11 Days Mount Kenya & Kilimanjaro Hike

Day 1: Nairobi -Met station ( 3,050 m )3 -4 hrs, 10km, 400m ascent

After pick up in Nairobi drive to the Naru moru park gate for lunch. From the gate, we trek up thro magnificent montane forest, bamboo and giant heather zone before reaching the high altitude moorland and our first cabins( Met Station) for dinner and overnight.

This is a gentle trek that takes 3 – 4 hrs gaining an elevation of 600m.

Accommodation: Met station

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 2: Met Station – Mackinders camp (4,300m).5-6 hrs, 11km, 1,200m ascent.

A short walk to the end of the forest line from where you hike across the marshy vertical bog of the lower moorlands. Picnic lunch at the Picnic Rocks before continuing further to Mackinders camp, gaining 1300m in altitude in about 5 hours. Dinner and overnight – Mackinders camp (4300m)

Dinner and overnight at the camp.

Accommodation: Mackinders camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3: Mackinders – Pt Lenana (4,985m) – Old Moses camp. 11 hrs, 685m ascent, 1,685 descent.

Leave at 0300 hrs for predawn summit attempt, trekking for 3-4 hours across bare rock and scree slopes characteristic of the alpine region up to Pt. Lenana (4985m), the hikers summit, arriving in time to catch the African sunrise. Later descend to Shiptons camp (Sirimon route) for breakfast. After breakfast, begin a 5 hour descent via Mackinder`s valley to the Old Moses camp (3,300m). The descent is gentle and it offers ample time to enjoy fascinating scenery which includes the moorlands before reaching the camp.

Accommodation: Old Moses camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4: Old Moses (3,300m) – Nairobi

After early morning breakfast, descend for 3 hours through the rain forest to the Sirimon Park gate to catch a vehicle for the return journey to Nairobi arriving in the evening.

Day 5 Transfer to Nairobi Airport depart to Tanzania (Kilimanajaro) option of Shuttle Bus

Airport to pick you up and take you to the hotel in Moshi. Orientation will take place at the hotel. Our guides will highlight all the important details regarding your trek and an inspection of your trekking gear will take place.

Accommodation: Chanya Lodge

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6: Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut

Elevation Gain: 943 meters (3,000 feet)

Walking Time:3-4 hours Distance:7km

You will have a chance to familiarise yourself with your guides, chefs and porters before departing the hotel in Moshi. You will begin your journey to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro after completing the gate registration. A great length of the hike is spent venturing on a narrow trail that is enclosed by the evergreen rainforest. Reaching Kisambioni is a milestone as it signifies that we are at the halfway point of the trek. We will sit down and enjoy a picnic lunch. We will continue walking through the rainforests of Kilimanjaro after lunch. Our final destination is the Mandara Hut. Once we arrive you can decide whether you want to relax for the rest of the day or take a leisurely stroll to the Maundi Crater. If you face the northwest you will see the striking Mawenzi Peak which resembles a crown in the sky with its prickly edges. Turn to the east and you will see the picturesque landscapes of Taveta. Visiting on a day with clear skies will ensure that you get maximum viewing pleasure. You will spend the night in the A-frame Mandara Huts which accommodate up to seventy people and feature beds with mattresses. There are several sleeping huts and a dining area.

Accommodation: Hut

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7: Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut

Elevation Gain: 977 meters (3,200 feet)

Walking Time:5-6 hours Distance:11km

We will start heading towards Horombo Hut after breakfast. The environment will shift drastically as the 7 Days Marangu Route requires us to travel through Mount Kilimanjaro’s moorland, a rock-strewn desert plain with succulent plants. There will be a picnic lunch at Kambi ya Taabu during the hike. If the skies are clear you will have a chance to witness the scenic views of the Mawenzi and Kibo peaks. We will arrive at the Horombo Huts at approximately 3:00pm and the afternoon can be spent relaxing. The Horombo Huts are exceptionally busy but they’re considered to be the finest huts on Mount Kilimanjaro. The little, A-frame huts can house a maximum of eight people and provide suitable lodging for hikers ascending, descending and acclimatising. They can accommodate a maximum of 120 hikers with additional room for porters, chiefs and guides.

Accommodation: Hut

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8: Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut

Elevation Gain: 1,030 meters (3,380 feet)

Walking Time:6-8hours Distance:10km

After breakfast we will hike through the moorland and the alpine desert region of Mount Kilimanjaro. After hiking for about an hour we will encounter a small mountain stream called the Maua River. Once you pass Maua you will notice that the terrain gets smoother and the vegetation starts to diminish. We will have an appetising lunch at the Middle Red Hill. We will continue our trek shortly after lunch and spend the next tour hours traveling to Kibo on a steady incline through Mount Kilimanjaro’s Saddle. The silver lining to traveling through a baron dessert is the breathtakingly stunning vista of the Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. You will reach the

Kibo hut in the afternoon. It is recommended that you rest and prepare for your midnight climb.

Accommodation: Hut

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 9: Kibo Hut to Summit to Horombo Hut

Elevation Gain: 1,145 meters (3,760 feet)

Elevation Loss: 2,175 meters (7,140 feet)

Walking Time:11-13hours Distance:18km

The final leg of your journey is the ascent to Uhuru Peak which has been award the title ‘The Roof of Africa’. We will leave shortly after midnight and begin with the strenuous five hour hike to Gillman’s Point on the crater rim. This is considered to be the least challenging of the three crater ascent paths but it is still an arduous hike. William’s Point is the first major rest stop and it usually takes two hours from the Kibo Hut to arrive at the five thousand metre mark. After thirty minutes of hiking you will reach the rocky bends and twists that continue for over six hundred metres or until you reach Gillman’s Point. The incline from Gilman’s Point to Uhuru Peak increases gradually consequently it is not a difficult hike. You will feel tired and this part will take long due to the high altitude. The crater rim hike will last about two hours. Once you reach the summit, we have allocated time for you to take some photographs and celebrate your triumph. We will start descending to Horombo Hut – our final stop on the route. The route down the summit has magnificent views that you could not see when you were climbing the mountain. You will have a chance to stop at the Kibo Hut to recollect yourself and enjoy some energy dense snacks. We will reach the Horombo Huts in the afternoon and you can spend the time enjoying your last moments on the mountain.

Accommodation: Hut

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 10: Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate to Moshi

Elevation Loss: 1,920 meters (6,295 feet)

Walking Time:5-6hours Distance:19km

We will finish the trek by descending to the Marangu Gate after breakfast. The final hike is simply magical. You will hike amid the gods in Mount Kilimanjaro’s tranquil cloud forest. We advise that you watch your step as the trail can be fairly slippery. Our vehicles will be waiting at Marangu Gate to drive you back to Moshi. You will have an opportunity to buy sodas and souvenirs to prove that the 5 Days Marangu Route was conquered.

Accommodation: Chanya Lodge

Meals : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 11: Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport

A driver will bring you to Kilimanjaro Airport, from where you will connect your flight. If you’ve opted to go on a safari well, that’s a different adventure and we’ll be thrilled to arrange it for you too.

This is most popular of all the routes that lead up hikers to the Mountain. It is the steepest and the fastest way up Mount Kenya and ascends the mountain from the west. The route is not particularly scenic but has some of the best tourist accommodations. Most climbers begin at the park gate, although it is possible to drive a vehicle as far as the Met station (3050 metres). Among the challenges in this route include the vertical bog and the extremely steep trail on looses gravel while going up.

This marks the end of your 11 Days Mount Kenya & Mount Kilimanjaro Hiking.