Kilimanjaro Trekking via – Marangu Route

Hike to Mandara Hut • Elevation: 1860m/6100ft to 2700m/8875ft • Distance: 8km/5miles •Hiking Time: 3-4 hours • Habitat: Montane Forest After breakfast At Arusha Tourist Inn and a briefing, drive to the Kilimanjaro National Park Gate (about 1 hour), register and commence the trek. Walk through the rainforest to the Mandara Huts. A side trip to Maundi Crater is a good way to see the surroundings including Northern Tanzania and Kenya. In the rainforest, look for towering Eucalyptus trees, birdlife, and Colobus monkeys.

Elevation: •2700m/8875ft to 3700m/12,200ft • Distance: 12km/7.5 miles • Hiking Time: 5-6 hours • Habitat: Heathland • Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner • Budget Lodging: Horombo Hut. You'll leave the glades of the rainforest and follow an ascending path on the open moorlands to the Horombo Huts. The views of Mawenzi and the summit of Kibo are amazing. Look for giant lobelias and groundsels. You may begin to feel the effects of the altitude.

Elevation: 3700m/12,200ft Distance: 0km/0miles Hiking Time: 0 hours Habitat: Heathland Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Today is a rest day at Horombo Hut with an optional hike by Mawenzi Peak. You'll sleep in dormitories with quite restricted facilities. At night all the other final climb preparation of the summit is done. Porters help you repack any items but only the necessary. You'll have your overnight stay at Horombo Hut.

• Elevation: 3700m/12,200ft to 4700m/15,500ft • Distance: 9km/5.5 miles • Hiking Time: 5-6 hours • Habitat: Alpine Desert • Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner Today you'll be ascending to Kibo Hut. We'll pass the last watering point, walk onto the saddle of Kilimanjaro between the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. The vegetation begins with upper heathland but then disappears into “moonscape”. Enjoy dinner, rest and prepare for the summit climb.

• Elevation: 4700m/15,500ft to 5895m/19,340ft • Down to 3700m/12,200ft • Distance: 6km/4 miles up / 15km/9 miles down • Hiking Time: 6-8 hours up / 15km/9mi down • Habitat: Alpine desert Very early in the morning (midnight to 2 am), commence the climb to the summit on steep and heavy scree or snow up to Gilman’s point located on the crater rim. Continuing, we will now ascend to Uhuru Peak, which is the highest point in Africa. There are unbelievable views at every turn. Have your picture taken at the summit to show your friends and family. From here we will descend, stopping for lunch and a rest at Kibo before continuing on to the Horombo Huts. The beginning of this climb is done in the dark and requires headlamps or flashlights. It will be very cold until you start descending, so you will need all of your warm layers. This is by far the most difficult part of the trek with many switchbacks. Going slowly “pole pole” and having an optimistic attitude will get you there.

• Elevation: 3700m/12,200ft to 1700m/5500ft • Distance: 20km/12.5 miles • Hiking Time: 4-5 hours • Habitat: Forest. After breakfast, a steady descent takes us down through moorland to the Mandara Hut. Continue descending through a lush forest path to the national park gate at Marangu. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy). Serengeti Saari Booking Tours & Safaris driver will meet you at Marangu gate to drive you back to your hotel in Arusha/Moshi.