Kilimanjaro Trekking

Trip Highlights

Both trips itineraries includes two nights in Moshi town, one night before heading to Kilimanjaro mountain for trekking and one night after the trekking.

After arrival, you will be picked up from the bus station, Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha Airport and brought to your hotel for lunch/dinner and overnight.

The following morning you will be picked up from the hotel after your breakfast and driven to Marangu gate to start your trekking. After making it to the summit and got back down, you will be awarded a certificate at the gate. The last day you will get back at your hotel to rest and celebrate your accomplishment.

Your chief guide will be there to explain everything for you and we will look after you.

Trip at a Glance

See detailed itinerary.

Detailed Description

The Famous Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and is considered the tallest freestanding mountain in the world, rising 15,100 feet (4600 metres) from its base to summit.

Location: Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania, East Africa, African.

The Kilimanjaro name is coming from mixing Swahili and Chagga tribes slang, which means “that mountain”. The Kilimanjaro is composed by three distinct volcanic cones: Shira 13,000 feet (3,962 metres), Mawenzi 16,896 feet (5,149 metres) and Kibo at 19,340 feet ( 5, 895 metres) from which the Uhuru peak is the highest summit.

Kilimanjaro is actually a giant strato-volcano that began forming a million years ago when lava spilled from the rift valley zone, the mountain was built by successive lava flows.Two of its three peaks, Mawenzi and Shira are extinct while the highest peak, Kibo is dormant and could erupt again, the last major eruption was 360, 000 years ago, while the most recent activities happened 200 years ago.
Kilimanjaro has 2.2 sq km of glacial ice and is losing it quickly due to global warming, the glaciers have shrunk 82 percent since 1912 and declined 33 percent since 1989, it may be ice free within 20 years, dramatically affecting local drinking water, crop irrigation and hydroelectric power.

Kilimanjaro lies within the 756 square kilometers of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is one of the few places on earth that encompasses every ecological life zone including tropical jungle, savannah, desert to mountain forests, subalpine plants and the alpine zone above timberline.

According to the rules and regulations within the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA), hikers are not allowed to enter the park without a guide(s) and accompanying porters. Depending on the route, one to four porters are required for permission to climb. If a hiker wishes to trek without the support of porters, which means they plan to carry their luggage by themselves, then they should notify us prior making the booking reservation.

Places Visited

Moshi Town, Marangu and the Kilimanjaro Mountain.

Departures Dates

Dates are flexible and customizable for private departures.

Itinerary

Option 1:

5 to 6 day programme through Marangu route
This trail is popularly called the tourist route or “Coca-Cola” route, this could partly be as a result of the fact that the Marangu is the expensive route, but more so, perhaps the fact that it is possible to do the marangu route in 5 days, thereby getting to the summit one day earlier than on the Machame route. This route however offers the visitors the option of spending on extra acclimatization day at Horombo hut, Hut accommodation on the Marangu route forms one of the mains differences, compared to the other routes. All your equipment and supplies are pottered and a chef prepares all your meals.

IMPORTANT: For those who have picked the five days, they have to follow this program up to day 4 then to Kibo hut instead of resting at horombo hut.

Day 00 – Moshi
Pick up from the bus station, Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha Airport to the hotel.

Day 01 – Marangu Gate 1860 m – Mandara Hut 2720 m
Habitat: Montana Forest
Hiking time: 4 – 5 hrs.
Pickup in your hotel after finishing breakfast and drive from Moshi to Kilimanjaro National Park gate, about 1hr drive, after registration at the main gate, porters, cook, chef and guides prepare and pack the supplies for all 5 to 6 days and your equipment and measure on the scale of kilimanjaro National Park ready to be carried by porters. Make sure that that you have all your daypack items (containing at least valuable things (drinking water and your lunch pack and extra clothing) with you as the porters ascend a lot quicker than the hikers. You now leave the gate and ascend through to the Montana forest. The forest suffused with mist and dripping with beards of moss is where by most Kilimanjaro animals are found. After 2 hours or 1 hour and a half you have to stop in the place called kisamboini for a lunch. Kisamboini is a chagga tribe word which means place of washing. After lunch you continue to step up to the end of Montana forest start heather and Moorland up to 2720m in Mandara hut overnight.

Day 2 – Mandara Hut 2720 m – Horombo Hut 3720 m.
Habitat: Heather and Moorland
Hiking Time: 5 – 6 hours.
From Mandara hut the trail passes through as short stretch of forest, then skirts the base of the Maundi crater and then emerges into the transition from rain forest to moorland. It is well worth a short detour to scramble up the rim of the Maundi Crater for your first really impressive views of the Kibo Crater. On clear day. Once its clear the visitors have a chance to see most spectacular plants the endemic giant lobelia which grows up to 3 m in height and the senecio Kilimajari or giant groundsel which can reach the height of 5 m. After 4 hours you will be able to continue to moorland area, and finish the steep of WONA MOUNTAIN which has simple desks and tables for lunch. After finishing a lunch break you start to climb for a 2 hours up to horombo hut, where you will have hot washing water, rest an evening meal and overnight.

Day 3 – Horombo Hut 3720 m (For acclimatization)
Horombo hut is a meeting point to both ascending and descending hikers. This extra day and night at horombo is for additional acclimatization for those who have taken 6 days and one day acclimatization they have a chance to go near mawenzi ridge passing zebra rocks on the way ( About 4 hours up and 2 hours down) which is strongly recommended. This hike will further assist with the process of acclimatization. Remember to drink enough water and move slowly, All meals for the day are provided at the hut. Go to the bed early and get a last goodnights rest.

Day 4 – Horombo Hut 3720 m – Kibo Hut 4700 m
Habitat: Desert Place
Hike Time: 6 hours – 7 hours.
Early in the morning after finishing the breakfast start to ascend the end of the moorland up to Maua River, the Maua River is a place for filling all the water for use at kibo hut because this is the last water point as there is no other source of water after passing through which is located at a picnic site with simple desks and tables. The path begins to loop north between the Kibo summit on your left and middle red hills on your right provided the venue for lunch. After getting a lunch continue slowly for 3 hours to desert place up to Kibo hut for preparation of dinner, rest and time to the summit.

Day 5 – Kibo 4700 – Gilmans – Uhuru Peak – Horombo Hut
Habitat: Desert Place / Summit Hike
Time: 10 - 15 hours.
At around 23:00 pm get some tea with biscuit and get ready to start to summit around 23:30 pm through stone and sand scree up to Williams point and get rest for approximately coming 3 hours to Hans Meyer Caves 4812 m. After Hans Meyer Caves the trail is going zigzag or switch packs up to the phase of climbing rocks to the sight post welcoming to Gilmans point for a 2 and half hours from Hans Meyer. Roughly time to be in Gilmans is around 5:30 am in order to have a chance of seeing the sunrise at Uhuru around 6:30 am. This way from Gilmans to Uhuru Peak is through the junction called Stella Point which is quite easy. After getting at Uhuru peak enjoy a stunning of the walls then descend back through to stella Point, Gilmans Point up to Kibo Hut for rest, eating lunch and packing for going down to overnight at Horombo Hut. From Kibo to Horombo is about 3 hours down.

Day 6 – Horombo Hut – Marangu Gate
Habitat: Moorland and Montana Forest
Hiking Time: 5 – 6 hours.
After Breakfast descend down to Marangu gate where you have a chance to stop for lunch in Mandara hut. For those who reached Gilmans Point, Stella point and Uhuru Peak are awarded certificate at the main gate. Make sure you tip the guide, cook and porters according to the information that you were given by Mount Kilimanjaro Trails. Enter the car go down for the hotel and shower, celebrate certificate and overnight.

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Option 2 :

6/7-Day programme through Lemosho route
The Lemosho Route is a relatively new variation of the traditional Shira Plateau route. This is the third most popular route on the mountain. You can book for 6-7 days, even up to 10 days. This route starts with a rough drive from West Kilimanjaro to the Londorosi Gate; Remote and spectacular with dramatic gorges and views of West Kilimanjaro, climbers join the Machame Route for the summit.

DAY 1 - Londorosi Gate - Mti Mkubwa 2500 m
Habitat: Montana Forest
Hiking Time: 3 hrs
You will be picked up at your hotel after getting breakfast, and drive from Moshi to Bomangombe. Fom here we will turn to the Londorosi Gate for registration and measure all luggage to the scaling standard of the national park and obtain a permit. We than begin our 3hr journey over to the starting point and up to Mti Mkubwa Camp at approx 2650 m. The terrain is that of Montana forest, where we can view some colobus monkeys hanging in bush for 3hrs. We overnight at Mti Mkubwa.

DAY 2 - Mti Mkubwa 2500 m - Shira 1 3480 m
Habitat: Montana Forest/Heather & Moorland
Hiking Time 4-5 hrs
After breakfast, we continue our ascension across the dense rainforest, where climbing is gradual and becomes steeper before reaching a wide moorland zone where you will get proper news of the Shira Plateau and its accompanying ridge and peaks. It is here that you finally get views of Kibo. From here, we go down the moorland then up to Shira 1 whereby you'll find your chefs, porters and camping crew already preparing for lunch anddinner for your overnight stay.

DAY 3 - Shira 1 3480 m - Shira Hut 3840 m
Habitat: Moorland
Hiking Time: 5-6 hrs
Breakfast is served first thing in the morning. This is a good day for acclimatization for those who have more climbing time on their schedule (8 days up to 10days of climbing). Next we proceed gently east across the Shira Plateau and Shira Cathedral towards Shira Hut on the moorland. It is an excellent place in this route to visit this first eruption in themountain. Afterwards we go back up to Shira Hut for the overnight camp.

DAY 4 - Shira Hut 3840 m - Barranco Camp 3950 m
Habitat: Alpine Desert
Hiking Time: 7-8 hrs
After getting a breakfast, we continue on the trail to join up to the junction point where you can meet visitors from the Machame Route. We continue up the steep path to the lava tower to an altitude of 4600 m. At this point of the day due to altitude, some climbers start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability and headaches. After lunch we descend again by almost 680 m to the Barranco Camping area. This is the opportunityto take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is situated in the Great Barranco Wall valley, which should provide you with a most memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your dinner. The remainder of the day is meant for acclimatization.

DAY 5 - Barranco Camp 3950 m - Barafu Camp 4600 m
Habitat: Alpine Desert
Distance: 12 km
Hiking Time: 7-8 hrs
After spending a night at the Great Barranco Wall, we make our way up to just below theHeim Glacier. From here you will appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is via the views. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley which the last water stop on the route over intervening ridges and valleys before it join up with the Mweka Route, the preferred route down the summit. Barafu is the Swahili word means \"ice\" and you ascend up to ridge to 4600 m high. It is at Barafu Camp that you will spend the nightexposed to the over present gates in tents pitched on a narrow and stony ridge.

PLEASE NOTE: For some hikers who want to reach the summit for 7 days they prefer an overnight at Karanga Camping. But most guides or tour organizers misname this by saying overnight at Karanga Valley while in reality you overnight at the Top of Karanga Valley.

DAY 6 - Barafu Camp 4600 m - Uhuru Peak 5895 m - Mweka Camp 3100 m
Habitat: Scree & Ice-capped Summit
Hiking Time: 9-10 hrs to reach Uhuru Peak & 6-7 hrs to descend to Mweka
We leave around midnight, between 2300-2330hrs to ascend through heavy scree to Stella Point (5568 m) on the crater rim. Here we stop for a short rest and, weather permitting, youll experience the most magnificent sunrise you are very likely to see. Thenyou start your summit attempt, ascending for about 2hrs to Uhuru Peak (5895 m), the highest point in Africa. Enjoy stunning views of the ice wall, then descend back down to rest before heading down to Mweka Camp (3100 m) to overnight in the upper rain forest.

DAY 7 - Mweka Camp 3100 m - Mweka Gates
Habitat: Forest
Distance: 15 km
Hiking Time: 3 hrs
After an early and well deserved breakfast is a short 3hrs scenic hike bake to the Mweka Park gates. Those who reached Stella Point and Uhuru Peak are awarded with Certificate of Completion. Then, you are transferred back to your hotel for a long overdue hot shower with time to relax

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Option 3 :

6-7 Day programme through Machame route

Machame route begins on the southern west side of the mountain, the trail passes through some of themountain finest features including cloud forest of Kili southern slopes, the dry and dusty Shira Plateau and the delightful senecio clad Barranco campsite. We have opportunity to summit at this two side western breach route and Barafu trails and descend in Mweka gate.Machame is the most beautiful route in Kilimanjaro which was the nicknamed whisky route but you must be physically fit enough to walk about 75 km. This is a tent experience; a more benefit for this route is valuable commodity on the mountain acclimatization. The hiker(s) is rewarded with exquisite scenic wonders, from late afternoon and to sunsets at Shira to the mist revelation of Kibo at the great Barranco wall.

DAY 1 - Machame Gate 1490 m - Machame Camp 3000 m
Habitat: Montana Forest
Distance: 17 km
Hiking Time: 5-6hrs
Pick up in your hotel after getting breakfast and drive from Moshi to Machame gate 45minutes. After registration in the gate, porters, cook or chef and guides prepare and pack the supplies youre your equipment and measure to the scale of national park (KINAPA). You start to ascend and enter to the Montana forest where it is likely to rain and make the trail muddy and soggy, after lunch stop in the half way continue to the 3000 m in Machame camp area where your camping crew team and porters arrived before you do will have erected your tent. In the evening the chef will serve you boiled water, dinner, before you retire to your tent for night. Night temperature can already drop to freezing point at this camp site.

DAY 2 - Machame Camp 3000 m - Shira Camp 3800 m
Habitant: Heather Moorland
Distance: 9 km
Hiking Time 5-6hrs
You wake up early at Machame camp and after getting a breakfast you start to go to Shira Camp. This day is too short but more steep climb north up through forest as slanted. Ahead of you in a distance a lip of Shira plateau 3848 m is seen in the western part. After you continue to the lunch point in the half way you proceed to go 1.5hrs up to the Shira camp. At the Shira camp the chef, porters and camping crew are ready to direct you to the tent and for you to wait for the dinner.

DAY 3 - Shira Camp via Lava Tower 3800 m - Barranco 3950 m
Habitant: Alpine Desert & Moorland
Hiking Time: 7-8 hrs
After climbing/trekking through to Alpine desert ascend in the rock, scream path to the lava tower to analtitude of 4600 m at this point of the tough day some climbers start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability and headaches. After lunch at the lava tower descent again by almost 680 m to the Barranco Camping area. This is the opportunity to take some beautiful photograph of the westernBreach and Breach wall. The camp is situated in the valley by Great Barranco Wall, which should provide you memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your dinner. This is day for acclimatization.

DAY 4 - Barranco Camp 3950 m - Barafu Camp 4600 m
Habitat: Alpine Desert Distance: 12 km
Hiking Time: 7-8hrs
After spending a night at Great Barranco wall you are now making your way up, this is an awesome looking obstacle which in the normally turns out easier than what you anticipated. Topping out just below the Heim Glacier. You now appreciated just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley, the last water point on the route over intervening ridges and valleys before it joins up with the Mweka, the preferred route down the summit.Barafu is a Swahili word which means ice and you ascend up to ridge to 4600 m high Barafu camp to spend the night exposed to the over present gates in tents pitched on narrow and stony ridge.

PLEASE NOTE: For some hikers who want to reach the summit for 7 days they prefer an overnight at Karanga Camping. But most guides or tour organizers misname this by saying overnight at Karanga Valley while in reality you overnight at the Top of Karanga Valley.

DAY 5 - Barafu Camp 4600 m - Uhuru Peak 5895 m - Mweka 3100 m
Habitat: Scree and Ice-Capped Summit
Hiking Time: 9-10 hrs to Uhuru Peak / 6-7hrs to Mweka
Leaving around midnight 23.00 23.30 to ascend through heavy scree to Stella Point (5568 m) on the crater rim, stop for a short rest and weather permitting to experience the most magnificent sunrise you are very likely to see. Then start your summit attempt ascending for about 2hrs to Uhuru Peak 5895 m, the highest point in Africa. Enjoy stunning views of ice wall, and then descend back to rest before heading down to Mweka camp (3100 m) to overnight in the upper rain forest.

DAY 6 - Mweka Camp 3100 m - Mweka Gates
Habitat: Forest
Distance 15 km
Hiking Time: 3hrs
After an early and well deserved breakfast follows a short 3hrs and scenic hike back to Mweka Park gate. It is strongly recommended to pay tips to the porters and guide(s) as you were requested byKiliSmile Trails.Those who reached Stella Point and Uhuru Peak are awarded with Certificates. Then transfer back to your hotel for a long overdue and hot shower with time to relax.

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Option 4 :

7 Days programme through Rongai route

DAY 1 - Simba Caves/First Caves 2830 m Kikelewa Caves 3600 m
Habitat: Heather & Moorland
Hiking Time: 7-8hrs
After getting a breakfast you will leave the Simba caves for steep climbing to the Second Caves where you will have lunch in shadow of Kibo. Through the heather and moorlands we will continue drifting a path up to Kikelewa Caves for an overnight stay. This is long and tough day for trekking.

DAY 2 - Kikelewa Caves 3600 m - Mawenzi Turn 4315 m
Habitat: Desert
Hiking Time 5hrs
After breakfast, we head up towards the Mawenzi Turn Hut where we will camp in shadow of Mawenzi. Here you can enjoy the sunset behind Kibo.

DAY 3 - Acclimatization Day
This is our day for acclimatization.
Wake up time is around 0900 for breakfast, then a short walk up to Mawenzi. We climb for 2hrs then descend back down for 1hr back to the same camp for the night.

DAY 4 - Mawenzi Turn 4315 m Kibo Hut 4720 m
Habitat: Desert
Hiking Time: 5-6hrs
After breakfast, we leave Mawenzi Camp and head up to Kibo Hut, walking through an alpine desert. You will have an early dinner so that you can get some rest for the summit climb.

DAY 5-6 - Kibo Hut 4720 m Gilmans Point Uhuru Peak Horombo Hut
Habitat: Desert / Summit
Hiking Time: 10-15 hrs
We wake late in the evening, around 2300, for some tea and biscuits before we start for the summit around 2330 through the stone and sand scree up to Williams Points and then rest in the Hans Meyer Caves, 4812 m. After Hans Meyer Caves, the trails will zigzag up to the phase of climbing rocks to the sight post welcoming you to Gilmans Point, roughly 2.5hrs from the Hans Meyer Caves.The appropriate time for us to be at Gilmans Point is roughly 0500-0600 in order to have a chance of seeing the sunrise at Uhuru around 0620-0630. This next route from GilmansPoint to Uhuru Peak is through to the junction called Stella Point, quite an easy climb. After getting to Uhuru, you can enjoy stunning views then descend back to Kibo Hut for rest. After resting, you will have lunch and begin packing for the trip down to Horombo Camp where you will stay overnight. It takes roughly 3hrs to get from Kibo down to Horombo.

DAY 7 - Horombo Hut - Marangu Gate
Habitat: Moorland & Montana Forest
Hiking Time: 5-6hrs
After breakfast, we descend down to the Marangu Gate where you can have a chance to stop for lunch in the Mandara Hut. Those who reached Stella Point and Uhuru Peak are awarded with Certificates. Then you transfer back to your hotel for a long overdue and hot shower with time to relax