6 Days Mt Kilimanjaro Marangu Route

Day 1: Airport Transfer to the Hotel in Moshi

You will be picked up from Kilimanjaro Airport by Mj Safaris Guide and drive to your Accommodation in Moshi town We will gather in the evening for a pre-climbing briefing and climbing equipment check. We will also confirm that you have the appropriate mandatory medical coverage and travel insurance as well.

Day 2: Mandara Hut

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 (2,700 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 make 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. It takes about 3 to 5 hours walk.

Day 3: Horombo Hut

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 (3,720 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. It takes about 4 to 6 hours walk.

Day 4 Acclimatization Day at Horombo Hut

After breakfast, you will go on an acclimatization hike towards Kibo Hut and back. After lunch, you have the opportunity to walk around the surrounding area, take pictures of Mawenzi Volcano or just sleep before the upcoming trekking to Kibo Hut.

Day 5: Kibo Hut

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 (4,700 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. It takes about 4 to 5 hours walk.

Day 6: Uhuru Peak to Horombo Hut

We will start our ascent by torchlight at about 1:00am, 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. It takes about11to15 hours walk.

Day 7 Marangu Park Gate – Back to Moshi

After breakfast, a steady descent takes you down through moorland to Mandara Hut (8,900 ft). We then continue descending through lovely lush forest on a good path to the Kilimanjaro National Park Gate at Marangu (6,000 ft) where you will be drived to Moshi town for your overnight.

Day 8 Airport Transfer or Depart for the Safari

Our driver from MJ Safaris will bring you to the airport from where you will take your flight back home or to another destination like Zanzibar. If you’ve booked a safari with us, we’ll make sure to drop you off at the recommended hotel and we give you a briefing about your safari departure.

This marks the end of the 8 Days Marangu Route climb on Mount Kilimanjaro.