5-Day Kilimanjaro Marangu Route Hike to Uhuru Peak

• Early in the morning, after breakfast, the guides will brief you about the hike.

• Transfer to Marangu Gate at around 9:00 am; it takes about 45 minutes to get there.

• On arrival at Marangu Gate, located in Marangu village, complete the registration formalities for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

• Your guide will then show you the clear trail and assist you with any additional information or needs you might have.

• You will leave the park office and ascend along a cleared ridge route through rainforest covered with mist and saturated with beards of moss.

• This trail follows the edge of a stream through the undergrowth and offers you the option to rejoin the main trail. After one and a half hours of hiking, you will reach Mandara Hut.

Hiking time: 5 hours

Distance: About 12 kms

Habitat: Montane forest

Elevation change: + 720 m

• Early in the morning, after breakfast, you will start climbing towards Horombo Hut with your picnic lunch.

• From Mandara Hut, the trail passes through a short stretch of forest and then heads around the base of Maundi Crater, where you will leave the forest and enter the moorland.

• We recommend taking a short detour up to the rim of Maundi Crater - from here, you can see the impressive Kibo Crater, and on a clear day, you will also be able to see the glaciers of Kibo.

• In the moorlands, you will encounter some of Kilimanjaro's most spectacular and strange plants, with giant lobelia and groundsel growing to heights of 3 and 5 metres respectively.

• Later in the afternoon, you will reach Horombo Hut for a hot dinner and overnight stay. Your hut will be comfortable enough to ensure a good night's rest. Temperatures during the night will be around freezing point.

Hiking time: 6 hours

Distance: About 15 km

Habitat: Moorland

Elevation change: + 1020 m

• The climb becomes more difficult as oxygen at these altitudes begins to thin out considerably.

• To begin with, take one of the two trails to the "Saddle," located between the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo.

• Stick to the lower route, which is much easier and has the added benefit of taking you past the last watering point. You should stock up on all the water you will need - the next watering point will be at Horombo Hut when you return there on your descent the night after next.

• Once again, remember to take it slow and drink enough water. It will take 5 to 7 hours to reach Kibo Hut, where you will rest and have dinner. This is a barren area of extreme conditions, with temperatures at night sometimes dropping below freezing point and daytime temperatures being relatively high.

Hiking time: 6 hours

Distance: About 15 kms

Habitat: Alpine desert

Elevation change: + 980 m

• Today will, by far, be your toughest day. You will be woken just before midnight and soon head off into the cold night, following a rocky path towards Hans Meyer Cave at 5150 metres - you may take a short rest here before continuing your ascent to Gillman's Point at 5680 metres. This is probably the most demanding section of the entire route, as it is very steep and stony, so go slowly and carefully here.

• From Gillman's Point, you will more than likely be walking through snow for the next 2 hours before finally reaching the summit of Uhuru Peak at 5895 metres.

Hiking time: 10 hours

Distance: About 27 kms

Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

Elevation change: + 1195 m, - 2175 m

• After an early and well-deserved breakfast, you will continue your descent, passing Mandara Hut on the way down to Marangu Gate - this will take the best part of six hours.

• At Marangu Gate, you will sign your name and details in a register. To make your achievement official, you will receive a summit certificate. If you reached Gillman's Point, you will be presented with a green certificate, and if you made it all the way to Uhuru Peak, you will have earned yourself a gold certificate.

• After checking out of the park, you will be transferred to a hotel in Moshi for a hot shower, probably dinner, and overnight. Otherwise, in the evening, you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight back home.

Hiking time: 6 hours

Distance: About 27 kms

Habitat: Moorland + Rain Forest

Elevation change: - 1740 m