Itinerary

1. Day 1: Moshi To Marangu Gate To Mandara Hut

   • You will be transferred to Marangu Gate from the hotel and do a registration at the gate. Afterwards, you will begin trekking through the rainforest to Mandara Hut. Here you will have an acclimatization opportunity of visiting Maundi Crater—dinner and overnight at Mandara Hut.

   Elevation: 1200 m to 1,750 m to 2,750 m

   Distance: 9 km

   Trekking Time: 3 hours

   Habitat: Montane Forest

2. Day 2: Mandara Hut To Horombo Hut

   • After breakfast, you will outclimb the rainforest and continue trekking to Horombo Hut, where you will trek through rolling moorlands and get your first clear view of towering Kilimanjaro.

   Elevation:2750 m to 3,807 m

   Distance:13km

   Trekking time: 5-6 hours

   Habitat: Moorlands

3. Day 3: Horombo Hut

   • Spend an extra day here at Horombo during the 6-day itinerary for acclimatization purposes. This day you will hike to Mawenzi Ridge or Zebra Rock to have your body adjust to higher altitudes. 
   • After this session, you will return to Horombo Hut for lunch, resting until dinner and overnight.

4. Day 4: Horombo Hut To Kibo Hut

   • After a good night's rest and breakfast, you will trek past the last water point to reach Kibo Saddle, a great desert between the two peaks Mawenzi and Kibo—an early dinner and overnight at Kibo Hut.

   Elevation(m):3807m to 4725m

   Distance: 13 km

   Trekking time: 5-6 hours

   Habitat: Desert

5. Day 5: Summit Day Kibo Hut Camp To Uhuru Peak To Horombo Hut Camp

   • Wake to a light breakfast at midnight, then prepare for your summit ascent. Because you will climb to the summit in the dark, you must have your headlamps/flashlights. It will also be freezing until you descend, so you must have all your warm layers. This is a necessary time to keep on slowly (pole in Swahili). 
   • The goal is to climb before dawn to reach Uhuru Peak shortly before or after sunrise. Switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Gilman’s Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft between 4 and 6 AM. At this point, you will see the fabled crater and its icecaps facing you. Then after 2 hours of hiking along the Kibo crater rim near the celebrated snow, it takes you to Kilimanjaro’s true summit, Uhuru Peak. Here you will spend some time taking photos. After your summit photos and taking in the view, descend back to the Kibo Huts, have lunch, rest, collect your equipment and continue down through re-cross the saddle to the Horombo Huts. Have dinner and overnight at Horombo Camp.

   Elevation: 4,695 m to 5,895 m to 3,690 m

   Distance: 4 km up, 14 km down

   Hiking Time: 10-15 hours

   Habitat: Alpine Desert

6. Day 6: Horombo Huts Camp TO Marangu Gate To Moshi

   • After a long sleep, you will be awakened for breakfast and pack and continue your descent through the moorland to Mandara Huts. You will have lunch, then proceed your triumphant recessional down through the lush forest to Marangu Park Gate. After the gate sign-out, a vehicle will take you back to the hotel, where it is time for your certificate presentation and celebration!

   Elevation): 3,690 m to 1,830 m to 1,387 m

   Distance: 18 km

   Hiking Time: 5-7 hours