Kilimanjaro trek
6 Day Kilimanjaro Trek — Marangu Route, with 2 Hotel Nights
The hut route up Kilimanjaro, with a night either side in Arusha.
- Route
- Marangu
- Trekking days
- 6
- Total trip length
- 8 days, including 2 hotel nights in Arusha
- Summit
- Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m
- Accommodation on the mountain
- Mountain huts
- Starts and ends
- Kilimanjaro International Airport
- Price
- On request
Overview
What this trip is.
Marangu is the only Kilimanjaro route with permanent huts rather than tents, which is why it is often the first one people look at. You sleep in shared dormitory huts at Mandara, Horombo and Kibo, and the same path serves as both ascent and descent.
This version builds in an acclimatisation day at Horombo, walking up to Zebra Rocks and back down to sleep. That day makes a real difference to summit success and is the reason the trek runs over six days rather than five.
Summit night starts around midnight from Kibo Hut, reaching Gilman's Point on the crater rim around sunrise and Uhuru Peak, at 5,895 metres, after that. It is a long, cold, slow walk, and altitude — not fitness — is what decides it.
Highlights
What you get out of it.
- An acclimatisation day at Horombo with a walk to Zebra Rocks
- Mountain huts rather than tents
- Rainforest, moorland, alpine desert and glacier in six days
- Summit night from Kibo Hut to Gilman's Point and Uhuru Peak
- Two hotel nights in Arusha either side of the trek
Before quoting
Confirmed with your quotation.
Confirm the current mountain-operator itinerary, elevations, meal basis, park and rescue fee treatment, hut or camp arrangements, equipment, crew and transfers before quoting.
Confirm the current Marangu price; do not publish the inherited USD 980 / 1,540 figure as current.
Day by day
How the days run.
This operational outline is confirmed with your quotation. Your mountain operator sets the final sequence and pace for the conditions and the group.
Day 1Kilimanjaro Airport → Arusha
Arrive and settle.
You are met at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Arusha. Your guide runs an equipment and briefing check the same evening.
- Activities
- Airport transfer · Kit check and briefing
- Meals
- Dinner
- Overnight
- Arusha
Day 2Arusha → Marangu Gate → Mandara Hut
Into the rainforest.
A transfer to Marangu Gate at 1,860 m for registration, then the first walk — a steady climb through dense montane rainforest to Mandara Hut at 2,700 m. Colobus monkeys and forest birds are common on this stretch.
- Activities
- Registration at Marangu Gate · Forest trek to Mandara Hut
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- On the mountain
Day 3Mandara Hut → Horombo Hut
Out of the trees and onto the moorland.
As you climb, the forest gives way to open heath and moorland, with giant lobelia and groundsel. Kibo and Mawenzi come into view before you reach Horombo Hut at 3,700 m.
- Activities
- Trek to Horombo Hut
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- On the mountain
Day 4Horombo Hut → Zebra Rocks → Horombo Hut
Climb high, sleep low.
An acclimatisation day. You walk up towards Zebra Rocks at around 3,980 m and return to Horombo to sleep, which is the standard way to help the body adjust. It is the single most useful day on the itinerary.
- Activities
- Acclimatisation walk to Zebra Rocks
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- On the mountain
Day 5Horombo Hut → Kibo Hut
Across the saddle.
The vegetation gives out entirely and the route crosses the alpine desert of the saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo. You reach Kibo Hut at 4,700 m in the afternoon, eat early and try to sleep before a midnight start.
- Activities
- Trek across the saddle to Kibo Hut · Early night before the summit attempt
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- On the mountain
Day 6Kibo Hut → Uhuru Peak → Horombo Hut
Summit night, and a long way down.
You leave around midnight for the slow climb to Gilman's Point on the crater rim, usually near sunrise, and continue around the rim to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m. The descent is long: back to Kibo, then on down to Horombo for the night.
- Activities
- Summit attempt to Uhuru Peak · Descent to Horombo Hut
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- On the mountain
Day 7Horombo Hut → Marangu Gate → Arusha
Back down through the forest.
A long descent through moorland and back into the rainforest to Marangu Gate, where summit certificates are issued. A transfer takes you to your hotel in Arusha.
- Activities
- Descent to Marangu Gate · Transfer to Arusha
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Arusha
Day 8Arusha → Kilimanjaro Airport
Departure.
A transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward flight.
- Activities
- Departure transfer
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Overnight
- The trip ends today
Package detail
What the price covers.
What’s included
- Two hotel nights; the property and meal basis are confirmed with your quotation
Not included
- International flights
- Tanzania visa and entry fees
- Travel and high-altitude insurance
- Personal trekking equipment and sleeping bag
- Tips for the mountain crew
- Drinks and items of a personal nature
Pricing
Clear before you commit.
We are reconfirming the rate for this package, so we are not publishing a figure we cannot stand behind. Send us your dates and we will price it properly against current park fees and camp availability.
Request this tripPlan your safari
Add this to a safari.
6 Day Kilimanjaro Trek — Marangu Route, with 2 Hotel Nights works alongside a safari as well as on its own. Tell us what else you are planning and we will build the whole trip around it.
A guided enquiry, not an instant booking. No obligation.
