Mount Kilimanjaro

ARUSHA OR KILIMANJARO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – MOSHI

You'll be picked up from Arusha town or Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to Moshi town, renowned as the gateway to Mount Kilimanjaro. Half Board accommodation will be arranged at a Base Hotel in Moshi.

MOSHI – MARANGU – MANDARA (2,750m)

Following breakfast and a briefing from the guide, we'll head to Marangu gate of Kilimanjaro National Park (a 45-minute drive from Moshi to the Marangu Gate). After registering with park authorities, our climb officially commences with a four-hour walk to the Mandara encampment. This leg takes us through a dense rainforest zone, where afternoon rain showers are common. We'll spend the night at Mandara Hut (2,750m), featuring comfortable accommodations with bathrooms and running water.

MANDARA – HOROMBO (3,720m)

Today's journey continues with an ascent through the forest before transitioning to the heather and moorland zone at approximately 3,000m (a six-hour walk). Enjoy breathtaking views of the mountain peaks from this altitude. Horombo Hut (3,720m), nestled in a valley surrounded by towering lobelia and groundsel, awaits us for the night. Similar to Mandara, this hut offers bathroom facilities with running water.

HOROMOBO – KIBO (4,703m)

Our trek progresses beyond the final watering point, ascending onto the saddle of Kilimanjaro between Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. As vegetation diminishes, we enter the desert-like alpine zone at approximately 4,000m. Crossing the saddle reveals Kibo peak in the distance, surrounded by an alpine desert resembling a lunar landscape. This seven-hour walk proceeds at a leisurely pace, leading us to Kibo Hut (4,703m), a sturdy stone structure lacking running water. The semi-desert conditions here, with annual rainfall below 250mm, see nightly freezes contrasted by daytime temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius.

KIBO – SUMMIT – HOROMBO (3,720m)

Commencing shortly after midnight, we embark on the climb to the summit of Kilimanjaro, capitalizing on the frozen scree slope for an easier ascent to Gillman’s Point (5,861m) on the crater rim. A predawn start enhances our chances of reaching the summit in time for sunrise during the six-hour hike. From Gillman’s Point, a further two-hour round trip along the crater’s edge leads to Uhuru Peak, Africa's highest point. Descending from the summit, we head downhill to Horombo Hut, our final night's stay on the mountain.

HOROMBO – MOSHI

Today's descent leads us past the Mandara encampment to the mountain's base, where each hiker will receive a well-deserved certificate. From there, we'll be transferred to a Base Hotel in Moshi for dinner and overnight stay.