5 Days Marangu Route

Walking distance: 8 km/5 miles

Walking time: 3-4 hours

Altitude gain: 857 m/2,814 ft

After breakfast you will be transferred to the Marangu Gate at Kilimanjaro National Park. Today, we will walk through the beautiful rainforest with dense vegetation, often on a muddy trail. The trekking pace is slow and very comfortable, ensuring you have enough time to enjoy the natural surroundings, taking photos and nibble on your packed lunch that we provide.

You will reach Mandara Hut (2 700m) after +- 4 hrs of hiking from the Park Gate. There is a detour on this route to waterfalls in the rain forest, which is well worth following – discuss with your guide before you set off. All meals are included during the climb, and your guide/porters will prepare these for you.

Your accommodation is in dormitory style chalets. There are no shower/bath facilities while doing the climb and toilets will be long drops. You will be provided with bowls of warm water each morning, on request, to wash with.

Walking distance: 5.5 km/3.5 miles ascent + 15 km/9.5 miles descent

Walking time: 5-6 hrs + 1-2 hours up, 5-6 hours down (the overall walking time may vary between10 – 16 hours)

Altitude gain: 990 m/ 3,248 ft (Gilman’s Point) or 1,195 m/3,920 ft (Uhuru Peak) Descent: 2,195 m/7,200 ft

You will be required to wake up very early to have a quick bite to eat and something warm to drink before setting out in darkness. The hike to Gilman’s Point is a very slow steep walk on volcanic scree for about 5-6 hours. The headlamps on the trail towards the summit almost look like fireflies flying in a long row. As you approach the crater rim you will enjoy the most memorable sunrise you may ever experience – the golden sunrise over Africa! Often you see the curving of the earth at this high altitude and the sunrise on the horizon just accentuates it. Keep your camera ready at all times as there are plenty of photographing opportunities along the summit. Once you reach Gilman’s Point on top of the crater rim you are within reach of Uhuru Peak. Hike along fairly flat terrain for about 1.5 hour to reach Uhuru Peak. Spend a few minutes at the top and get that photos of your choice next to the sign marking the summit.

Descend from Uhuru Peak in high spirits as you have just achieved your goal. The trail down from Gilman’s Point on the Marangu route is often enjoyed by hikers sliding down the scree slope, which entails skidding down the loose gravel with big steps and some sideway moves. Try it, it is fun! With every step going down your body enjoys having more oxygen to breathe in. Depending on how you feel, you may enjoy a short rest at Kibo Hut before descending down to Horombo Hut.