Duration: 5
Scenery: Good
Traffic: High
Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be welcomed and transferred to your overnight accommodation. Your head guide will then meet you for a briefing, gear check, and to assist you in renting any necessary equipment. This preparation session is essential for ensuring that you have all the required gear and knowledge before embarking on your journey to the summit.
DAY 1: MARANGU GATE – MANDARA HUTS: 7K /MI | 4-5 HRS | RAINFOREST
Elevation: 1830m/6000ft to 2740m/9000ft
The road from Moshi cuts through villages at arid zones to Marangu cultivated zones and to the highlands and Marangu gate. Here, you will await the issuance of your permits, observing the bustling activities as various crews prepare for their ascent. The ascent should begin after signing up. A trail cuts through the mountain forest will lead a climber upper giving a chance to enjoy amazing scenic beauty. Higher trees, shrubs, climbers, ferns, lichen, mushrooms, and so on have created a home for a couple of animal species that include arthropods, snails, birds, monkeys, and bushbabies among others which are rare, endemic, endangered, and common species. 4 hours trekking through the trail with all the breaks should be enough for us to come to Mandara hut. Dinner and overnight at Mandara hut.
DAY 2: MANDARA HUTS – HOROMBO HUTS: 11KM/3MI | 6-8HRS | MOORELAND
Elevation: 2740m/9000ft to 3690m/12,100ft
Mandara camp is at the boarder of the forest and heath and moorlands. From Mandara to Horombo, a trail cuts through heath and moorlands where volcanic cones, hills, rocks and the land beauty is beautifully exposed. A 7-hour walk through this zone to Horombo will take your breath away. Wild grasses and tussocks have carpeted the land speckled by small bushes of ericas, lobelia, Senacio, Proteas, Helichrysums, Esters, etc. You will pause halfway through your hike to savor a delicious lunch while marveling at the breathtaking vistas of the Mawenzi peak, one of Kilimanjaro’s distinct features. Begin for Horombo after lunch break and keep ascending slowly cutting through beautiful hills adorned with wild shrubs and herbs that during the time when the weather is perfect could well define serenity. We will come to Horombo hut in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Horombo hut.
DAY 3: HOROMBO HUTS- KIBO HUTS: 10KM/6MI | 6-8HRS | SEMI-DESERT
Elevation: 3690m/12,100ft to 4695m/15,400ft
Commense to Kibo after breakfast. The zone transitions from heath and moorlands into an alpine desert. Here the wind and temperatures could be extreme. The landscape has been reduced to just dust, rocks and scree. I have always had a feeling of walking through a different planet in this region. In a good weather, the rugged Mawenzi cone will be openly vivid at the right while the prominent iced Kibo will be right ahead now appearing lively and calling. Persistently slowly walking should enable a climber to be at Kibo hut at a good time. Here at Kibo hut is where climbers rest and get themselves ready for a night ascent to Uhuru peak. Dinner and rest preparing for the summiting.
DAY 4: KIBO HUTS – SUMMIT: 4KM /2.5 MI UP | 5-7HRS | – HOROMBO HUTS: 14KM /9MI DOWN | 5-6HRS | GLACIERS, SNOW CAPPED SUMMIT
Elevation: 4695m/15,400ft to 5895m/19,340ft
Descent to 3690m/12,100ft
As morning arrives, anticipation and excitement build for the most challenging segment of your trek. An early start between midnight and 2 a.m. is planned. This leg of the journey is not only physically demanding but also mentally taxing. Ascending through tough terrain of heavy scree and possibly encountering snow, you will aim for Gillman’s Point on the crater rim. Here, as you take a moment to rest, the breathtaking sunrise will greet you with its magnificent hues. Faster climbers may even witness this awe-inspiring sunrise from the summit itself. From Gillman’s Point, the last stretch will test your endurance and determination, the trick is to take it slowly as our slogan ‘pole pole’ meaning slowly by slowly. The trail should finally bring us at Uhuru peak. Congratulations on this incredible achievement! By taking it one step at a time, you have successfully reached Uhuru Peak, the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the entire continent of Africa.
After capturing photos, celebrating, and perhaps shedding a few tears of joy begin the steep descent down to Horombo hut camp, where will have a brief stop at Kibo for lunch and a quick rest. It is advisable to use gaiters and trekking poles to navigate the challenging loose gravel and volcano ash terrain during the descent. Upon reaching Horombo Camp, you can finally enjoy a well-deserved rest and savor your last evening on the mountain. Dinner and Overnight at Horombo camp.
DAY 5: HOROMBO HUTS – MARANGU GATE – MOSHI: 18KM/11MI |6-7HRS | RAINFOREST
Elevation: 3690m/12,100 to 1830m/6000ft
After a good breakfast, we will celebrate together and shake hands in gratitude and appreciation, tipping of guides, cooks, and porters as you bid them goodbye. We will pause for a good break at Mandara hut then keep descending to the gate where we shall have a good lunch break and thereafter finish the remaining part of the journey by bus to the hotel.
In the morning, you will be transferred to your next adventure, whether it’s your journey back home, an exciting safari, or a relaxing trip to the beautiful island of Zanzibar.