Mountain trekking · Tanzania
Explore Kilimanjaro on this 7-day mountain journey. Tell us your travel dates and group size for a quotation and a detailed programme tailored to your plans.
The journey
Explore Kilimanjaro on this 7-day mountain journey. Tell us your travel dates and group size for a quotation and a detailed programme tailored to your plans.
Trip highlights
Your route
Nairobi → Arusha
We will confirm the day-by-day sequence and overnight stops in your detailed proposal.
Schematic route · See the day-by-day programme for travel details.
Day by day
Day 1
Depart Nairobi between 7:15 and 8am on the shuttle bus to Arusha, about four hours through the Namanga border with lunch en route on your own account. The afternoon is free to organise any gear still needed for the trek, hire items if required and meet your guide for a briefing. Overnight in Arusha on a bed-and-breakfast basis; lunch and dinner are your own arrangement.
Day 2
After breakfast and a briefing, drive about 45 minutes to the Marangu Gate of Kilimanjaro National Park, register and set off. The first stage is seven kilometres through montane rainforest, climbing about 1,000 metres in four to five hours to the Mandara huts at 2,740 metres. Colobus monkeys and forest birds are common in the canopy, and a short side trip to Maundi Crater gives a view over northern Tanzania and into Kenya. Dinner and overnight at Mandara.
Day 3
About an hour beyond Mandara the forest ends and the path climbs open moorland for 11 kilometres to the Horombo huts at 3,700 metres, six to eight hours' walking. Mawenzi's jagged peak and Kibo's snow cap come into view, and giant lobelias and groundsels line the trail. The altitude usually begins to be felt here, which is why this programme adds an extra night at Horombo before going higher. Dinner and overnight at Horombo.
Day 4
The extra day built into this programme is spent at Horombo to help the body adjust before the move to Kibo. After breakfast, take an acclimatisation walk towards the base of Mawenzi, gaining a few hundred metres and returning to sleep at the same altitude, the pattern that improves summit chances. The rest of the day is for resting, drinking plenty of water and sorting equipment. The added night improves acclimatisation but does not make a summit certain. Lunch, dinner and overnight at Horombo.
Day 5
Pass the last watering point and cross the Saddle, the high desert between Kibo and Mawenzi, to the Kibo huts at 4,700 metres: ten kilometres in six to eight hours. Upper heathland thins to a bare, moon-like landscape of rock and dust, with Kibo's summit cone ahead. Arrive in the afternoon for an early dinner and rest, with gear laid out for the summit climb, which starts around midnight.
Day 6
The summit climb begins between midnight and 2am by headlamp, up steep scree or snow to Gilman's Point on the crater rim at 5,861 metres, four to seven hours of switchbacks that are the hardest part of the trek. Another one to two hours around the rim leads to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa at 5,895 metres. It is bitterly cold until the descent begins, so every warm layer is needed. Descend to Kibo for lunch and a rest, then continue to Horombo for dinner and overnight; the day takes 10 to 15 hours in total.
Day 7
After breakfast, a steady 18-kilometre descent of five to seven hours through the moorland to Mandara and then the forest to the Marangu Gate at 1,830 metres. The lower path can be wet and muddy, so gaiters and trekking poles are still useful, and shorts and a t-shirt are usually enough with rain gear to hand. A vehicle meets you at Marangu village for the drive back to your hotel in Arusha, where dinner is on your own account.
Where you stay
Your written proposal will name the accommodation, room or tent arrangements and meal plan for each night. Share your preferences so we can confirm suitable available options.
Suggested accommodation
Kilimanjaro
Mrimba Palm Hotel
before and after the climb; nights on the mountain are in huts or camps set by the route
Arusha
Charity Hotel
Suggested accommodation is subject to availability. A property of a similar standard may be proposed where necessary.
In pictures
Your quotation will itemise transport, guiding, entry fees, accommodation and meals where applicable. Please confirm the included services with our team before booking.
Ask for an itemised list of exclusions and optional activities with your quotation so you can plan your total travel budget.
When to travel
The clearest and driest climbing windows are generally January to March and June to October. The long rains around April and May and the short rains in November make the route harder underfoot and the summit views less reliable. Mountain weather changes quickly in any season, and your guide will brief you on conditions before each stage.
Read the full season guide →Who it suits
Pricing
On Request
Published catalogue reference rate. Confirm availability and the final quotation for your travel dates.
Made for your plans
Tell us what matters most: time in a particular destination, room preferences, photography or a gentler pace. We will explain the practical options and provide a revised proposal.
Discuss this trip on WhatsApp →Send your travel dates, party size and accommodation preferences. We will confirm availability and send a written quotation before you book.
Ask our team about adjustments to the itinerary, accommodation and pace. We will explain what is practical for your dates and confirm any price changes.
On Request. Ask us to confirm the quotation for your dates and group size.
Some programmes include arrival, preparation or transfer days. Ask us for the confirmed mountain-day schedule and overnight stops for this particular route.
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