Morning / Afternoon

• Meet at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) at 2:00 p.m.
• Your Trip Leader will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel in the town of Moshi, the Gateway to Kilimanjaro National Park.
• Settle into your hotel or take a stroll to stretch and freshen up after the long flight.

Evening

• A welcome dinner with your trekking companions and meet your mountain guides, who will share the relevant information about the trek.
• Return to your hotel for a good night’s sleep as you begin to adjust to Tanzania.

Trek at a Glance

• Marangu Gate: 6 days/5 nights
• Mileage covered: 45 miles (72 kilometers)
• Average Daily Elevation Gain: 3,250 feet (990 meters)
• Average Trek time per day: 5-7 hours

Morning

• Breakfast will be served at the hotel.
• The Trip Leader will take your group into town to visit a local market and provide an orientation around Moshi.
• A visit to a coffee farm will show you Moshi’s coffee culture.  A chance to taste fresh Tanzanian coffee rounds out the morning and gives a first glimpse into local culture.

Afternoon

• Lunch is not included on this day, but your Trip Leader will take your group to a local restaurant to try some traditional food.
• Later, you meet up with your mountain guides to check all the gear you have brought. They’ll help you organize all the essentials you need and recommend what to leave behind.

Evening

• Dinner will be served at the accommodation. After a hearty meal, your guide will share more info about your trek up the mountain.
• Do your best to get a decent night’s sleep for tomorrow, your ascent up Kilimanjaro begins!

Trek Day 1

• Start: Marangu Gate (5,905 feet/1,800 meters)
• End: Mandara Hut (9,000 feet/2,743 meters) 
• Mileage covered: 4.35 miles/7 kilometers
• Elevation Gain: 3,000 feet, 915 meters
• Trek time: 3-5 hours

Morning

• Breakfast will be served at the hotel. Eat well, since you will be burning plenty of calories from this day forward.
• The group will be transported to Marangu Gate, where you will meet the porters, cooks, and support team that will be with you every day on the mountain.
• Porters will carry your main duffel bag (up to 25 pounds or 11.3 kilograms of your gear). You’ll only need a small daypack with essentials like water, snacks, rain gear, and personal items. Accommodations for the trek are in shared A-frame huts with bunk beds and mattresses.
• The trail begins with a walk along a narrow trail through the rainforest of Kilimanjaro.

Afternoon

• A picnic lunch takes place at Kisambioni, the halfway point of the first day. 
• Lunch also provides some time to chat with the porters to learn more about your companions and their experiences on the mountain.
• After lunch, the group continues walking through the rainforest until Mandara Hut comes into view.
• The remainder of the day offers a chance to relax or take a short walk to Maundi Crater. The views to the east over Taveta, Kenya, and to the northwest to Mawenzi Peak are stunning on a clear day, making the short hike well worth the effort.

Evening

• Enjoy your first dinner on the mountain in a larger A-frame dining area that is home to the Mandara Hut base.
• Settle into your A-frame-style sleeping hut, equipped with a mattress for your comfort.

Trek Day 3

• Ascent: Horombo Hut (12,200 feet/3,720 meters) to Mawenzi Hut (15,100 feet/4,600 meters)
• Decent: Mawenzi Hut (15,100 feet/4,600 meters) to Horombo Hut (12,200 feet/3,720 meters)
• Mileage covered: 2.49-3.73 miles/4-6 kilometers
• Elevation Gain and Loss: 2,900 feet/880 meters
• Trek time: 4-5 hours

Morning

• Gather with your companions and porters for breakfast at Horombo Hut base camp.
• Today is acclimatization day! Today’s hike will help you adapt to and understand the mountain’s weather and altitude, enabling everyone to reach the summit.
• With your guides, we suggest hiking to Zebra Rocks or all the way to Mawenzi Hut for maximum acclimatization. 

Afternoon

• After the acclimatization hike, the group returns to Horombo for a late lunch.
• The remainder of the afternoon offers time to chat with the team, play cards, and simply take in the mountain scenery.

Evening

• Enjoy a delicious camp meal with your newfound friends provided by your team’s cooks.
• The evening ends with rest in your A-frame bunks at Horombo Base Camp, ensuring another night of recovery before the climb continues higher.

Trek Day 4

• Horombo Hut (12,200 feet/3,720 meters) to Kibo Hut (15,580 feet/4,750 meters) 
• Mileage covered: 6.21 miles/10 kilometers
• Elevation Gain: 3,380 feet/1,030 meters 
• Trek time: 5-7 hours

Morning

• You’ll leave Horombo Hut after breakfast.
• The hiking hike leads through the moorland and alpine desert of Kilimanjaro's upper altitudes.
• After hiking for about an hour, we arrive at a small mountain stream, the Maua River.
• After Maua, the terrain becomes flatter and the vegetation begins to disappear.

Afternoon

• Break for lunch at Middle Red Hill.
• After lunch, the path continues on a steady incline for another two hours through Kilimanjaro's saddle.
• Although the environment en route to Kibo is a bleak desert with little vegetation, you’ll be fascinated by the stunning views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks.
• Arrival at Kibo Hut takes place between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., so everyone can get some rest before dinner.

Evening

• Dinner is served earlier than usual because the summit ascent begins at midnight!
• Do your best to grab some sleep in your A-frame bunk after preparing your pack for the big ascent.

Trek Day 5

• Ascent: Kibo Hut (15,580 feet/4,750 meters) to Uhuru Peak (19,340 feet/5,895 meters)
• Elevation Gain: 3,760 feet/1,145 meters
• Descent: Uhuru Peak (19,340 feet/5,895 meters) to Horombo Hut (12,200 feet/3,720 meters)
• Elevation Loss: 7,140 feet/2,175 meters 
• Mileage covered: 2.49 miles up/4 kilometers up/8.70 miles down/14 kilometers down
• Trek time: 12-14 hours

Midnight to sunrise

• Around midnight, the group departs for the final ascent to Uhuru Peak, the Roof of Africa! 
• The hike begins with a demanding five-hour hike to Gillman's Point on the crater rim.
• The first major rest stop, William's Point, lies at 16,400 feet (5,000 meters) and is approximately a two-hour hike from Kibo Hut.
• From there, the trail continues for approximately 30 minutes before the rocky switchbacks rise steeply to Gillman's Point at an elevation of 18,638 feet (5,681 meters). 
• Begin the gradual climb to Uhuru Peak. Although the trail is not strenuous, the altitude has a significant impact on the body at this point. Reaching the crater rim can take up to 2 hours!
• Upon reaching Uhuru, take photos with your team of the spectacular sunrise at the peak (weather permitting)

Sunrise into morning

• Due to environmental conditions and the safety concerns with other climbers on the trail, the time at the summit remains brief.
• Relish in your achievement and begin the descent back to Horombo Hut.
• On the way down from the summit, marvel at the magnificent views. Take a short break and enjoy snacks at Kibo Hut.

Afternoon

• Continue your descent down the mountain towards Horombo Hut. 
• Arrival at Horombo Hut is in the late afternoon, so you can enjoy your last day on the mountain.

Evening

• Dine on a well-deserved camp dinner and give gratitude to yourself and your team members on a job well done.
• The trek isn’t over yet, so take in the moment and get some sleep for your final day’s trek tomorrow.

Trek Day 6

• Start: Horombo Hut (12,200 feet/3,720 meters)
• End: Marangu Gate (5,905 feet/1,800 meters)
• Mileage covered: 11.19 miles/18 kilometers
• Elevation descent: 6,295 feet/1,920 meters
• Trek time: 6-8 hours

Morning

• A final camp breakfast at Horombo Hut.
• The descent to Marangu Gate will take you through the beautiful scenery as you pass through Kilimanjaro’s cloud forest.
• Upon reaching Marangu Gate, say goodbye to your mountain support team. This will most likely be the time for the “tipping ceremony”. The standard practice is to present the envelopes to the Head Guide, who will distribute them to the team.
• This is an excellent opportunity to purchase t-shirts and sodas at the gate while awaiting your official Mount Kilimanjaro summit certificate!
• Then, we will load into our vehicles, which will transfer you to our accommodation in Moshi.

Afternoon

• Settle into your accommodation in Moshi and take a well-deserved shower.
• The afternoon provides time to rest or to explore Moshi with a short stroll.

Evening

• A farewell dinner with your companions at a local restaurant is a perfect chance to reminisce about your mountain adventures!

Morning / Afternoon

• Enjoy your final morning in Tanzania before packing up your belongings and heading to the airport or your next destination.
• Say goodbye to your new friends before the included transport returns you to Kilimanjaro International Airport.
• If you are extending your stay in Tanzania, ask for suggestions on what to see and do next.