Kilimanjaro Classic Climb via Marangu route  - 8 Days

On arrival at the international airport in Kilimanjaro, you will be met by a Himalayan Glacier representative who will escort you to your designated hotel in Moshi. Later, in the evening, there will be a pre-trip discussion with our manager. You will be provided all the details of the forthcoming climb by your travel manager. You may ask as many questions to your trip guide and get a clear vision about your upcoming trip. The final part of your preparation is a final check of your readiness to tackle Kilimanjaro. Later in the evening there will be a welcome dinner hosted by Himalayan Glacier. For dinner, we will try excellent Tanzanian cuisine which will introduce us to the country’s food culture. Overnight in Moshi.

In the morning, your guide will arrive at the hotel along with a support crew who will meet you and have another short briefing. After breakfast at your hotel, you will drive off to Kilimanjaro National Park’s eastern entrance, Marangu Gate (1860m). After acquiring climbing permits and registering with the search and rescue service, you will start trekking to Mandara Hut (2700m). During this section of the hike, you should expect rain, mud, and fog. You may also witness some wildlife including Colobus monkeys. You will have your lunch about midway up the trail. As you will be walking through the rainforest today, tropical showers can be expected so it is necessary that you have a raincoat with you particularly for this day besides the spare clothes. By the time you reach Mandara Hut, it is late afternoon or early evening. Mandara Hut consists of a group of wooden A-framed huts each featuring 6 – 8 sleeping bunks with solar generated lighting, flush toilets and water piped in from a nearby mountain stream.

Throughout the Marangu route, you will spend the nights in special wooden huts (guest houses), which offer a great alternative to those who do not want to sleep in tents.

Since it is your first day at this altitude, we strongly advise you to pay attention to the following instruction:

• Stay away from drinking caffeinated and alcoholic beverages.
• Drink as much boiled water as possible, at frequent intervals. It is best for your body if you drink at least 4 liters each day on your trek.
• To lessen symptoms of altitude sickness, take a Diamox pill. If you are allergic to certain medicines, it is recommended that you consult your doctor prior to your trip.
• If you experience any discomfort associated with your breathing and start feeling sick or get a headache, tell your guide about your condition immediately.

Overnight in Mandara Hut.

You will start trekking early from Mandara Hut after breakfast and head towards the second high-altitude camp, Horombo Hut (3720m). You will emerge from the rainforest into the alpine moorland and pass the Maundi Crater. When you reach your destination today, you will be treated with views of two volcanoes at once: Kibo and Mawenzi. During the trek, you will see some of Kilimanjaro’s most spectacular plants – the giant lobelia and the giant groundsel scattered throughout the landscape at this altitude. After you reach your sleeping hut, you will have lunch and rest for some time. Later, you will set out on an acclimatization hike towards Kibo Hut and later return to the Horombo Hut where dinner will be awaiting you.

Note: It is advised to take the acclimatization hikes seriously as they help you avoid getting altitude sickness and ultimately increase the chances of successfully summiting Kilimanjaro. It is an easy trek with a slight gain in altitude that we recommend trekkers to do so as to speed up the acclimatization process. Overnight in Horombo Hut.

This extra day at Horombo Hut is for additional acclimatization. Most of the trek operators will take hikers towards the Mawenzi ridge passing the Zebra Rocks, which is about 3 hours up and 1.5 hours back to Horombo. At Horombo, you will meet both ascending and descending hikers with an atmosphere of adventure and excitement. The day’s acclimatization hike will assist with the process of your body to get adapted to the high altitude environment. Coming back to Horombo after the short hike, you will take plenty of rest for the following day’s trek. Overnight in Horombo Hut.

After early morning breakfast, you will begin your ascent into the alpine desert habitat towards the Kibo Hut (4700m). There are two routes to Kibo. There is an upper route and a lower route to choose from. The upper route leads towards the Mawenzi Hut and is used by trekkers who use an extra acclimatization day in Horombo Hut. We will take the lower route which is much easier and an hour shorter, and it also passes the last watering point at 4130m. The actual trekking is not very difficult if trekkers stick to an appropriate pace to retain power and strength for the summit climb of the Uhuru Peak the following day. At Kibo Hut, you will be served lunch after which it is recommended that you sleep and rest as much as you can. Drink plenty of water and avoid any strenuous activities as you will be departing at night to make the final climb. Overnight in Kibo Hut.

You will wake up just before midnight. After having some tea and biscuits, you will begin the climb to the top of the Uhuru Peak. The route follows a rocky path to the first checkpoint, Hans Meyer Cave at 5150 meters. Your trekking guide will monitor your physical and mental conditions throughout the entire journey. The path then zigzags up to Gillman’s point (5681m) which is located on the Kibo’s crater rim. This is probably the most demanding section of the entire route. From this point onwards, you will encounter snow all the way to the last point of the climb – Uhuru Peak, the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. After spending some taking photographs on the summit, you may descend to the nearest glacier is you wish. Then you will begin descending back to Kibo Hut, have hot lunch, rest for a couple of hours and then continue down to Horombo Hut to spend the night. Overnight in Horombo Hut.

After a warm breakfast in the morning, you will head towards the Kilimanjaro National Park’s exit at the Marangu Gate. Here, hikers will be congratulated and given a chance to share their opinions on the climb in the guestbook. In the end, you will be presented with commemorative certificates in our office and transferred back to your hotel room. There will be a farewell dinner in the evening to celebrate the successful completion of our journey. Overnight in Moshi.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your international departure back home. The hotel check-out time is 11.00 am but if you have an evening flight and wish to check out from the hotel at a later time, there is an option to extend your hotel stay for an extra charge. If you wish to extend your stay in Tanzania for a few more days, then you have the option to go on a Tanzania safari or relax on the beaches of Zanzibar.