Kilimanjaro via Marangu route

The Marangu Route is the most popular route up Mount Kilimanjaro, and also considerably easier than any of the other trips to the summit. Climbers usually cover the 34km each way over a period of at least four or five nights on the mountain, making use of three stages of wooden huts for overnight accommodation en route. You will be picked up by the staff of Wildbird safari from Kilimanjaro international airport (JRO) and driven to your accommodation in Arusha. Participants will be given a short briefing for the climb the next day. Necessary equipment will be checked.

Meals: Breakfast /Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: Gran Melia Arusha(luxury) or Arumeru lodge (mid-range)

Day 1: Arusha to Marangu gate (1860m) to Mandara Hut (2700m)

Climate: Montane forest

Distance: about 8kms

Time taken: about 3-4hrs

Early in the morning after delicious breakfast at your lodge/hotel, depart for registration and trekking arrangement at Marangu gate. There you will find our professional English-speaking Mountain guide, Chef and porters who will help you all days at Kilimanjaro. Through mountain forest you will enjoy to see birdlife, colobus monkey and eucalyptus tree species. Recommended to eat and drink well to compensate the lost water through sweating. Shorts and t-shirt usually will suffice at this altitude but you have to keep your rain gear and warm clothes in your daypack just in case. You will stop for lunch in halfway through your trek before continue to mandara hut.

Meals: Breakfast /Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: Mandara hut

Day 2: Mandara Hut (2700m) to Horombo (Hut 3750m)

Climate: Moorland

Distance: about 11kms

Time taken: barely 7hrs

Rise and shine in the morning at Mandara hut, after enjoying a hot breakfast prepared by our Chef; you will continue to ascend heading to Horombo hut through the moorland climate. Your trek began through ascending tropical rainforest glades before ascending through heathland and on into the open moorland, where vegetation is sparse with small shrubs. Stop halfway for lunch overlooking the view of mawenzi. You will arrive at horombo huts around 3pm.

Meals: Breakfast /Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: Horombo Hut

Day 3: Acclimatization Day

You may begin to feel the effects of altitude at Horombo, this is why we use this day as an aid to your acclimatization. Depend on how you are feeling, your guide will recommend whether to stay in hut or hiking up to mawenzi base camp and return to Horombo huts for the second night.

Meals: Breakfast /Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: Horombo Hut

Day 4: Horombo Hut (3750m) to Kibo Hut (4690m)

Climate: Alpine desert

Distance: about 8kms

Time taken: about 4hrs

In the morning after breakfast at Horombo huts, kip on ascend to Kibo hut across the Alpine desert climate, together with guide, Chef and Porters. The day trek begin through the heathland and quickly turn into moonscape when you enter the saddle between Kibo and Mawenzi. Stopover in the mid of the journey for lunch, whereby you will start to see the summit and prepare your body to face.

Meals: Breakfast /Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: Kibo hut

Day 5: Summit day, Kibo hut (4690m) to Uhuru Peak (5895m)

Climate: Glacial

Distance: about 6kms ascending and 8kms descending

Time taken: about 5hrs ascending and 9hrs descending

Rise up early in the mid-night for summit ascent. Start trekking around 1 am in the night aiming to summit in 7 am in the morning. From Gillman’s Point you will normally encounter snow all the way up to Uhuru peak (5895m), the highest point in Africa. Weather conditions on the summit will determine how long you will be able to spend, taking photographs, before the 3-hour descent back to Kibo hut. The return to Horombo hut will seem surprisingly fast compared to the ascent. The total time spent walking on this day is around 14 hours, so be prepared for a very tough day. Later in the evening you enjoy your last dinner (with soft drinks and beer for sale at the camp office) on the mountain and a well-earned sleep, filled with memories and stirring emotions.

Meals: Breakfast /Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: Kibo hut

Day 6: Horombo Hut (3750m) to Mandara hut (2700m) to Marangu gate (1860m)

Climate: Moorland to Montane forest

Distance: About 18kms

Time taken: about 7hrs

Wake up early in the morning for breakfast, then descending through moorland to mandara huts for lunch. It is strongly recommended not to pay your porters any tips until you and all your gear have reached the gate safely. At Marangu gate you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Gillman’s Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m), receive gold certificates. You now drive back Arusha for a long overdue hot shower, dinner and celebrations.

Meals: Breakfast /Lunch/Dinner

Accommodation: Gran Melia (luxury) or Arumeru River Lodge (mid-Range)

Fly back home

After breakfast, we can arrange for a private transfer or taxi to Kilimanjaro international airport (JRO). Drive time :1 hour

Meals: breakfast

Accommodation: –

What includes in this tour?

Park fees

All transportation (unless labeled as optional)

Round trip airport transfer

All taxes/VAT

All meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)

All activities (unless labeled as optional)

Drinking water on all days

What’s not included in this tour

Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour

Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees etc.)

Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees

Alcohol drinks

Climbing gears

Sleeping bags