Day 1: Arusha – Mandara Hut
Leave Arusha after breakfast and drive to Marangu Gate where you will start the ascent to Mandara Hut. Dinner and overnight at Mandara Hut.
Day 2: Mandara Hut – Horombo Hut
Today the destination is Horombo Hut at 12,200 ft. It takes about 6 hours to cover the 10-mile journey and you will get the first views of the Kibo summit. The trail is strenuous and slippery and takes you clear of the forests and out onto the moorland. It passes beneath the rocky southern face of Mawenzi – one of the three volcanoes that make up Kilimanjaro. Dinner and overnight at Horombo Hut
Day 3: Horombo Hut – Kibo Hut
Another day of the long hike up to Kibo Hut almost 15,500 ft. Although somewhat shorter in distance, it usually takes 7 hours because it is steeper and the altitude slows everyone down. Dinner and overnight at Kibo Hut.
Day 4: Kibo Hut – Gilman’s – Uhuru Peak – Horombo Hut
We are awakened at about midnight and have tea and biscuits in preparation for the climb ahead. Leave between 1:00 – 1:30 am. Starting off, the trail swings back and forth up a steep scree slope and the ambiance is bitterly cold. The summit climb is an event you will not forget, with the night sky full of stars and only your breathing to help focus your mind. Most climbers arrive at Gillman’s Point, elevation 18,635 feet, in time to enjoy sunrise at around 6:30 a.m. The views from the top looking down on the plains of Africa make it all worthwhile.
Some climbers decide that they have reached their goal and head down from there. For those who still have some fight in them, the true summit at Uhuru Peak (19,340 feet) is an additional 3-hour round-trip. The descent from Gillman’s Point is fairly rapid, taking about 2 hours. Most climbers take a short rest at Kibo Hut before descending to Horombo Hut for the night, arriving in the late afternoon.
Day 5: Horombo Hut – Marangu Hotel
Today involves a long 14-mile descent to Marangu Gate and Park’s Headquarters. We will Stop at the hotel to pick up our gears and drive to the hotel in Moshi. It is a welcome treat to sleep in a comfortable bed, take a hot shower, and celebrate the climb with a hot meal and some drinks. Relax – there will be no climbing tomorrow. Overnight at Moshi Hotel
Day 6: Depart
Today you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro Airport to connect your flight back home to end your trip.
It might be the end of your Kilimanjaro expedition but you will have some memories to last a lifetime.
