8-Day Mount Kilimanjaro Trek via Marangu Route with Uhuru Peak

1

Day 01

Arrival in Marangu and Welcome Dinner

• Meet your representative at the airport and transfer to the hotel.
• Spend time at the hotel or go for a walk. The hotel is a short walk from the village's bustling market and some excellent coffee shops. A 6 p.m. appointment with your tour leader is scheduled for this evening.
• Afterwards, head out for a welcome dinner with your fellow travellers and tour leader.

2

Day 02

Trek from Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut

• Start your trek at the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Marangu, then continue to Marangu Gate, the entrance to Mt Kilimanjaro National Park (1860 m), where you will meet your guides and porters.
• Head through Marangu Gate toward the beautiful tropical rainforest, ascending to Mandara Hut for the night.

3

Day 03

Hike to Horombo Hut Through Moorland

• Your second day on the mountain involves another long hike over a slightly steeper stretch. The total distance from Mandara to the Horombo huts is 12 kilometres (approximately 5-7 hours). Today you will see the rainforest give way to open and rolling alpine meadows dotted with giant heather trees.
• Once out of the forest canopy, the twin snow-tipped peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi lie directly ahead. These are two of the three great cones of Kilimanjaro, the other being Shira. During the day's walk, you will traverse several ravines before reaching the hut, set in a rocky valley. There is time to enjoy a wide variety of vegetation and changing landscapes on the way to Horombo Hut (3780 metres). You will spend the next two nights here at the hut.

4

Day 04

Acclimatisation Day at Horombo Hut

• After breakfast, walk towards Mawenzi Hut, passing through the unusual Zebra Rocks on the way. It's a steep climb up a grassy slope, but the views over the area towards Kibo are second to none.
• Afterwards, return to Horombo for lunch. Spend the afternoon relaxing and acclimatising to the altitude, or ask your guides about the short walks in the area. Take advantage of the rest day here and drink plenty of water - the next couple of days will be pretty intense.

5

Day 05

Cross the Saddle to Kibo Hut

• Today you'll walk 10 kilometres from Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut (approximately 5-7 hours).
• As the journey progresses, you will notice the landscape gradually becoming more rugged and rocky and the air noticeably thinner. You will need to soften your pace a little to accommodate these environmental changes.
• Marvel at giant groundsels and lobelias while you travel across the sparse moorland. Skirt Mawenzi Peak and the stark lunar landscape of the Saddle, reaching Kibo Hut in the afternoon (4740 m).

6

Day 06

Summit Attempt to Uhuru Peak

• Your guides will wake you up at 11 p.m., and hot tea will be served. Prepare for the last leg of the trek - to the summit. The distance from Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak is six kilometres (approximately 6-8 hours), and the descent to Horombo will take roughly the same amount of time. The trek begins beneath the stars as you zigzag your way up a large scree slope, guided only by torchlight, to reach Gilman's Point (5685 m). With some luck, you will arrive in time for breathtaking views of the sun rising while enjoying your champagne.
• Have breakfast at the peak of Mt Kilimanjaro. This is the stretch that most people find the hardest, and you should be prepared for a freezing morning. The dramatic spectacle of the sun rising over the ice fields of the crater will make the early start worthwhile.

7

Day 07

Descent to Marangu and Celebration

• Continue your descent through alpine meadows and rainforests to the park gate. The distance from Horombo to Marangu Gate is 20 kilometres (approximately 5-6 hours).
• Return to the hotel for a relaxing shower - a real treat after the physical exertions of the last few days. Over a celebratory meal, you can relive and share your experiences of the past five days on the mountain.

8

Day 08

Farewell in Marangu

• It's time now to bid farewell to your tour leader and new friends, but not without a backpack full of memories.