5-Day Kilimanjaro Marangu Route Trek with Uhuru Peak Summit

• After breakfast and a briefing, drive for 45 minutes to the Kilimanjaro National Park Gate. Register and commence the climb.
• Walk through the rain forest to the Mandara encampment. A side trip to Maundi Crater is a good way to see the surroundings, including Northern Tanzania and Kenya. In the rain forest, look for towering eucalyptus trees, birdlife, and Colobus monkeys.

Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Altitude: 1,700 m to 2,740 m

Distance Covered: 7 kms (4-5 hours)

Accommodation: Mandara Hut

• Leave the glades of the rain forest and follow an ascending path across the open moorlands to the Horombo encampment. Views of Mawenzi and the summit of Kibo are amazing. Look for giant lobelias and groundsels. You may begin to feel the effects of the altitude.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Altitude: 2,700 m to 3,700 m

Distance Covered: 11 kms (6-8 hours)

• Pass the last watering point and walk onto the saddle of Kilimanjaro between the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. Vegetation begins with upper heathland, but then disappears into a moonscape.
• Have dinner, rest, and prepare for the summit climb.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Altitude: 3,700 m to 4,700 m

Distance Covered: 10 kms (6-8 hours)

• Very early in the morning, between midnight and 2 am, commence the climb to the summit on steep and heavy scree or snow up to Gilman's Point, located on the crater rim.
• Continue ascending to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. There are unbelievable views at every turn. Have your picture taken at the summit to show your friends and family.
• From here, descend, stopping for lunch and a rest at Kibo before continuing on to the Horombo encampment. The beginning of this climb is done in the dark and requires headlamps or flashlights. It will be very cold until you start descending, so you will need all of your warm layers. This is by far the most difficult part of the trek, with many switchbacks.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Altitude: 4,700 m to 5,895 m then 5,895 m to 3,700 m

Distance Covered: 4 kms up / 14 kms down (10-15 hours)

• After breakfast, a steady descent takes you down through moorland to Mandara Hut.
• Continue descending through a lush forest path to the National Park gate at Marangu. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and T-shirts will probably be plenty to wear, but keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy.
• A vehicle will pick you up from Marangu Gate and drive you back to your hotel in Moshi or Arusha. Don't forget to tip your guides and porters. It is time for celebration!

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Altitude: 3,700 m to 1,700 m

Distance Covered: 18 kms (5-7 hours)