6-Day Mount Kilimanjaro Trek to Uhuru Peak via the Marangu Route

Time: 4-5hrs / Distance: 8km / Altitude Gain: 857m

• On reaching Marangu Gate (1,843m), you will meet your crew, complete park registration, and begin your 5-day ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro.
• You will start the trek through a dense, mist-covered forest where blue monkeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and bushbabies can be spotted.
• We will stop at Kisambioni for a picnic lunch before reaching Mandara Hut (2,700m), a complex of wooden 'A'-shaped huts containing two rooms with four bunk beds each.
• Please be aware that although bunk beds are provided, you will still require your own sleeping bag.

Time: 6-8hrs / Distance: 12km / Altitude Gain: 1020m

• We will start our trek around the base of Maundi Crater, a beautiful remnant of a volcanic vent where lush grasses known as tussock can be seen along with glorious views.
• Heading northwest, we follow the trail through alpine meadows, crossing a stream to reach grassland and eventually entering moorland.
• We will stay overnight at Horombo Hut (3,720m), set in a rocky valley which, on a clear day, offers views of Moshi below. At the end of your long day, you may be rewarded with what is often described as a 'magnificent sunset'.

Overall Time: 3-5hrs / Distance: 10km / Altitude Gain: 818m, Altitude Loss: 818m

• Today is used as an acclimatization day to help maximize your chances of reaching the summit.
• You will be able to enjoy the surrounding environment at Horombo and choose from a variety of guided short hikes.
• Zebra Rock (4,000m) is just a couple of hours' walk away, while a popular choice is the hike toward Mawenzi Peak, the eastern summit of the mountain, which takes four to five hours there and back and will greatly assist with acclimatizing to the altitude gain you will face the next day.

Time: 6-8hrs / Distance: 10km / Altitude Gain: 983m

• The route becomes gradually steeper and rockier as we leave Horombo Hut.
• You will pass 'Last Water' and continue across the stark landscape up to 'The Saddle' - the broad lava-stone ridge - between Mawenzi and Kibo.
• Stunning views of the upper reaches of Kilimanjaro can be seen before you arrive at Kibo Hut (4,703m), where you will have a hot meal in the afternoon, a relaxing evening, and an early bedtime so you are well rested to start hiking at midnight for your final ascent to the summit.

Time: 6-8hrs (to summit), 4-5hrs (to Horombo) / Distance: 6km (to summit), 16km (to Horombo) / Altitude Gain: 1,192m

• Setting off at midnight for the summit, this is the longest and most demanding day of the entire trek. The trail follows a long scree slope past Hans Meyer Cave and then turns into a single-file zigzag.
• A short rocky path requiring some scrambling leads to Gillmans Point, situated on the crater rim at 5,685m. This part of the hike is very steep and is the most challenging section of the route.
• Once you reach Gillmans Point, it is just another two hours to Uhuru Peak (5,895m), the highest point in Africa.
• Once there, all your hard work will feel more than worth it as you are rewarded with a spectacular sunrise over ice fields and the Mawenzi peaks.
• We will spend a short time at Uhuru Peak before starting our descent to Kibo Hut for a break and a short rest. We will then head to Horombo Hut for our last night on Kilimanjaro and a very well-earned sleep.

Time: 5-7hrs / Distance: 20km / Altitude Loss: 1877m

• After breakfast, we will descend to Marangu Gate, retracing our steps past Mandara Hut, back through the magnificent rainforest, and finally reaching the gate.
• Once at the gate, you will receive your summit certificates, enjoy short celebrations with your porters, and be driven back to your hotel, where you can have a hot shower, rest, and maybe even enjoy a Kilimanjaro beer or two.