Day 1 Base Hotel | Meals: D
Upon your arrival at either Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha you will be met and transferred to Moshi town and your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 2 Mandara Hut - 8,858 Feet | Meals: BLD
The National Park Gate (1,830 m.) lies at the edge of Marangu, which is an attractive village with many small coffee and banana plantations. After completing the entrance formalities, we climb up through attractive and unspoilt forest to reach the clearing containing Mandara Hut (2,765 m.), a group of comfortable 'A' frame wooden huts. The largest cabin has a downstairs dining area and an upstairs dormitory and mattresses. Smaller huts sleep eight persons. The total capacity is sixty persons. Water is piped onto site from a spring above and there are flush toilets behind the main cabin. The volcanic remains of Maundi Crater are nearby and makes a good afternoon excursion. An alternative is to rest and enjoy the beautiful forest. There is a rich birdlife at the huts and monkeys are often seen as well. (3-5 hours walking)
Day 3 Horombo Hut - 12,205 Feet | Meals: BLD
The first part of the walk is a steep ascent through the forest, but the path soon opens out into grassy moorland and in clear weather, there are good views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. We climb steadily through the moorland zone, containing giant heathers and occasional stands of groundsel, to eventually reach the hut complex at Horombo (3,790 m.). The buildings here are similar to Mandara Hut, but total capacity is one hundred and twenty persons. Water is piped from the stream behind the huts. There are platform toilets south east of the main hut, about eighty metres down the slope and flush toilets have been built within the complex of small huts. Sunrises and sunsets here are often spectacular and the site is close to the glaciated dome of Kibo. There is a real sense of being above the clouds here. (4-6 hours walking)
Day 4 Kibo Hut - 15,430 Feet | Meals: BLD
We climb very gradually towards the lunar desert of the Saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo. The terrain changes to scree and there is a palpable sense of high altitude wilderness. We usually reach Kibo Hut (4,750 m.) at the bottom of the crater wall by midday. Kibo is a stone-built block house with a small dining area and a number of dormitory rooms leading off a main corridor. There are bunk beds and mattresses for about sixty people. There is no water here so one has to bring an ample supply from the 'last water' supply above Horombo Hut. Platform toilets are behind the hut. The remainder of the day is spent resting and eating in preparation for the final climb before a very early night! (4-5 hours walking)
Day 5 Summit Day! - 19,344 Feet | Meals: BLD
We will start our ascent by torchlight at about 1.00 am., aiming to be up at Gillman's Point by sunrise. The initial climb is steep over loose volcanic scree, but there are some well-graded zig-zags and a slow but steady pace will have us up to Gillman's (5,685 m.) in about five or six hours. We will rest there and spend some time taking in the sunrise. For those who are still feeling strong can make the three hour round trip from here along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,896 m.), passing close to the spectacular glaciers that still occupy most of the summit area. The descent is surprisingly fast and we return to Horombo for the night. (11-15 hours walking)
Day 6 Base Hotel | Meals: BLD
We retrace our steps with a pleasant moorland walk to Mandara and then a lovely forest walk to the National Park gates. The greenness and lushness of the forest is quite a stunning contrast to the summit day and it really makes you realise how varied the scenery on Kilimanjaro really is. (5-6 hours walking). When you finish the climb, there will be a vehicle waiting to meet you and transfer you to your hotel.
Day 7 Depart | Meals: B
Depart after breakfast for home or possibly a safari.
Upon your arrival at either Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha you will be met and transferred to Moshi town and your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Springlands Hotel
Day 2 Mandara Hut - 8,858 Feet | Meals: BLD
The National Park Gate (1,830 m.) lies at the edge of Marangu, which is an attractive village with many small coffee and banana plantations. After completing the entrance formalities, we climb up through attractive and unspoilt forest to reach the clearing containing Mandara Hut (2,765 m.), a group of comfortable 'A' frame wooden huts. The largest cabin has a downstairs dining area and an upstairs dormitory and mattresses. Smaller huts sleep eight persons. The total capacity is sixty persons. Water is piped onto site from a spring above and there are flush toilets behind the main cabin. The volcanic remains of Maundi Crater are nearby and makes a good afternoon excursion. An alternative is to rest and enjoy the beautiful forest. There is a rich birdlife at the huts and monkeys are often seen as well. (3-5 hours walking)
Mandara Hut
Day 3 Horombo Hut - 12,205 Feet | Meals: BLD
The first part of the walk is a steep ascent through the forest, but the path soon opens out into grassy moorland and in clear weather, there are good views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. We climb steadily through the moorland zone, containing giant heathers and occasional stands of groundsel, to eventually reach the hut complex at Horombo (3,790 m.). The buildings here are similar to Mandara Hut, but total capacity is one hundred and twenty persons. Water is piped from the stream behind the huts. There are platform toilets south east of the main hut, about eighty metres down the slope and flush toilets have been built within the complex of small huts. Sunrises and sunsets here are often spectacular and the site is close to the glaciated dome of Kibo. There is a real sense of being above the clouds here. (4-6 hours walking)
Horombo Hut
Day 4 Kibo Hut - 15,430 Feet | Meals: BLD
We climb very gradually towards the lunar desert of the Saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo. The terrain changes to scree and there is a palpable sense of high altitude wilderness. We usually reach Kibo Hut (4,750 m.) at the bottom of the crater wall by midday. Kibo is a stone-built block house with a small dining area and a number of dormitory rooms leading off a main corridor. There are bunk beds and mattresses for about sixty people. There is no water here so one has to bring an ample supply from the 'last water' supply above Horombo Hut. Platform toilets are behind the hut. The remainder of the day is spent resting and eating in preparation for the final climb before a very early night! (4-5 hours walking)
Kibo Hut
Day 5 Summit Day! - 19,344 Feet | Meals: BLD
We will start our ascent by torchlight at about 1.00 am., aiming to be up at Gillman's Point by sunrise. The initial climb is steep over loose volcanic scree, but there are some well-graded zig-zags and a slow but steady pace will have us up to Gillman's (5,685 m.) in about five or six hours. We will rest there and spend some time taking in the sunrise. For those who are still feeling strong can make the three hour round trip from here along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,896 m.), passing close to the spectacular glaciers that still occupy most of the summit area. The descent is surprisingly fast and we return to Horombo for the night. (11-15 hours walking)
Horombo Hut
Day 6 Base Hotel | Meals: BLD
We retrace our steps with a pleasant moorland walk to Mandara and then a lovely forest walk to the National Park gates. The greenness and lushness of the forest is quite a stunning contrast to the summit day and it really makes you realise how varied the scenery on Kilimanjaro really is. (5-6 hours walking). When you finish the climb, there will be a vehicle waiting to meet you and transfer you to your hotel.
Springlands Hotel
Day 7 Depart | Meals: B
Depart after breakfast for home or possibly a safari.
