Jambo! Welcome to Tanzania. Our journey begins at the Kibo Hotel in the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro. Please make sure you are at Kibo Hotel by early evening, as your tour commences here with a full briefing and kit inspection before dinner by an experienced Kilimanjaro climber, in preparation for the start of our trek. You’ll need to look for a note in the hotel lobby or ask the hotel reception where the meeting will take place. If you can't arrange a flight that will arrive in time, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting, so please ensure you have all these details to prov...

After breakfast, meet our guides and porters. Please read your trip notes for further information about your guides and porters. It takes just 15 minutes to get to Marangu Gate (1,860 metres/6,000 feet) at the entrance of the Mt Kilimanjaro National Park, where we’ll meet up with some of the women who have already travelled across Africa by caravan. We have to register as a group, which can take a little bit of time depending on how busy things are. From here it is a long but easy walk through dense rainforest to the first mountain hut. In the forest there are many species of brightly coloured birds and different types of monkeys can be seen and heard. Walk through giant heather on the way to Mandara Hut (2,725 metres/9,000 feet), our stop for the night. From here an optional walk to nearby Maundi Crater can be undertaken. ...

Our second day on the mountain involves another long hike over a slightly steeper stretch. The rainforest gives way to open and rolling alpine meadows dotted with giant heather trees. Out of the forest canopy, the twin snow-tipped peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi lie directly ahead. During the day's walk, traverse several ravines before reaching the hut, which is set in a rocky valley. There’s time to enjoy a wide variety of vegetation and changing landscapes on the way to Horombo Hut (3,780 metres/12,000 feet), our base for the night. Horombo is a small village of huts, perched on a plateau and flanked by lush greenery. The atmosphere here is one of adventure, anticipation and excitement, as hikers make their way to and from the summit. The distance from Mandara to Horombo Huts is 12 kilometres (approximately 5-7 hours). ...

After breakfast, walk towards Mawenzi Hut, passing the unusual Zebra Rocks on the way. It’s a steep climb up a grassy slope, but well worth it: the views over the area towards Kibo are second-to-none. Afterwards, return to Horombo for lunch. Spend the afternoon relaxing and acclimatising to the altitude, or ask your guides about short walks in the area. Take advantage of the rest day here and drink plenty of water – the next couple of days will be pretty intense! The distance from Horombo to Mawenzi Huts is around 5.6 kilometres (approximately 3 hours walk there and 90 minutes back).

The landscape becomes progressively more rugged and rocky and the air noticeably thinner today so we slow our pace accordingly. Pass giant groundsels and lobelias while travelling across the sparse moorland. Skirting Mawenzi Peak, arrive at the stark lunar landscape of the Saddle. Reaching Kibo Hut in afternoon (4,740 metres/15,450 feet), we take the opportunity to have an early night before our 11pm wakeup call later this evening. The distance from Horombo to Kibo Hut is 10 kilometres (approximately 5-7 hours).

After being woken by our guides and served hot tea late in the evening on Day 5, we begin the last leg of the trek to the summit. The trek begins beneath the stars as we zigzag our way up a large scree slope guided only by torchlight to reach Gilman's Point (5,685 metres). Hopefully we'll arrive in time to see breathtaking views of the sun rising behind Mawenzi Peak. This is the stretch that most people find the hardest, and you should be prepared for a very cold morning. However, the dramatic spectacle of the sun rising over the ice fields of the crater will make the early start totally worthwhile. For those who still have the will and the energy, it is a further two hours along the rim of the crater to Uhuru Peak (5,896 metres), the highest point in Africa. From this peak, there are unforgettable views of the crater, the ...

Today we continue our descent through alpine meadows and rainforest to the park gate. The distance from Horombo to Marangu Gate is 27 kilometres (approximately 5-6 hours). In the afternoon, we can return to the Marangu Hotel for a relaxing shower or bath – a real treat after the physical exertions of the last few days. Over a celebratory meal, relive and share your experiences of the past five days on the mountain.