5 Day Marangu Route Climbing

In the morning, we will pick you up from your hotel in Moshi. A 45-minute drive will take you through the Village of Marangu to the Kilimanjaro National Park Gate. You will wait for your permits to be issued while watching the hustle and bustle of operations as many crews prepare for the journey ahead. You will enjoy the beautiful rainforest scenery and windy trails while your guide tells you about the local flora and fauna and natural wildlife. At these lower elevations, the trail can be muddy and quite slippery. We highly recommend gaiters and trekking poles here.

After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, you will emerge from the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, through heathland, looking for giant lobelias and groundsels. You will continue up into open moorlands where small shrubs are the main vegetation. You will stop halfway for lunch, to enjoy amazing views of Mawenzi. You will arrive at the Horombo Huts later in the afternoon beneath the spectacular Kibo Summit viewpoint. Temperatures begin to drop at this point.

After breakfast, you will continue through the dwindling heathland that blends into a moonscape as you enter the sweeping saddle connecting Mawenzi and Kibo. Here while you stop for lunch, and later when you cross this surprisingly large saddle, you can examine the summit, and climb up Kibo that you will be starting in just a few hours.

Excitement is building as morning comes with an early start between midnight and 2:00 am. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. You will continue your way to the summit in a switchback formation trying to stay warm and focused on the amazing sense of accomplishment that lies ahead. With a switchback motion, you will ascend through heavy scree and possibly snow toward Gillman's Point on the crater rim. Faster hikers may view the sunrise from the summit. From here on your remaining 1-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak, you are likely to encounter snow all the way.
Congratulations, one step at a time. You have now reached Uhuru Peak the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the entire continent of Africa! After photos, celebrations, and maybe a few tears of joy you will take a few moments to enjoy this incredible accomplishment. You will begin your steep descent down to Horombo huts, stopping at Kibo for lunch and a very brief rest.

After breakfast and a heartfelt ceremony of appreciation and team bonding with your crew, it’s time to say goodbye. You will continue the descent down stopping at the Mandara Huts for lunch. Remember to tip your guides, cooks, and porters, since you will be leaving them here. You will return back to the Marangu Park Gate and receive your summit certificates. As the weather is drastically warmer, the terrain is wet, muddy and steep and we highly recommend gaiters and trekking poles.
From the gate, a vehicle will meet you to drive you back to your hotel in Moshi/Arusha. You will enjoy a long overdue hot shower, dinner and celebrations!