Kilimanjaro Marangu Route

Day 0: Arrival, Tour Briefing and Resting

• You will be picked up from the airport in Moshi (Kilimanjaro International Airport) and be transferred to the booked hotel in Arusha
• Get the safari general briefing from the prepared safari consultant/guide
• Dinner and overnight at the booked hotel in Arusha

Day 1: Drive to Marangu Gate and climb to Mandara Hut

• Morning after breakfast in a hotel in Arusha drive to Marangu Gate
• We take a ride to Marangu Gate to complete the necessary registration formalities, then we begin the walk to the Mandara encampment
• We trek through a lush, thick rainforest, where there is a high chance of rain in the afternoon, and arrive at Mandara Hut (8,900 ft). [4-5 hours walking]
• Have hot dinner and overnight stay at Mandara Hut

Day 2: Climb from Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut

• We take a steady ascent through the temperate forest zone for a short time, before reaching the heather and moorland zone
• Here we enjoy views of the mountain peaks at this altitude
• We continue to a valley surrounded by giant lobelia and groundsel, flora which are characteristic of this semi-alpine zone, and overnight at Horombo Hut (12,200 ft). [6-7 hours walking]

Day 3: Climb from Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut

• We cross the lunar desert of the saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo to reach Kibo Hut(15,400 ft) at the bottom of the crater wall
• The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for an early morning final ascent. [6-7 hours walking]
• Have dinner and overnight stay at Kibo Hut

Day 4: Climb through Gillman’s Point to Uhuru Peak then descend to Horombo Hut

• We start the final and most demanding part of the climb by torchlight around 1 a.m
• We plod very slowly in the darkness on a switchback trail through loose volcanic scree to reach the crater rim at Gillman’s Point(18,600 ft)
• We rest here for a short time to enjoy the spectacular sunrise over Mawenzi
• Those who are still feeling strong can make the three-hour round trip to Uhuru Peak(19,345 ft), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area
• The descent to Kibo Hut(15,400 ft) is surprisingly fast and, after some refreshments, we continue the descent to Horombo Huts (12,200 ft).
  [11-15 hours walking]

Day 5: Descend passing through Mandara Hut to Marangu Gate then to Moshi

• A steady descent takes us down through moorland to Mandara Huts(8,900 ft)
• We then continue descending through lovely lush forest on a good path to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate at Marangu(6,000 ft), where we are transferred back to Marangu.[5-6 hours walking]
• Have dinner and overnight stay at your booked hotel in Moshi