Kilimanjaro Trek

• Driving time: 45 minutes
• Accommodations: Hotel in Moshi (~2,800 ft./ 853 m.)

Jambo and welcome to Tanzania! Today is arrival day. The Wildland team will pick you up from the airport and shuttle you to our hotel for the next 2 nights in the nearby city of Moshi. Here, you can rest from your travels by the pool, in your room with a lovely veranda, or at the enjoy food and drinks at the restaurant. If we are lucky, the clouds will dissipate and allow us our first glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro during sunset. After we enjoy dinner together, your lead guide will conduct a full orientation meeting to review the itinerary specifics, gear & packing details, health considerations, and answer any questions. Be sure to drink copious amounts of water throughout the day, as flying and traveling can dehydrate you. Self-care begins immediately.

• Hiking Mileage: 3.1 miles (5km)
• Elevation Gain/Loss: Minimal
• Trekking Duration: ~3 hours
• Driving Time: 1 hour
• Accommodations: Hotel in Moshi (~2,800 ft./ 853 m.)

After breakfast at the hotel, we will shuttle to the base of Mount Kilimanjaro to the village of Materuni. Here, we will set out on a light hike to an amazing waterfall along the Mware River. Today’s hike helps with acclimatization while not being too strenuous after your long travels. Materuni Falls, born from melting ice and snow flowing from the top of the mountain, plunges over 220 feet (67 meters)! At these majestic falls we’ll enjoy a relaxing break, a swim if you like, and a delicious picnic lunch before heading back to the village. We’ll then visit a coffee farm and see how Arabica and Robust coffee beans are grown by the Chagga people. They are known to be the best farmers in Tanzania.  You will be served a delicious cup of rich and aromatic coffee. After enjoying this cultural treat, we’ll head back to the hotel to relax before dinner. Get some rest; tomorrow our expedition begins!

• Hiking Mileage: 4.1 miles (6.6km)
• Elevation Gain: 2,075 feet (632m)
• Elevation Loss: 50 feet (15m)
• Trekking Duration: 3-4 hours
• Elevation at Camp: 8,650 ft. (2,636 m.)

Today is the official start of our expedition to climb Kilimanjaro! We head out on a roughly 3-hour drive to the village of Nale Moru where our trek begins. In Nale Moru, after meeting our entire crew and team, we will have a hot lunch. Our porters will get our personal gear organized and packed for the hike, and then we begin the trek! We’ll start hiking on a path that climbs gently and consistently through the beautiful, temperate forests that drape the foothills of Kilimanjaro. Along the way, we may have opportunities to view some wildlife: Colobus Monkeys are often abundant along with many species of birds, reptiles and gazelles. We continue hiking until we arrive at Simba Camp (8,650 ft./2,636 m.) for the night. Facing North, we’ll have stunning views of the plains of Kenya while we enjoy a delicious meal and a relaxing evening.

• Hiking Mileage: 3.5 miles (5.6km)
• Elevation Gain: 2,765 feet (843m)
• Trekking Duration: 3-4 hours
• Elevation at Camp: 11,415 ft. (3,480 m.)

Waking up on Kilimanjaro with Wildland means getting a hot drink of your choice delivered to your tent and a warm bowl of water to wash your hands and face. What a way to start the day! Then comes a nutritious breakfast to fuel our day’s activities. Today we head up the trail and immediately have outstanding views of Kibo Peak and the Eastern Ice Fields sitting on the crater rim. Arriving at Second Cave Camp (11,415 ft./3,480 m.) by lunch allows us to relax for a bit and give our bodies time to acclimatize before an afternoon walk to higher elevations, which helps us further our acclimatization process. Everything we do on the mountain is designed to prepare us for our summit bid. This includes constant self-care, proper acclimatization practices, and hiking “pole, pole”, translated “slowly, slowly” in Swahili.

• Hiking Mileage: 3.6 miles (5.8km)
• Elevation Gain: 1,060 feet (323m)
• Elevation Loss: 415 feet (126m)
• Trekking Duration: 4 hours
• Elevation at Camp: 12,175 ft. (3,711 m.)

After our morning drinks and full breakfast, we will pack up to hike towards the jagged peaks of Mawenzi. Our hike through the open moorlands continues until we reach a small set of caves created by past historic lava flows. We will briefly explore these caves (optional) before making our last push to Kikelewa Camp (12,175 ft./3,711 m.) and our awaiting lunch. Again, arriving to camp by lunch allows time to recuperate and relax before another afternoon acclimatization hike. The views from tonight’s camp are spectacular and the sunset not to be missed. As darkness falls, the lights in small, far off Kenyan villages dot the landscape below us. Warm dinner and drinks are served before the nightly briefing and health check by your guide.

• Hiking Mileage: 2.2 miles (3.5km)
• Elevation Gain: 2,080 feet (634m)
• Elevation Loss: 30 feet (9m)
• Trekking Duration: 4-5 hours
• Elevation at Camp: 14,120 ft. (4,304 m.)

On this morning, we depart Kikelewa Cave and ascend to Mawenzi Tarn camp (14,120 ft./4,304 m.). The hike today is relatively short, and we will make it to camp before lunch once again. The views from this campsite are absolutely stunning. After a hot lunch, we will enjoy an acclimatization hike in the surrounding area and take in more of the views from our incredible vantage point. We will be back at camp with time to wash up before dinner is served.

• Hiking Mileage: 5.2 miles (8.4km)
• Elevation Gain: 1,720 feet (524m)
• Elevation Loss: 400 feet (122m)
• Trekking Duration: 6 hours
• Elevation at Camp: 15,425 ft. (4,702 m.)

We leave camp early with beautiful views of Mawenzi and Kibo Peaks after a full breakfast. Above 14,000 feet, it can be challenging to hike, so we will take our time and begin trekking across the high-altitude desert to our basecamp at Kibo Hut (15,425 ft./4,702 m.). Upon our arrival at basecamp, we will eat lunch and then rest in our tents before an early dinner is served. After dinner, your guides will conduct a final briefing and health check. Then, we turn in to get our final rest and sleep before our summit attempt. We will be waking up around 11:30 pm to enjoy hot drinks and snacks before starting our ascent to the Kilimanjaro summit at Uruhu Peak!

Today is the crown jewel of our adventure! It has two parts: an optional hike to the summit of Kilimanjaro, and a mandatory descent to Horombo Hut.

Part 1: Summit Attempt (Optional):

• Hiking Mileage: 6 miles (9.7km)
• Elevation Gain: 4,050 feet (1,235m)
• Elevation Loss: 4,050 feet (1,235m)
• Highest Elevation: 19,341 ft (5,895 m)

As we begin our summit attempt, we’ll only bring what we need. Typically, the sky is clear and filled with stars. It is a very peaceful time to be on the mountain. We’ll continue hiking with our goal to reach the edge of the crater at Gillman’s Point (18,652 ft./5,685 m.). Next, we will traverse the crater rim to Stella Point (18,885 ft./5,756 m.), where a few trails converge to start the final ascent to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak (19,341 ft./5,895 m.). At the summit we’ll soak up the gratification of our achievement. Looking down towards the valleys and forests surrounding Kilimanjaro as the sun rises, most hikers feel this is one of the most memorable half-hours of their lives. After we take our photos at Uhuru Peak, we’ll begin our decent back to basecamp.

Part 2: Descent to Horombo Hut:

• Hiking Mileage: 5.6 miles (9km)
• Elevation Gain: 80 feet (24m)
• Elevation Loss: 3,190 feet (972m)
• Trekking Duration: 10-14 hours (Summit & descent hike combined here)
• Elevation at Camp: 12,300 ft. (3,749 m.)

Upon arrival at basecamp, we will rest and have lunch before beginning our 3-hour, gentle descent to Horombo camp (12,300 ft./3,749 m.) along the famous and popular Marangu route. NOTE: This is a very long day, and most guests are very tired upon reaching basecamp and then walking to Horombo.

• Hiking Mileage: 12.1 miles (19.5km)
• Elevation Gain: 220 feet (67m)
• Elevation Loss: 6,350 feet (1,935m)
• Trekking Duration: 6-8 hours
• Accommodations: Hotel in Moshi (~2,800 ft./ 853 m.)

Today is the last day of our trek on Mt. Kilimanjaro and it’s a long, beautiful hike through a constantly changing landscape. Along the way, we stop at the Mandara Huts for a long break before continuing down. This tropical area often has groups of Blue monkeys and possibly the rarer Colobus monkeys. We’ll be descending to where the Marangu route begins/ends at the Marangu gate entrance of the Park. Here we’ll have a hot lunch upon our arrival. For those guests who made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro, climbed to Stella Point or Gilliman’s Point, you will collect official certificates from Kilimanjaro National Park before saying goodbye to your mountain crew — in classic Kilimanjaro style with songs and dancing!

Tonight, we get back to our accommodations in Moshi and have one final celebratory dinner capping off this adventure of a lifetime!

For guests only joining our Kilimanjaro Trek, you will be transported back to Kilimanjaro International Airport today. We have one group departure planned.

For guests joining our Wild Africa Safari, today is Day 1 of the Safari itinerary! Your guide will meet you in the breakfast room of the hotel at 7 am.

Make the most of your time in Africa with an add-on Safari tour that takes place after your trek to Kilimanjaro (on Day 10)! Six days in length and all-inclusive, our Safari Add-on tour is an opportunity to experience Africa’s amazing wildlife and unique, colorful cultures. Click here to read more about our Add-on Safari Tour!