Kilimanjaro Marangu Route: 6-Day Climb with 2 Hotel Nights

After breakfast your guide and crew collect you for the drive to Marangu Gate (1,860 m) on the south-eastern side of the mountain. Once permits are issued and you have signed in with the rescue service, the path climbs through rainforest, where showers are common, so pack a rain jacket and a dry layer. You reach Mandara Hut (2,700 m) in the afternoon, with time for a short walk to the rim of Maundi Crater if the sky is clear. From today, drink three to four litres of water, skip alcohol and tell your guide about any headache. About 11 km, 5 to 7 hours.

The forest thins to heather and open moorland dotted with giant groundsels, and the views widen with every hour. At Horombo Hut (3,720 m) you see both of Kilimanjaro's main peaks at once, the snow-capped dome of Kibo and the jagged towers of Mawenzi. After lunch and a rest, you walk about 2.5 km towards Kibo Hut, gaining some 200 metres, then come back down for dinner. About 10 km, 5 to 6 hours.

This extra day is the reason we recommend the six-day Marangu climb. After breakfast you walk higher up the trail towards Kibo, spending a few hours above 4,000 metres before returning to Horombo for lunch. The afternoon is yours to rest, photograph Mawenzi or simply sleep. It feels easy, but it gives your body the time it needs to adapt before the big climb ahead. About 5 to 8 km, 3 to 4 hours.

The trail climbs past the last water point and out onto the Saddle, a wide, stony desert between Kibo and Mawenzi where little grows. The walking is not steep, but keep a slow pace and save your strength. You reach Kibo Hut (4,700 m) in time for lunch. The rest of the day is for sleeping, drinking and eating, with an early dinner and a final briefing before a wake-up call around 11 pm. About 10 km, 4 to 8 hours.

You leave Kibo Hut around midnight and zigzag up steep scree by headtorch to Gilman's Point on the crater rim, then follow the rim to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), ideally around sunrise. The path is not technical, but the altitude tests everyone, and your guides watch each climber closely. After photographs you descend to Kibo Hut for a rest and a meal, then continue down to Horombo Hut (3,720 m). About 16 km, 9 to 12 hours.

After a well-earned breakfast you walk down through moorland and rainforest to Marangu Gate (1,860 m). Take the descent steadily, because tired legs and loose ground cause most slips. At the gate you say goodbye to your crew and collect your summit certificate, a good moment to celebrate together. Then it is a short drive back to Weru Weru River Lodge for a hot shower and a proper bed. About 18 km, 5 to 6 hours.

Enjoy a slow breakfast and a rest before your transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Hotel check-out is at 11 am. If your flight leaves in the evening, ask us about a late check-out or an extra night at the lodge, which can be arranged for an additional fee. Many climbers add a safari, a day at Materuni Waterfall or a few days in Zanzibar after the mountain, and your specialist can plan the connection for you.