Take on an 8-Day Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing Adventure via Marangu route. This is the most popular and direct of the Kilimanjaro routes and the only one serviced by mountain huts to offer protection from the elements. With one guide for every two trekkers and a team of porters, all you have to do is focus on the incredible views and keep your footing, while the crew keeps you safe. Trek through forests and alpine meadows, over rocky ravines and past lunar like landscapes to the spectacular summit of Africa’s highest tallest mountain – the panoramic views from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro must be seen to be believed.

Day Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing tour  – Highlights

• Sleep in mountain huts during your trek and enjoy an included acclimatisation day at Horombo Hut to give you the best chance of reaching the summit.
• Travelling with experienced guides and trained porters, you will be in good hands, with one guide for every two hikers.
• Trekking through vast grasslands, giant cacti fields and alpine meadows, all against dramatic mountain backdrops, the Marangu Route is popular for good reason.
• Hike Mount Kilimanjaro’s climactic last stretch by lamplight and give yourself as much chance as possible to watch a sunrise over icefields from behind  the highest point in Africa.

Is this trip right for you?

• While you don’t need mountaineering experience, a good level of physical fitness is required to tackle Kilimanjaro.
• You will need to be comfortable walking 6 to 8 hours uphill a day. The distances may not be long, but the altitude makes it harder than your average uphill hike.
• The sky’s the limit! Sections of this trip take you above 2800 metres (9200 ft), where it is common to experience altitude sickness.
• Temperatures at night can get very low when you are above 3500 metres, so clothing and a sleeping bag made for this kind of climate are essential. You can hire this at the beginning of your trip if you need, but make sure you speak to us for details.
• Your safety comes first. All our guides and trekking leaders have been trained and are proficient in first aid. They also carry oxygen cylinders on all treks for emergency use.
• You must be prepared to share the huts along this route with between 3 and 11 other people who may be of a different gender.
• Hiking for several days without a shower can be tough – be prepared for some dust and dirt. A mask, wet wipes and face washer may become your best friends!

8-Day Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing Adventure – Itinerary

Day 1: Marangu

Jambo! Welcome to Tanzania. Your 8-day Kilimanjaro climbing adventure tour begins in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Marangu. Your hotel is a short walking distance from the village’s busy market and some excellent coffee shops. It is also near some beautiful waterfalls and ancient Chagga caves. Please ensure that you are at the hotel by early evening, as your adventure starts with a full briefing and kit inspection by an experienced Mount Kilimanjaro climber. This will take place before dinner, usually around 6 pm. In the event that one of your fellow  trekkers is late, the meeting may have to be rescheduled for the following morning.

Accommodation: Hotel (1 night)

Meals: Dinner

Included activities

• Complimentary Sleeping Bag and walking pole hire ( must be requested at time of booking )
• Mount Kilimanjaro – Trek Briefing

Special information: This trip visits places that are at high altitude, and as a result some people can suffer from altitude sickness, regardless of age or physical health.

Day 2: Mandara Hut

After a satisfying breakfast, make your way to Marangu Gate, the entrance of the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park at 1860 meters and meet your guides and porters. With introductions and assignment of porter loads taken care of, it is time to embark on your hike. The Marangu Route, commonly known as the ‘Coca Cola’ route, is the oldest track on Mount Kilimanjaro. Look out for the resident wildlife and enjoy the vast landscape as you hike.

Accommodation: Mountain hut (1 night)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Included activities

• Fully catered trek including National Park entrance fees, climbing fee, mountain huts & rescue services (5 days)
• Mount Kilimanjaro – Services of experienced English speaking mountain guides (first-aid qualified) cooks and porters (a minimum of 1 guide to every 2)
• Mount Kilimanjaro – Return transfers from hotel to park gate
• Mount Kilimanjaro – Porterage of 1 bag (9kg/20lb max)
• Mount Kilimanjaro – Emergency oxygen and comprehensive first aid kits
• Special information: We provide one guide for every two climbers in our groups. Each person will have a personal porter for the bulk of their gear and there are extra porters for camping equipment and food, though they will likely be ahead of the group most days.

Day 3: Horombo Hut

Your second day on the 8-Day Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing adventure involves another long hike over a slightly steeper stretch. The total hiking distance from Mandara to the Horombo huts is 12km, which is around 5to 7 hours. Today you will see the rainforest zone give way to open and rolling alpine meadows studded with giant heather trees.

Once out of the forest canopy, the two snow-tipped peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi lie directly ahead. These are two of the three great cones of Mount Kilimanjaro (the other being Shira).

During the day’s walk you will pass through a number of ravines before arriving at the hut, which is set in a rocky valley. You will have time to enjoy a wide variety of vegetation and changing landscapes en route to Horombo Hut (3780 metres). You will spend the next 2 nights here at the hut.

Accommodation: Mountain hut (1 night)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Included activities

• Mt Kilimanjaro – Services of experienced English speaking mountain guides (first-aid qualified) cooks and porters (a minimum of 1 guide to every 2)
• Fully catered trek including Park entrance fees, climbing fee, mountain huts & rescue services (5 days)

Day 4: Horombo Hut

Enjoy a hearty breakfast and walk towards Mawenzi Hut. Pass the unusual Zebra Rocks en route. It is a steep climb up a grassy slope, but well worth it: the views over the area towards Kibo are second-to-none. Later on, descend back to Horombo for lunch. Spend the afternoon resting and acclimatising to the altitude, or ask your guides about short walks in the area. Take advantage of the relaxation day here and drink plenty of water – the next couple of days will be pretty intense!

Accommodation: Mountain hut (1 night)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 5: Kibo Hut / Mawenzi Peak

Today you will walk the 10 kilometres or so from Horombo to Kibo Hut (around 5–7 hours). As the hike progresses you will notice the landscape gradually becoming more rugged and rocky, and the air noticeably thinner. You will have to soften your pace a little to accommodate these environmental changes.

Marvel at giant lobelias and groundsels as you travel across the sparse moorland zone. Skirt Mawenzi Peak and marvel at the stark lunar landscape of the Saddle, arrivng Kibo Hut in afternoon (4740 meters), take the chance to have an early night in preparation for a very early (or late?) wake-up call.

Accommodation: Mountain hut (1 night)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Included activities

• Fully catered trek including National Park entrance fees, climbing fee, mountain huts & rescue services (5 days)
• Mt Kilimanjaro – Services of experienced English speaking mountain guides (first-aid qualified) cooks and porters (a minimum of 1 guide to every 2)

Day 6: Uhuru Peak / Horombo Hut

Your guides will wake you up at around 11 pm and hot tea will be served. Prepare for the last leg of the hike – to the summit. The distance from Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak is 6 kilometres (around 6 to 8 hours), and the descent to Horombo will be approximately the same amount of time. The trek starts beneath the stars as you zigzag your way up a large scree slope, guided only by torch light, to reach Gilman’s Point (5685 meters).

With some luck, you will arrive in time for dazzling views of the sun rising behind Mawenzi Peak. This is the stretch that many Kilimanjaro trekkers find the hardest, and you must be prepared for a very cold morning.

The breathtaking spectacle of the sun rising over the ice fields of the crater will make the early start worthwhile. For those who still have the energy, it s a further walk (approximately 2 hours) along the rim of the crater to Uhuru Peak (5895 meters), the highest point in Africa. From here there are impressve views of the crater, ice fields and plains below. After photos and time to catch your breath, return to Horombo Hut for a well-desrved rest.

Accommodation: Mountain hut (1 night)

Meals; Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Included activities

• Mt Kilimanjaro – Services of experienced English speaking mountain guides (first-aid qualified) cooks and porters (a minimum of 1 guide to every 2)
• Fully catered trek including National Park entrance fees, climbing fee, mountain huts & rescue services (5 days)

Day 7: Marangu

Proceed your descent via alpine meadows and rainforest to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park gate. The distance from Horombo to Marangu Gate is around 20 kilometres (approximately 5–6 hours). Here your driver guide awaits and you will return to the hotel for a relaxing shower – a real treat after the physical exertions of the last few days! Over a celebratory meal you can relive and share your experiences of the past 5 days on the mountain.

Accommodation: Hotel (1 night)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8: Marangu

There are no activities or hiking planned for today. A transfer to Kilimanjaro  International Airport, Uganda for mountain gorilla trekking or  Zanzibar for a relaxing beach holiday can be arranged locally – please inform us.

Meals: Breakfast

Inclusions

• Meals: 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners
• Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle
• Accommodation: Hotel (2 nights), Mountain hut (5 nights)
• Complimentary Sleeping Bag and walking pole hire ( must be requested at time of booking )
• Mt Kilimanjaro – Trek Briefing
• Fully catered trek including Park entrance fees, climbing fee, mountain huts & rescue services (5 days)
• Mt Kilimanjaro – Services of experienced English speaking mountain guides (first-aid qualified) cooks and porters (a minimum of 1 guide to every 2)
• Mt Kilimanjaro – Return transfers from hotel to park gate
• Mt Kilimanjaro – Porterage of 1 bag (9kg/20lb max)
• Mt Kilimanjaro – Emergency oxygen and comprehensive first aid kits