Your adventure begins with a 6am pickup from your hotel to drive to Marangu Gate at the eastern entrance of Kilimanjaro National Park. When your guide completes the permit paperwork you’ll begin your journey through the dense rainforest. Marangu route is the oldest and most established trekking route on Mount Kilimanjaro and you will complete its first leg which goes up to Mandara Huts. The climb up takes approximately 4 hours. Along the way, you may cross paths with various bird species as well as dik diks, blue monkeys and colobus monkeys. Once you reach Mandara (2,700m/ 8,860 ft), you’ll enjoy your lunch and have a rest for about one hour. Depending on time, you may have the opportunity to extend your hike to Horombo viewpoint or Maundi Crater where you can enjoy even more stunning views of Kilimanjaro (Mawenzi and Kibo Peaks), northern Tanzania and Kenya (weather permitting). After this, you’ll descend back to Marangu Gate. The hike down takes around 2-3 hours.