Itinerary
Alpenglow’s Kilimanjaro trek is packed with fun experiences from the moment you set foot on African soil to the last minute on the safari. We know you are curious about your upcoming trip so we included an outline of what to expect when trekking Kilimanjaro with our stellar crew of guides, porters, kitchen staff and local experts.
Arrive
Arrive into Kilimanjaro International Airport in the evening, where you will meet your guides. Transfer to our hotel in Arusha, at the base of Kilimanjaro, where we have a team dinner.
Explore
In the morning we explore the local villages that surround the base of Kilimanjaro. In the afternoon we hold our first team meeting, and organize our gear for the climb.
Trailhead
Drive to the Rongai trailhead, with stunning views of the mountain along the way. Once there, we meet our Tanzanian porters and staff, organize loads, and then begin our climb through lush forests. Four hours of walking will take us to our first camp, at 9,500 feet (2,696 meters).
First view
Our 6 hour hike takes us out of the humid forest and onto a stunning ridge with our first views of the upper crater walls of Kilimanjaro. The trail continues climbing on this ridge to our camp at 12,000 feet (3,658 meters).
Impressive Mwenzi
Today is a five hour hike to the Mwenzi Tarn. This camp is a favorite with our groups. The camp (at 13,000 feet/3,962 meters) is next to a small lake and below the Mwenzi Towers, with unbelievable views of the entire summit cone and our route to the top.
Hike to Staging
Today’s hike takes us through the last of Kilimanjaro’s vegetated zones and into the barren alpine world of the upper mountain. A four hour hike takes us past species of plants found only here on Kilimanjaro’s upper flanks, and ends at our camp at the Kibo Hut, at 15,500 feet (4,724 meters). This camp is the staging point for many teams’ summit push. With so many other climbers here, the camp has a true international feel.
Acclimatization
Today is an important additional acclimatization day. We wake up, eat a good breakfast, and go for a 2-3 hour hike to a bit over 16,000 feet (4,877 meters). This dramatically aids in our acclimatization, and gives us a perfect view of our summit route. We get back to camp early, and spend the afternoon resting and preparing for our summit attempt.
Summit!
Summit Day! We wake around midnight for a hot drink and snack and then begin our climb. The first 5-6 hours are steep and we occasionally scramble over rocky sections (no ropes or technical experience are necessary) as we ascend the crater wall, and around to the true summit. After at least a 12 hour day we will set camp at 12,000 feet (3,658 meters).
Rain forest & hotel
Six hours of easy descent take us through the Marangu’s lush rainforests (a completely different ecological zone than we saw on our ascent) to the end of the trail (6,000 feet/1,829 meters) and our van. We return to our hotel for much needed showers and a celebration dinner. Those who only have time for the climb fly home after dinner, however, we highly recommend our safari, an unforgettable East African experience.
Safari
We begin with a short drive to Manyara National Park. Manyara is known for its many flamingos and baboons, as well as lions and herds of antelope – all taking advantage of the water at Lake Manyara. In the evening we leave Manyara to drive to our hotel on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater.
Ngorongoro National Park
A full day of exploring Ngorongoro. Ngorongoro holds the highest concentration of big game anywhere in Africa. It is an unbeatable place to see herds of wildebeest, zebras, antelope, and buffalo, along with the predators that feed on these herds – lions, cheetahs, and leopards. It is also one of the better places to spot rhinoceros. We will return to our crater hotel for a second night.
Game Gay & Airport
Today we take another early morning game drive in the crater. This is the best time to see many of the animals. We also visit a traditional Masai village, where we meet and learn more about these nomadic herders. In the afternoon we return to Arusha. After one last celebration dinner complete with stunning views of Kilimanjaro in the distance, we head to the airport to catch evening flights (after 8pm).