5-Day Marangu Route Kilimanjaro Trek

Karibu Tanzania

Your journey begins with your arrival in Arusha, the safari capital of Tanzania. You will be picked up from the airport and transferred to your chosen hotel.

• The Experience: Spend the day relaxing and recovering from your travels. In the evening, you will meet your head guide for a comprehensive pre-climb briefing and a gear check to ensure you have everything needed for the days ahead.
• Accommodation: Overnight at a Hotel or Lodge in Arusha.

Into the Rainforest

After a hearty breakfast, we drive to the Marangu Gate (1,860m). After completing park registration formalities, your trek begins.

• The Trek: You will hike through a dense, misty tropical rainforest. The trail is well-maintained and offers chances to spot Blue Monkeys and Black-and-White Colobus monkeys in the canopy.
• Stats: ~8km walk | 4–5 hours | Elevation: 1,860m to 2,700m.
• Accommodation: Dinner and overnight at Mandara Huts.

Emerging into the Heath

Today you leave the rainforest behind and enter the heath and moorland zone. The vegetation shrinks into low shrubs, giving you your first expansive views of the mountain.

• The Trek: The path is steep in places but rewarding. You will catch your first views of Mawenzi and Kibo peaks. You will arrive at Horombo Hut, situated in a scenic valley with giant lobelias and groundsels.
• Stats: ~12km walk | 6–8 hours | Elevation: 2,700m to 3,720m.
• Accommodation: Dinner and overnight at Horombo Huts.

The Lunar Saddle

Note: On a 5-day climb, we skip the acclimatization day at Horombo and push directly to Kibo.

Today is a tougher hike as you traverse the “Saddle,” a wide, barren desert-like alpine zone located between the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi.

• The Trek: The landscape turns into an alpine desert. The air becomes thin, and the pace slows down (“Pole Pole” – slowly, slowly). You aim to arrive at Kibo Hut by early afternoon to rest, eat, and prepare your gear for the midnight summit push.
• Stats: ~10km walk | 6–8 hours | Elevation: 3,720m to 4,700m.
• Accommodation: Early dinner and rest at Kibo Huts.

The Roof of Africa

Your day begins at midnight. You will climb by headlamp, ascending the steep scree slope to Gilman’s Point (5,681m) on the crater rim. From there, it is a final push along the snowy rim to Uhuru Peak (5,895m)—the highest point in Africa.

• The Triumph: After celebrating at the summit and taking photos, you will descend back to Kibo Hut for a short rest and brunch.
• The Descent: You will then pack up and continue descending down to the lower altitude of Horombo Hut for the night.
• Stats: ~6km up / ~15km down | 10–14 hours total | Elevation: 4,700m -> 5,895m -> 3,720m.
• Accommodation: Dinner and well-earned sleep at Horombo Huts.

Certificate Collection

On your final day, you will continue the descent past Mandara Hut and back into the lush rainforest, eventually arriving at the Marangu Gate.

• The Celebration: At the gate, successful climbers will receive their Summit Certificates (Gold for Uhuru Peak, Green for Gilman’s Point). You will say goodbye to your mountain crew and transfer back to Arusha or the airport.
• Stats: ~20km walk | 5–7 hours descent.