Itinerary
Itinerary At a Glance
1: Departure: BOM To JRO (Kilimanjaro)
2: Arrival at (JRO) Kilimanjaro & Transfers to Hotel at Moshi
3: Drive through Kilimanjaro National Park till Marangu Gate & Trek to Mandara Hut
4: Trek Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut
5: Acclimatization & Rest
6: Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut
7: Kibo Hut to Summit and get down to Horombo Hut
8: Descent, Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate and drive to Hotel at Moshi
9: Local Sightseeing & Stay at Hotel
10: Departure: Drop Off to (JRO) Kilimanjaro International Airport, JRO To BOM
11: Arrival at BOM
Detailed Itinerary
1: Assemble at place & document check of each participant and proceed to Mumbai International Airport for boarding flight.
2: Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfers to the Hotel at Moshi.
3: Drive to Kilimanjaro National Park Marangu Gate and hike to Mandara Hut
We pick you up from your accommodations in Moshi. After breakfast and the briefing, we will proceed to drive to Kilimanjaro National Park Gate. The drive takes about an hour and then we have to register. And our trek begins! We will hike through equatorial rainforest to the Mandala encampment. Here keep an eye out for Eucalyptus trees, Colobus monkeys and myriad species of birds. Day 1 is a gentle 3 to 4 hour break-in for what is to come. A quick detour to Maundi Crater allows you to take in the breathtaking surroundings of Northern Tanzania and Kenya. You will break journey at Mandara Hut.
Elevation: 1860m/6100ft to 2700m/8875ft
Distance: 8km/5mi
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest
Meals: LD
Budget Lodging: Mandara Hut
4: Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut
Visiting: Kilimanjaro
5: immediately ups the ante.
We will leave the glades of the rainforest and follow an ascending path on the open moorlands to the Horombo encampment. Views of Mawenzi and the summit of Kibo are amazing. Giant lobelias and grounsels vie for your attention as you trek for 5 or 6 hours. As we gain 1000m in altitude you might begin to feel its effects.
Elevation: 2700m/8875ft to 3700m/12,200ft
Distance: 12km/7.5mi
Hiking Time: 5-6 hours
Habitat: Heathland
Meals: BLD
Budget Lodging: Horombo Hut
6: Acclimatization Walk & Rest
Take a day off to rest your aching feet and acclimatise to the altitude. For those of you feeling more energetic, you can hike up to Mawenzi Peak from where you can take in the beautiful view.
Meals: BLD
Budget Lodging: Horombo Hut
7: Hike Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut
On Day 4 you will climb another 1,000m in 5 to 6 hours as you turn your eyes towards the push for the summit. You will now pass the last watering point, walking onto the saddle of Kilimanjaro between the peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. Vegetation begins with upper heathland but then disappears into a flat, blank, rocky vista which resembles the surface of the moon. After 3 days of hiking, you will wolf down your dinner and rest as you mentally prepare to push on to Uhuru Peak.
Elevation: 3700m/12,200ft to 4700m/15,500ft
Distance: 9km/5.5mi
Hiking Time: 5-6 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
Meals: BLD
Budget Lodging: Kibo Hut
8: Kibo Hut to Summit and back down to Horombo Hut
On Day 4 we will commence our climb in the wee hours. Perhaps that is an understatement. You see, NMB (No Move Before) 0000h we will start somewhere between midnight and 2 a.m. You will need to use headlamps or flashlights as you will begin in darkness. Make sure you wrap up well as the cold will cut through your clothing. The route is steep with switchbacks and you may have to resort to steadying yourself with your hands. You can expect heavy scree or snow all the way up to Gilman’s Point which is located on the rim of the crater. This is by far the toughest section of the entire trek. Patience and optimism will get you through in flying colours though. There are wonderful rewards awaiting.
From Gilman’s Point we will continue to ascend to Uhuru Peak – the highest point on the continent of Africa. The views are breathtaking and the shutters will keep firing away as you seek to capture every moment for posterity (and the envy of all and sundry on Facebook).
Rest as Uhuru Peak and take in the views of a lifetime before descending. We will pause for a while at Kibo for a bite of lunch and a bit of rest. Then on towards Horombo where you will have earned a delicious meal and blissful sleep.
Elevation: 4700m/15,500ft to 5895m/19,340ft
Down to 3700m/12,200ft
Distance: 6km/4mi up / 15km/9mi down
Hiking Time: 6-8 hours up / 15km/9mi down
Habitat: Alpine Desert Meals: BLD
Budget Lodging: Horombo Hut
9: Descent, Hike from Horombo Hut to trail head and drive to Moshi
Ravenous from the rigours of the previous day, we tuck away a healthy breakfast and set off. We will descend through the moorland back to Mandala Hut. Moving past it we will re-enter the rainforest to emerge at the National Park gate at Marangu, where our adventure began. After the cold of the highlands it could be warm, wet and muddy so trekking poles could come in useful, as well as gaiters. Keep your warm weather clothes handy as well as your rain gear. You will be picked up at Marangu village and safely deposited at your hotel in Moshi. Relax and unwind. It’s time to celebrate.
Elevation: 3700m/12,200ft to 1700m/5500ft
Distance: 20km/12.5mi
Habitat: Forest
Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
10: “REST DAY” Local Sight Seeing & Night Stay at Hotel
11: Departure, Transfers to Kilimanjaro International Airport and board return flight to Mumbai.
12: Arrival at Mumbai
Participants joining from outside of India may reach directly at JRO and merge with the group at a coordinated date and time.
