5 Day Kilimanjaro Cycling Trek via the Kilema Route
Cycle Mount Kilimanjaro to Uhuru Peak on the Kilema Route, the only route on the mountain open to mountain bikes. Five days of riding through rainforest, moorland and alpine desert, with an acclimatisation day at Horombo Hut.
Kilimanjaro Cycling Trek Overview
This 5 day Kilimanjaro cycling trek via the Kilema Route takes riders from the mountain’s southeastern foothills to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 metres, the highest point in Africa. Kilema is the only route on Mount Kilimanjaro open to mountain bikes, following an old vehicle track from Kilema Gate up through forest and moorland to Horombo Hut.
The itinerary builds in a full acclimatisation day at Horombo with a ride toward Mawenzi Hut and back, which is what allows a five day profile on a summit this high. From Horombo the route continues to Kibo Hut at 4,703 metres before the summit push, with the final section above Gilman’s Point ridden on the crater rim to Uhuru Peak.
Riding is close to continuous on the lower and middle sections. The steep scree between Kibo Hut and the crater rim is climbed largely on foot, with porters carrying the bikes, before riders remount near the rim.
That last paragraph is deliberate. Your own Day 4 says only 15 to 20 percent of the Kibo to Uhuru section is ridden, and a buyer paying $3,100 for a cycling product needs to know that before booking, not on summit night.
Price Per Person
|
1 to 2 People |
3 to 4 People |
Group of 5+ |
|
$3,100 |
$3,050 |
$3,000 |
Trekking Highlights
- Summit approach via Horombo Huts to Uhuru Peak
- Gradual ascent for good acclimatization
- Steady climb suitable for beginner and intermediate trekkers
- Beautiful views of Maundi Crater, Kibo, and the surrounding landscapes
Summary Route Description
- DIFFICULTY – Medium
- SCENERY – Good
- TRAFFIC – Medium
Route Map
DAY TO DAY ITINERARY
- ARRIVAL
- Welcome to Tanzania
You arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and transfer to Summit View Retreat in Moshi, roughly 45 minutes from the airport. After check-in you meet your guide for a trek briefing and gear check, and a discussion of the following day’s plan. The rest of the day is free to rest or explore Moshi before the climb.
Summit View Retreat is a boutique lodge in the Pasua area of Moshi, five minutes from the town centre, with secure luggage storage for the equipment you leave behind during the climb.
- Altitude: 915m/3,000ft
Accommodation Options (Before and After the Hike):
- DAY 1:
- Marangu/Kilema Gate – Horombo Hut
You are collected from Summit View Retreat at 8:30 am and drive through Kilimanjaro’s semi-tropical foothills to Marangu Gate, where you complete registration and collect your park permit. From there you transfer to Kilema Gate, enter Kilimanjaro National Park and begin the ride.
The Kilema Route follows an old vehicle track through rainforest and into moorland, climbing steadily to Horombo Hut. Today is ridden in full.
Cycling distance: 19 km
Vegetation: Forest and moorland
Riding: 100%
Accommodation: Horombo Hut, 3,720 m
Meals: Dinner and breakfast
Accommodation:
- Horombo Hut
Meal Plan:
- Dinner & BreakFast
- DAY 2:
- Full Day Horombo Acclimatization
After breakfast you ride out across the alpine desert toward Mawenzi Hut, beneath the jagged peak of Mawenzi, and return to Horombo. Sections of the track are loose stone. Sleeping again at Horombo after climbing higher during the day is what makes the five day profile workable on a mountain this high.
Cycling distance: 10 km
Vegetation: Alpine desert
Riding: 90%
Accommodation: Horombo Hut, 3,720 m
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner
Accommodation:
- Horombo Hut
Meal Plan:
- Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, and Dinner.
- DAY 3:
- Horombo Hut (3,720m) to Kibo Hut (4,703m)
After breakfast you continue riding across the saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo to Kibo Hut at 4,703 metres. Much of the surface is loose volcanic stone. Kibo Hut is the base for the summit attempt, and the afternoon and evening are spent resting before an early start.
Vegetation: Alpine desert
Riding: 90%
Accommodation: Kibo Hut, 4,703 m
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner
Accommodation:
- Kibo Hut.
Meal Plan:
- Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, and Dinner.
- DAY 4:
- Kibo Hut (4,703m) to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) to Horombo Hut (3,720m)
Your guides wake you at 4:00 am for the summit push. You climb in a zigzag up a long scree slope, reaching Hans Meyer Cave after roughly two hours. From here the gradient steepens, and a further three hours brings you to Gilman’s Point on the crater rim, where you are likely to see sunrise.
At Gilman’s Point you take your bike from the porters and ride the crater rim to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 metres, the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and in Africa. After photographs at the summit you ride back down to Gilman’s Point and descend to Kibo Hut, where lunch is served. From Kibo you ride the full descent to Horombo Hut for your last night on the mountain.
Riding: approximately 15 to 20% between Kibo Hut and the crater rim, 100% from Kibo Hut down to Horombo
Vegetation: Alpine desert and ice cap
Accommodation: Horombo Hut, 3,720 m
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner
Accommodation:
- Horombo Hut
Meal Plan:
- Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, and Dinner.
- DAY 5:
- Horombo Hut(3720 M) –Kilema gate (1800 M)
After a relaxed breakfast you make the final descent by bike from Horombo through moorland and rainforest to Kilema Gate at 1,800 metres. You then transfer to Marangu Gate to sign out of the park, and return to Summit View Retreat in Moshi.
Accommodation: Summit View Retreat, Moshi
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Accommodation:
- Summit View Retreat
Meal Plan:
- Lunch, and Dinner.
COST BREAKDOWN
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