This day is not part of this package and is only for people who arrive in Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport late on the day before the tour begins. Overnight and dinner costs are therefore extra. You can arrange your overnight stay or dinner yourselves or, at an additional cost, we can do it for you. For all those that are already staying in Arusha or Moshi, we will pick you up early on the morning of day 1 (below) at the agreed meeting point.

• Meal plan:
  • meals and accommodation not included (see above)
• Accommodation:
  • no accommodation on this day

Morning drive through Kilimanjaro’s semi-tropical foothills to Marangu situated on the south-eastern side of the mountain. As you drive, there are usually some excellent views of the snow-capped peak. On arrival at Marangu gate, you and your team of guides and porters, pick up any last-minute supplies for the trek and head to the entrance of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park to register for the climb. The forest teems with brightly-colored bird life, colobus and other varieties of monkey. The flora includes numerous mosses, lichens, and flowers, as well as delicate orchids. If the skies are clear you may have fine views over the town of Moshi lying at the edge of the plains far below. Dinner and overnight stay at Mandara Hut

• Meal plan:
  
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
• Accommodation:
  • Budget: Mandara Hut

Your second day on the mountain starts with a steep climb through the last swathe of the rainforest, though this soon gives way to rolling alpine meadow dotted with giant heather. Once you leave the forest canopy, Kilimanjaro’s twin peaks – snow covered Kibo and rocky Mawenzi – lie directly ahead, dominating the skyline.
Further on you cross a zone of open heath with stunted vegetation before emerging onto bleak moorland. Today you gain roughly 1,000 m in altitude.

• Meal plan:
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
• Accommodation:
  • Budget: Horombo Hut

A day here provides an opportunity for you to acclimatize gradually to the altitude. Statistics show that an acclimatization day like this effectively doubles the chance of making it to the summit, so this time is well spent! The day is not exactly wasted as there are a few walks you can make in the vicinity of the hut – the most popular of which is to the base of Mawenzi Peak, the dramatic eastern summit of Kili.

• Meal plan:
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
• Accommodation:
  • Budget: Horombo Hut

The landscape becomes progressively more rocky and rugged as you leave the everlasting flowers and other bizarre alpine plants behind. Giant groundsels and lobelias appear in the sparse moorland. Skirting Mawenzi Peak, you pass “Last Water” then cross a stark, almost lunar landscape onto “The Saddle”, a broad tundra desert between the two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo. From here you start to get fantastic views of the upper reaches of the mountain before arriving at Kibo Hut a dry-stone-walled hut with dormitories and limited facilities.
Tonight you prepare for tomorrow’s final assault – THE SUMMIT – repacking to leave any non-essential items with the porters; you need to summon all your energy to get to the summit so there’s absolutely no point in carrying anything you don’t need! An early night is imperative as you must make a midnight start to reach the summit in the morning before the cloud cover settles, and then have time to get back down to the hut. Dinner and overnight at Kibo Hut

• Meal plan:
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
• Accommodation:
  • Budget: Kibo Hut

This is a long and demanding day.
The guides wake you soon after midnight and you start in the darkness, zigzagging up a long scree slope by the light of your torch in the extreme cold. At this time of day, the screen is still frozen – which makes it easier to walk on. After roughly two hours you should reach Hans Meyer’s Cave – named after the German geologist who made the first successful ascent in 1889 -where he found the remains of a frozen leopard. The gradient gets steeper and three hours on (this is the hardest stretch of the ascent!) you should reach the crater rim at Johanne’s Notch. From here it’s a short scramble to Gillman’s Point (5,685 m) in time for dawn.
Your reward is the dramatic spectacle of the sun rising over the ice fields and craggy peaks of Mawenzi – the profusion of colors and shapes make all the suffering seem worthwhile! For those who still have the energy and drive, it takes another couple of hours along the crater rim to reach Uhuru (Freedom) Peak (5,896 m). Your descent (approx 3 hours) retraces the route back down past Kibo Hut to Horombo Hut for a well-deserved rest.

• Meal plan:
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
• Accommodation:
  • Budget: Horombo Hut

The pace quickens as you continue your triumphant way back down across alpine meadow and past Mandara Hut through the rainforest to Marangu Gate. There you board the vehicle for the journey back to Arusha where you can finally enjoy a shower and dinner at your final accommodation included in this tour.

• Meal plan:
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
• Accommodation:
  • Budget: Mrimba Palm Hotel