Itinerary

1. Day 1: Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut

   Distance: 8 km, Hiking Time: 3 hours

   • Take a short drive from Moshi town to Marangu Gate of Kilimanjaro Park, located on the outskirts of Marangu village, an attractive town with many small coffee and banana plantations. 
   • After completing the immigration formalities, we trek through an attractive primaeval forest to reach the clearing with the Mandara Hut. The volcanic remains of Maundi Crater are nearby and make a good afternoon excursion. An alternative is to rest and enjoy the beautiful forest. Birdlife is abundant at the cottages and monkeys are also frequently seen.

2. Day 2: Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut

   Distance: 11 km, Hiking Time: 5 hours

   • The first part of the trek is a steep climb through the forest, but the route quickly opens up onto grassy moorland and in good weather, there are good views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks.

   • We will gradually trek through the moorland area containing large heather and ground coffee plantations to finally reach Horombo Hut. The sunrises and sunsets here are often very impressive, the site is close to the glacier dome of Kibo Peak and being above the clouds is a real experience.

3. Day 3: Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut

   Distance: 9 km, Hiking Times: 5 hours

   • We will hike very slowly towards the Saddle Moon desert between Mawenzi and Kibo peaks. The terrain changes to sandstone and there is a desert feel at high altitudes.

   • We usually arrive at Kibo Hut at the base of the crater wall around noon and the afternoon is free to watch the climb to the summit.

   • We will spend the day resting and eating in preparation for the final hike before going to bed very early! [4-5 hours walk from Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut].

4. Day 4: Uhuru Peak Summit then descend down to Horombo Hut

   Distance: 9 km, Hiking Time: 5 hours

   • Around 1 a.m. we start our ascent by torchlight. Meter. so that we can ascend to Gillman's Point at sunrise. The initial trail is steep over a loose volcanic screen but there are some nicely graded switchbacks and a slow but steady pace takes us up to Gillman's Point. We will rest and spend some time watching the sunrise.

   • Continue hiking from Gillman's Point along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak, past the spectacular glaciers that still occupy most of the summit area. The descent is surprisingly quick and we return to Horombo Hut for the night.

5. Day 5: Horombo Hut to Arusha/Moshi

   • After breakfast, we will start with a pleasant walk across the moorland to Mandara Hut and then through a beautiful forest to the Marangu Gates to Arusha/Moshi town. The green and lushness of the forest is quite a contrast to summit day and really lets you see how varied the landscape on Kilimanjaro really is. 
   • Then, return to your hotel in Moshi/Arusha.