleeping mats, tents, mobile private toilet and emergency oxygen cylinders

Meals as per itinerary & drinking water (additional treatment recommended)

National park and climbing fee for Kilimanjaro

Experience the School of St Judes

Safari guides

3 days on Safari including all National Park fees

All ground transport ex Kilimanjaro airport return

Tips for all local guides, cook and porter

At Home Training plan

Donation to the School of St Judes

Expert packing list

Information get together with special guest who has summitted Kilimanjaro multiple times with our Tanzania Head guide.

Currency fluctuation

Price excludes

Travel to/from destination

Travel insurance, which is compulsory

Jet-boating or Skyline Gondola experience Day 7 (Client choice)

Beverages, optional and personal expenses

*Single supplement available on request at an additional cost

Compulsory gear

Daypack - 24L or similar - (you will carry this)

Large pack - 45 - 60 L - Maximum weight 15 kgs full (your porter will carry this)

4 L water bladder or water bladder and bottles that add to 4 L.

-25 to - 30 degree sleeping bag

80 lumens headlamp with 50 hours run time

Good trekking boots

Gortex Waterproof rain jacket with hood*

Gortex Waterproof rain pants*

Hat and sunglasses

Beanie and gloves

Warm scarf

Buff or kerchief for neck protection

Microfibre towel - for camping

Sunscreen, lip balm and insect repellent

Tissues & hand sanitiser

Personal first aid kit (small wound care, compression bandage, pain relief tablets, gastop, broad spectrum antibiotics)

Trekking / Walking poles

Electrolytes

*Gortex is recommended as a barrier to wind IF we have a windy day on summit day. The wind chill factor can drive the temperatures down to minus 20.

Recommended gear

Earplugs - for night time use

High energy snacks (eg Cliff Bars or similar)

Gaiters

Clothing for trek

Note: Mountain temperatures will vary from 25 degrees at the start of the trek to minus 15 to 20 degrees at the summit.

Thermals - top and bottom

2 Walking pants (Day 1 & 7 of trekking could be warm- zip off trouser a good option)

2 Walking Shirts long sleeve T-shirt style (merino recommended)

1 short sleeve T-shirt

1 long sleeve zip up warm layer - merino recommended merino 250 - 300 gsm

3 walking socks (merino recommended)

1 very warm socks for night wear at camp

Light camp shoes

Down jacket

Underwear (merino recommended)

Clothing and gear for trip

Note: Temperatures in June average a minimum of 17 degrees and a maximum of 26 degrees

Casual wear for safari

Walking shoes

Sleepwear & underwear

Toiletries

Swimmers