Kilimanjaro Day Hike
A day on Kilimanjaro without a multi-day climb, by the route you choose: Machame's rainforest, the Shira Plateau's moorland, or Marangu to Mandara Hut.
Private day trip1 / 3
Overview
There are three ways to spend a day on the mountain. Machame climbs from its gate through some of Kilimanjaro's densest rainforest. Shira starts with a drive up to the plateau at about 3,500 m, then walks across open moorland with Kibo in front of you. Marangu follows the first stage of the hut route through the forest to Mandara Hut, with an optional walk to Maundi Crater.
Each suits anyone who wants to stand on Kilimanjaro without committing to a week on it. You need no climbing experience, just the fitness for four to seven hours of walking, depending on the route.
Highlights
- Machame: the rainforestTall, mossy forest on a steep, well-made trail, where blue monkeys live in the trees.
- Shira: open moorlandDriven up to about 3,500 m, then a walk with Kibo ahead of you on a clear day.
- Marangu: Mandara HutForest to the first hut, 2,720 m, and a short optional walk to Maundi Crater.
- On Kilimanjaro in a dayReal time on the mountain, without a multi-day climb.
Choose your Kilimanjaro day hike route
Pick one when you enquire, or tell us what you'd like from the day and we'll suggest one. Every route is walked with a licensed mountain guide, from Arusha or Moshi.
Machame
- Start
- Machame Gate, 1,800 m, on the southern slopes
- Walking time
- About 6–7 hours, up and back down the same path
- Altitude reached
- Up to about 3,000 m, near Machame Camp, as your pace allows
- Drive to the start
- From Moshi: about 45 minutes. From Arusha: about 1½ hours.
- What you’ll see
- Dense montane rainforest on a steep, well-made trail: giant ferns, moss-hung trees and, sometimes, blue monkeys. The forest thins into heath near the top, with views out over the plains when the cloud lifts.
Shira Plateau
- Start
- By vehicle up to the Shira Plateau, about 3,500 m, on the western side
- Walking time
- About 4–5 hours across the plateau
- Altitude reached
- About 3,500–3,800 m
- Drive to the start
- From Moshi: about 3 hours. From Arusha: about 3 hours.
- What you’ll see
- Open moorland of heather and giant groundsels, with wide views of Kibo's summit across the plateau and back towards Mount Meru on a clear day. You start high, so the walking is gentler but the air is thinner.
Marangu
- Start
- Marangu Gate, 1,860 m, on the south-eastern side
- Walking time
- About 6–7 hours, up and back down the same path
- Altitude reached
- Mandara Hut, 2,720 m
- Drive to the start
- From Moshi: about 45 minutes. From Arusha: about 2½ hours.
- What you’ll see
- Rainforest on a good, gentle path to the first hut on the Marangu route, with a short optional walk on to Maundi Crater, which looks out over Kibo and the plains on a clear day.
Itinerary
Pickup from Moshi or Arusha, early in the morning. From Moshi: about 45 minutes to 3 hours, by route each way. From Arusha: about 1½ to 3 hours, by route each way.
Numbers show the order of stops; the gold line is the route, not the exact road. Parks shaded. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, Natural Earth.
About Kilimanjaro
At 5,895 m Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest mountain, and every route to the top is a long walk with no technical climbing. The trails pass through rainforest, heath and moorland, and alpine desert before the summit zone.
Today
Pickup from your hotel in Moshi or Arusha early in the morning (times below) and the drive to the start of the route you chose, where you register with the park. With a licensed mountain guide you walk the route at your own pace, with a packed lunch on the way: up through the rainforest from Machame or Marangu, or out across the moorland of the Shira Plateau. Then back to the vehicle and the drive to your hotel. About 4–7 hours on the trail, by route.
Pickup
- Moshi: about 45 minutes to 3 hours, by route to the start of your route, pickup between 5:00 and 7:00.
- Arusha: about 1½ to 3 hours, by route to the start of your route, pickup between 4:30 and 6:00.
Price
One guide price per person, confirmed for your dates.
Price on request
- Low · Apr–May
- Mid · Nov–mid Dec, Jan–Mar
- Peak · Jun–Oct, 20 Dec–10 Jan
Included & not included
What your price covers, and what to budget for separately.
Included
Kilimanjaro National Park's entry and rescue fees for the day, paid by us in advance.
A packed lunch, eaten on the trail.
A licensed Kilimanjaro guide who walks with you from the start and back, and sets the pace.
Collected from your Arusha or Moshi hotel in the morning and taken back at the end of the day.
Water for the walk and in the vehicle.
Not included
- International flights. Flights to and from Tanzania are booked by you. We will suggest arrival and departure times that fit the trip.
- Visa. Paid by you, usually online before you travel. Visa information
- Travel insurance. A condition of travelling with us. It must cover medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation.
- Tips. Always your choice, for your guide at the end of the day. How tipping works
- Personal spending. Drinks other than water, souvenirs and anything personal.
Packing
Comfortable walking boots or shoes with good grip, a rain jacket and a warm layer (a proper one for Shira), a daypack, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent, and a little cash for tips.
Visa
Most nationalities need a visa: $50 for a single entry. US citizens pay $100 for a multiple-entry visa. Apply online before you travel to avoid the queue on arrival. Fees and rules change, so check with the Tanzanian embassy in your country.
Questions travellers actually ask
Only on clear mornings. Clouds often cover the mountain by midday, so a view of Kibo is a bonus rather than a promise.
Moderately. Machame and Marangu are a steady uphill walk on a good path and the same back down; Shira is gentler underfoot but starts at about 3,500 m, where the air is thinner. No climbing on any of them. Anyone used to long country walks will manage at the guide's pace.
Machame is about an hour and a half from Arusha; Marangu and Shira are longer days, so many travellers stay in Moshi the night before.
On Machame and Marangu, rarely. On the Shira Plateau you are driven to about 3,500 m in a morning, and some people feel a headache or breathlessness. Walk slowly and drink plenty; your guide will turn back early if anyone feels unwell.
Yes, from about 10, if they have a reasonable fitness level and are happy walking most of the day.
Machame if you want the rainforest and a proper uphill walk. Shira if you want open moorland and the best chance of seeing Kibo, and you're comfortable starting at about 3,500 m. Marangu if you'd like a steady forest path to a real mountain hut, with the short walk to Maundi Crater on top. Staying in Arusha, Machame is the shortest drive.
No, and we won't pretend it is. The summit, at 5,895 m, needs at least six days on the mountain to reach safely. A day hike takes you onto the mountain's lower slopes inside the national park. It is a real day on Kilimanjaro, and a good way to find out whether the full climb is for you.
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The full climb, more days out from Arusha, and what to book when one day isn't enough.
