A six-day trip to ascend Africa’s highest peak, using the popular Marangu Route. Expect a variety of landscapes, perhaps some wildlife on the lower slopes… This six-day trip to majestic Kilimanjaro allows for extra acclimatization time, giving you an excellent chance of reaching the snow-capped summit. You will have a private vehicle to take you to and from the mountain; on the mountain, your accommodation on this trip will be in comfortable huts.
Day 1 Airport Pick-Up – Drop Off At Hotel
Day 2 Moshi – Marangu Gate To Mandara Hut
Day 3 From Mandara Hut To Horombo Hut
Day 4 Horombo Hut – Mawenzi Ridge – Horombo Hut
Day 5 From Horombo Hut To Kibo Hut
Day 6 Ascent To Uhuru Peak And Descent To Horombo Hut
Day 7 Descent From Horombo Hut To Marangu Gate – Moshi
Day 8 Departure – Kilimanjaro International Airport
A member of Joytam Tours & Trekking Safaris hospitality team greets you upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). He will drive you to your hotel, which provides all the amenities necessary for your comfort: pleasant rooms with hot showers, swi mming pool, restaurant and access to the internet.
Your briefing, in the course of which your guide will provide all the details of the upcoming trek, takes place in the evening. A final check of your readiness to tackle Kilimanjaro is the final part of your preparations.
Accommodation: Panama Garden Resort
Journey time and Distance: 1 hour, 40 km from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Moshi
After an early breakfast at your lodge (07.00), you depart one hour later and arrive at the Marangu Gate around 09.00, ready for registration and the start of the trek. Excitement builds as the porters load up equipment and you meet the trekking team who will accompany you up the mountain. Starting on the south-east side of Kilimanjaro, at an altitude of 1,879 metres and finishing the day at 2,720 metres, your total walking time today to Mandara Hut – where you will spend the night – is around 3.5 to 4 hours (excluding breaks), during which you cover just over 8 km.
You start the walk-in late morning, take your picnic lunch at around 14.00, and then continue the walk until you reach the hut at 17.00. Dinner is served at 19.30. Today’s walk, though almost entirely uphill, is a pleasant one, with perhaps the chance to see some blue monkeys or to admire the rainforest vegetation on the ascent. The rainforest is the chief feature of today’s landscape. Look out for the bright red impatiens kilimanjari flower, a symbol of the mountain. At the end of the day, the giant heathers and bearded lichen begin to show themselves for the first time. The Mandara A-frame Huts feature solar-powered lighting. Water is supplied from a stream and there are flush toilets. As you will be sleeping in dormitory-style accommodation with others, bringing some earplugs is advisable.
Accommodation: Mandara Hut
Hiking time and Elevation: 4 hours, from Marangu Gate (1,879 m) to Mandara Hut (2,720 m)
Your early 07.00 breakfast prepares you for an 08.30 departure and today your 11 km walk will take between 5.5 and 6 hours of actual walking time (excluding breaks) and you will climb a total of 1,000 metres to the finishing-point at Horombo (altitude: 3,720 metres).
On the way you will enjoy your picnic lunch at 13.00, before continuing your climb and arriving at the hut at Horombo around 16.00. Dinner will be served at 18.00. On today’s walk, you will note that the forest landscape is quickly replaced by moorland and heather, as your route takes us past the renowned Maundi Crater. Altogether, the scenery today becomes more barren, but nevertheless some of Kilimanjaro’s iconic plant species can be seen today. Look out for the fascinating giant groundsels, lobelias and proteas. If you are lucky enough to have a clear day, you should get the first chance to see the snow-capped peak of Kibo and also the distinctive Mawenzi peak. Like Mandara, Horombo also consists of A-Frame huts and caters for those on the way up the mountain and those on the way back down. Once again, you will be in dormitory accommodation.
Accommodation: Horombo Hut
Hiking time and Elevation: 6 hours, from Mandara Hut (2,720 m) to Horombo Hut (3,720 m)
Today, after breakfast you will hike to Mawenzi Ridge (4,389 m) for further Acclimatization with your guide, On the way you will enjoy your picnic lunch at 13.00, before returning to Horombo Hut for another night. Dinner will be served at 18.00.
Accommodation: Horombo Hut
Hiking time and Elevation: 6 hours, Horombo Hut (3,720 m) – Mawenzi Ridge (4,389 m) – Horombo Hut (3,720 m)
Today, you ascend a further 983 metres, cover around 9 km and aim to arrive at the hut at Kibo for your overnight stop by around 15.00. Once again, you start early, with a 07.00 breakfast and a 08.30 departure.
Where the path divides today, you choose to take the southern (left-hand) route. On this path you take the opportunity to fill up your water reserves at the Maua River, the last useable water supply at a height of around 4,000 metres. At first today’s stage is rather steep, and there is less vegetation, but you are rewarded with your first sight today of some of the famous ‘cones’ of Kilimanjaro. Picnic lunch is once again scheduled for 13.00. After the Maua River, you climb towards the Mawenzi Ridge and across the barren, dry terrain known as the Saddle and head for the huts, which are at the bottom of the Kibo summit. Dinner tonight is at 17.30 and you are advised to get to bed early, in preparation for the midnight departure for the summit. Kibo Huts are made of stone and quite basic.
Accommodation: Kibo Hut
Hiking time and Elevation: 6 hours, from Horombo Hut (3,720 m) to Kibo Hut (4,703 m)
Your schedule for your ‘Summit Day’ is very different. Rising at 23.00, you take your tea and biscuits (23.30) before a midnight departure. Today, you have 1,192 metres to climb, on what will be your toughest day, with around 13 hours of actual walking time and a distance of 21 km
Your expectation is to reach the summit from 07.00 onwards. You begin on a rocky path, and then climb via a series of zig-zags which get ever smaller.
Your reference points on your ascent today are, first, William’s Point (5,000 metres), Hans Meyer Cave (5,151 metres) and then Gilman’s Point (5,685 metres). The focus today is on walking slowly. On reaching the top, you take time to celebrate the successful climb, take photos and congratulate yourself, then make the descent to return to Kibo hut for about 11.00 and take a very well-deserved, two-hour rest and enjoy a welcome hot lunch. Setting off again at 14.00, you continue your descent until you reach Horombo for about 17.00. Dinner will be served at 19.00.
Accommodation: Horombo Hut
Hiking time and Elevation: 13 hours, Kibo Hut (4,703 m) – Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) to Horombo Hut (3,720 m)
After breakfast at your now-familiar time of 07.00, you take the chance to thank your hard-working guides and porters at the ‘Tipping Celebration’. You depart from Horombo and start your descent down towards Marangu Gate, stopping at Mandara for a hot lunch at around midday.
Marangu Gate is reached by around 16.00, and today’s section is around 19 km which takes 6.5 to 7 hours of walking time. Having reached Marangu Gate, you will be presented with your certificate, recognizing your tremendous effort. You then return by vehicle to Moshi, to the comfort of your lodge, for your overnight stay and some deserved relaxation. Or perhaps, if you still have some energy, you can celebrate your wonderful achievement. After all, you have just climbed Africa’s highest mountain!
Accommodation: Panama Garden Resort
Hiking time and Elevation: 7 hours, from Horombo Hut (3,720 m) to Marangu Gate (1,879 m)
After a good night’s rest at your hotel, you will take breakfast ready for the scheduled check-out by 11.00.(In case you need a late check-out because of an evening flight, please advise us of this when you book your trip and we will inform you of the cost for day room which ends at 18:00hrs, and then make the booking on your behalf.)
As a transfer to the airport is included on this trip, you will be collected from your hotel and dropped off at the airport. For those travellers who have booked to go on safari, our Jerry Tanzania Tours guide will be meeting you in the evening to provide you with a briefing.