Northern Circuit

Do you want to make the absolute most of your time when climbing Kilimanjaro? The Northern Circuit Route will take you on a grand tour of the Roof of Africa – more hiking, more scenery, trails less hiked, away from the crowds, and, most importantly, fantastic success rates. This is hakuna matata! With Team Kili we have helped hundreds of aspirant Kilimanjaro climbers reach Uhuru Peak. Everyone has the same goal but it takes someone special to land on a blog post about the most beautiful route on Kilimanjaro. We are very excited to tell you more about it. Why? Because when we climbed Kilimanjaro, I, Sierd, secretly wanted to do this route instead of the Machame. Let's go!

At Bookatrekking.com, we help people take on Africa’s highest mountain every single week. It’s what we do. We’ve stood on the summit ourselves, we’ve felt the thin air, and we know what it takes to get there. Whether you’re still dreaming about it or already planning your trek, we’re here to make sure you get the right information and the right support to make it happen. In the video below, we take you right onto the mountain and share what it’s really like to climb Kilimanjaro. This is a film we made to show the climb as it actually is—no filters, no blabla. And in this post, we’ll dive into some of the most interesting facts about the mountain—things that make it special, unique, and worth every step. From glaciers and volcanoes to wildlife and culture, this is what makes Kilimanjaro more than just a mountain.

One of the first things people ask us at Bookatrekking.com is: how hard is it to climb Kilimanjaro? Fair question. It’s Africa’s highest mountain, almost 6,000 meters above sea level, and for many, it’s their first time hiking at altitude. The good news? You don’t need ropes, technical gear or climbing experience. The challenge is real, but it’s more about endurance, altitude and mindset than physical strength. If you can walk for several days in a row and stay positive when things get tough, you’ve got what it takes. I’ve climbed Kilimanjaro facts myself, and I’ll be honest—it was hard for me. But that had everything to do with the way I did it. I accelerated the trek and skipped key acclimatisation time, which made the altitude hit harder than it needed to. Summit night was tough. I was cold, tired and moving slowly. But even then, I never felt unsupported. The guides, the pacing and the way the routes are structured are all designed to give you the best shot at reaching the top. In the video below, we show you what the climb is really like. And in this post, I’ll walk you through what makes Kilimanjaro hard, what makes it doable and how you can prepare for it.