Itinerary
- Day 1
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
Your guide picks you up from the hotel and drives you to Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate. After checking in and getting your gear sorted, the trek begins on a cleared ridge path through rainforest. The forest is thick and green here, and you'll follow the trail gradually upward. By evening you reach Mandara Hut camp, where you'll spend your first night in wooden A-framed huts nestled in a forest clearing. Temperature around 70°F/21°C.
- Meals
- Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Ascend cleared ridge trail through rainforest to Mandara Hut (3 hours, 7km)
- Hotel to Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate transport
Landmarks Mount Kilimanjaro National Park - Day 2
Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut
Starting in the morning, you trek through a short stretch of forest before the landscape opens into moorland. The Maundi Crater is nearby, and you'll walk around its base as you climb higher. The terrain becomes more exposed as the day goes on. By afternoon you arrive at Horombo Hut, where you'll settle in for the night. Altitude is around 3,720m/12,205ft, and it's noticeably cooler here.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Trek through forest to moorland circumventing Maundi Crater base (6 hours, 12km)
Landmarks Maundi Crater - Day 3
Horombo Hut Acclimatization Day
Today is a rest day to help your body adjust to the altitude. You can take walks around the hut area to keep moving without pushing too hard. The most popular option is a round trip hike to the base of Mawenzi Peak, which takes about 4-5 hours and gets you to around 4,048m/13,280ft before you head back. This acclimatization hike helps you prepare for higher elevations ahead.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Optional acclimatization walks near Horombo Hut
Optional Activities
- Walk to base of Mawenzi Peak (4-5 hours round trip, reaches 4048m altitude)
Landmarks Mawenzi Peak - Day 4
Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut
You head upward into the Alpine desert zone, trekking toward Kibo Hut. The vegetation thins out and you're now in a stark, rocky landscape. Temperature drops noticeably as you climb. After reaching the hut in the afternoon, you'll have an early dinner around 5pm, then spend the evening organizing your gear for the midnight summit push. Try to get some sleep, though excitement and altitude make real rest difficult.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Early dinner)
Included Activities
- Trek to Kibo Hut through Alpine desert zone (5 hours, 10km)
Landmarks Kibo (Mount Kilimanjaro main peak) - Day 5
Summit Push and Descent
Around 11:30pm you're woken up for a hot breakfast. By midnight the summit attempt begins on a rocky path heading toward Hans Meyer Point at 5,250m/17,225ft. From there the trail gets steep and switchbacks sharply up to Gillman's Point at 5,681m/18,635ft on the crater rim, where you'll likely reach around sunrise. Snow patches appear as you push toward Uhuru Peak at 5,895m/19,341ft, Africa's highest point. After photos and celebration, you descend 3 hours back to Kibo Hut. After a brief rest, you trek down another 3 hours to Horombo Hut for your final night. The whole day is long and intense.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Hot breakfast before summit push)
Included Activities
- Summit push from Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak (5895m) via Hans Meyer Point and Gillman's Point
- Descent from Uhuru Peak to Kibo Hut (3 hours)
- Trek from Kibo Hut to Horombo Hut (3 hours, 21km total hiking)
Landmarks Hans Meyer Point Gillman's Point Uhuru Peak - Day 6
Descent to Marangu Gate and Departure
Your last descent takes you down from Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate where the trek started. The trail gets easier as you drop back into forest zones. At the gate you'll have lunch and receive your summit certificate recognizing what you've accomplished. Your driver then takes you back to your hotel, where you can finally rest after 5 days on the mountain.
- Meals
- Lunch
Included Activities
- Final descent to Marangu Gate (6 hours, 18km)
- Receive summit certificate
- Transport from Marangu Gate to hotel
Landmarks Marangu Gate
