DAY 1
Welcome to Tanzania transfer to Moshi
Welcome to Tanzania. On arrival, you will be met by one of our staff members who will escort you to your accommodation in Moshi. This evening you will meet your guide for a briefing and equipment check and have dinner and overnight stay. Pink Flamingo Boutique Hotel or Kili Wonder Hotel.
DAY 2
Marangu gate (1980m) - Mandara hut (2700m)
Hiking time: 5h
Distance: Approximately 12kms
Habitat: Montane forest.After breakfast, your guide will brief you and check your equipment’s. The drive from Moshi to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate, takes about 50 minutes. The journey passes through the village of Marangu, which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. Once you reach the park gate, all hikers are requested to sign in at the Park office. You now leave the Park gate and ascend on a cleared ridge trail through the rain forest. The forest, suffused with mist and dripping with beards of moss, is also where most of Kilimanjaro’s animals are found. An alternative and more scenic parallel forest trail branches off to the left a few minutes after the gate.Overnight stay at Mandara Hut
DAY 3
Mandara hut (2700m) - Horombo hut (3720m)
Hiking time: 6h
Distance: Approximately 15kms
Habitat: Moorland. From Mandara hut the trail passes through a short stretch of forest, then skirts the base of the Maundi Crater and then emerges into the transition from rain forest to moorland. It is well worth a short detour to scramble up the rim of the Maundi Crater for your first impressive view of the Kibo Crater. On a clear day, Kibo will glimmer in the distance, showing off her majestic glaciers in the morning sun. Overnight stay at Horombo Hut
DAY 4
Horombo hut (3720m) - Acclimatisation day
Horombo hut is a village of huts perched on a small plateau, with buildings similar to Mandara, but with a total capacity of 120 climbers! Horombo is normally bustling with hikers, guides and porters, with an atmosphere of adventure and excitement. This extra day and night at Horombo is for additional acclimatization.
DAY 5
Horombo hut (3720m) - Kibo hut (4700m)
Hiking time: 6h
Distance: Approximately 15kms
Habitat: Alpine desert. After breakfast, you now continue your ascent into the Alpine desert habitat. From Horombo there are two trails to the “Saddle” (which refers to the area located between the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo) there is an upper route and lower route to choose from, the upper route will be very familiar, as you will have climbed most of it the previous day towards Mawenzi hut. It is very stony and eroded. The recommended lower route is much easier and nearly an hour shorte, and it also passes the last watering point at 4130m.
Overnight stay at Kibo Hut
DAY 6
(Summit attempt) Kibo hut (4700m) - Uhuru peak (5895m) - Horombo hut (3720m)
Hiking time: 8h to Uhuru, 6h to get to Horombo
Distance: Approximately 6kms ascent, 21kms descent
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit. You will rise around 23h30, after some tea and biscuits you shuffle off into the night, and this is where the going really gets tough. The first section of the trail consists of a rocky path to the Hans Meyer Cave (5150m), also a good resting spot. The path then zigzags up to Gillman’s point (5 681m), which is located on the crater rim. This section is very steep with a lot of stone scree, requiring a great physical and mental effort. This is probably the most demanding section of the entire route. Move slowly. Overnight stay at Horombo
DAY 7
Horombo hut (3720m) - Marangu gate (1980m)
Hiking time: 6h
Distance: Approximately 27kms. After breakfast you continue your descent (6 hours), passing the Mandara hut, down to the Marangu gate. Remember to sign at the gate. Again, the journey passes through the village of Marangu, which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. You now drive back to Moshi/Arusha for a long overdue hot shower, dinner and celebrations!
Dinner and Overnight stay at Pink Flamingo Boutique Hotel or Kili Wonder Hotel
DAY 8
Departure
Today after breakfast, you will drive to the airport and fly from Arusha to back home concluding you great adventure of Tanzania.
Tour Inclusions
- Conservation Fees, Camping/ Hut fees & Rescue fees
- Camping equipment
- Terra Nova/ Vaude/Northland mountain tents
- Vaude double layer Sleeping mats/ Trek & Hide Foam mattress
- Airport transfers – JRO to Arusha/Moshi, 2 ways
- Transport to and from the Kilimanjaro National Park
- Guide, assistant guides, porters
- Meals + mountain chef while on the mountain
- Water throughout the trek
- Hotel Accommodation:
- 1 Night for the Group’s Pre climb hotel accommodation on bed & breakfast basis
- 1 Night for the Group’s Post climb hotel accommodation– Inclusive of complimentary dinner!
- VHF ICOM Radio Communication
- Portable manual flush toilet (except for the Marangu route) – provided on a ratio of 1:8 (1 toilet tent for up to 8 pax)
- Portable Oxygen tank (1.8L canister) – 1 Kit (2 canisters) for a group of up to 10 pax.
- Pulse Oximeter – for monitoring your body performance while on the high altitude
- Crew wages
Tour Exclusions
- Snacks, personal hygiene kit and personal medication
- Extra acclimatization day – An extra day can be added while on the mountain and each extra day costs extra US$ 300 per person.
- Water purification tabs
- Personal mountain clothing & trekking gear – some of the kit is available for hire in Moshi
- Flights and Tanzania entry visa
- Health requirements (Yellow Fever vaccination is recommended depending on your flight route on entering Tanzania; vaccination for Meningitis & Hepatitis A optional)
- Optional Travel and medical insurance is but highly recommended
- Tips for Kilimanjaro mountain crew is mandatory nowadays (average tip is anything from US$200 to US$ 250 per climber depending on the number of days spent on the mountain, group size and route chosen)
- Doctor for the group
- Items of a personal nature