Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and one of the largest extinct volcanoes in the world. It can be climbed any time except in April and May during the long rains. January to March and August to October are the best climbing seasons. We use the Marangu route, which is the easiest and most accessible.
DAY 1: NAIROBI - MOSHI Leave Nairobi for Moshi via Namanga where you go through immigration formalities and Arusha where you have your lunch, arriving in Moshi in the afternoon. Spend the rest of the day organizing climbing gear. Dinner and overnight at a hotel.
DAY 2: MOSHI - MANDARA HUT After breakfast, drive 45 km to Marangu gate, an altitude of 1,860m. Walk 9km to Mandara hut, 2,744m (9,000ft) through dense semi-tropical rain forest for your first overnight on Mount Kilimanjaro. Meals and overnight at the camp.
DAY 3: MANDARA - HOROMBO HUT Start early morning for a ten-hour walk towards Horombo. The landscape becomes more rugged and rocky but superb, with both Mawenzi and Kibo peaks in view. You spend your second night at Horombo hut, an altitude of 3,761m (12,335ft).
DAY 4: HOROMBO HUT - KIBO HUT Take a tiring 13km walk, which takes 6 hours to Kibo hut at 4,732m (15,520ft) above sea level. Spectacular mountain vegetation like giant cactus, groundsel, and lobelia appears. Dinner and overnight at the hut.
DAY 5: KIBO HUT - UHURU PEAK - HOROMBO HUT The final attempts to the peak are made in the early hours of the morning at 2 am. It takes about 5 hours to climb the steepest and most difficult part of the route to Gilman's Point (5,896m) 18,630 ft. From Gilman's, it takes 1.5 to 2 hours to Uhuru Peak (5,896m) 19,344ft. Descend to Horombo for dinner and overnight.
DAY 6: HOROMBO - MOSHI The descent is rapid. After breakfast, walk down to Marangu gate for transfer to Moshi. Dinner and overnight at Moshi.
DAY 7: MOSHI - NAIROBI After breakfast, drive to Arusha for lunch, then to Nairobi via Namanga border town, arriving early in the evening.