Day 01: Arrival Tanzania/ Kilimanjaro airport
Arriving in Kilimanjaro Airport. Meet and transfer to Kigongoni Lodge where you booked for the night {B,B}
Day 02: Arusha Town Tour
Breakfast at 0700am. Transfer from your hotel to Arusha a small town nestled in the shadow of Mount Meru with commanding views of the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro. Meet with your mountaineering guides and exchange information. Lunch in Flame Tree restaurants. Thereafter drive back to Kigongoni Lodge where you booked for the night {B,B}
Day 03: Arusha/Marangu Gate/Mandara Hut (2752m or 9,021 ft)
After breakfast, drive to Marangu gate. The first days’s climb is to Mandara Hut 9,000ft (2743m), the climber enters the rain forest. It is the 3 hour walk to Mandara Hut through verdant scenery. The forest teems with birdlife, black and while Colobus Monkey and other Monkeys maybe seen. Dinner and Overnight at Mandara Hut {B,L,D}
Day 04: Mandara Hut/Horombo Hut (3,780m or 12,400 ft)
The second trek Horombo Hut (12,335ft, 3760m) is about 10 miles and takes six to seven hours. About half an hour after leaving Mandara Hut, the climber emerges from the rain forest onto alpine meadow. This is very pretty day with splendid views possible of the peaks and the plains below the mountain. The Senecio may be seen. Higher still the vegetation becomes thinner and the effect of altitude commonly experienced as shortness of breath may begin to be felt. Dinner and Overnight at Horombo Hut {B,L,D}
Day 05: Acclimatization Day
Breakfast at 0700am. This is an extra day of acclimatization and it’s an ideal day to rest as well as walk high and sleep low. To acclimatize you will walk to Zebra Rocks or to Mawenzi Hut then return to Horombo Hut for another night {B,L,D}
Day 06: Horombo Hut/Kibo Hut (4,700m or 15,420 ft)
Breakfast at 0700am. Continue on the moorland path, past the ‘Last Water Point’ where you should fill your bottles. The slope eases as you reach the desert like expanse of The Saddle and the group of huge rocks. It’s an easy couple of hours to Kibo Hut. You must drink water as much as possible. Dinner and Overnight at Kibo Hut {B,L,D}
Day 07: Kibo Hut/Uhuru Peak(Summit) – 5,895m or 19,340 ft/Horombo Hut
You will rise around midnight and after you are already you begin your ascent to the summit. As the sun rises you should be at the Gilmans point at (5681m) which is on the crater rim, continue around the rim for about one more hour to reach Uhuru Peak (5895m) the highest point in Africa. Weather conditions on the summit will determine how long you will be able to spend, taking photographs, before the 3 hour descent back to Kibo hut for tea and biscuits or soup. After a short rest you gather all your gear you left behind for the ascent and head down to Horombo hut (3 hours) for your overnight. {B,L,D}
Day 08: Horombo Hut/Marangu Gate/Arusha
After breakfast you continue your descent (6 hours), passing the Mandara hut, down to the Marangu gate. This is where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Gillman’s Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m), receive gold certificates. Then drive back to Arusha Kigongoni Lodge where you booked for the night bed and breakfast. {B,L}
