Trekking the Marangu route to Kilimanjaro can take around 5-6 days depending on your itinerary and physical fitness.
Day 1: Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut; You will begin at the Marangu Gate, where you will register with the park and begin your ascent through the rainforest. It will take around 3-4 hours to reach Mandara Hut, which is at an elevation of 2,700 meters.
Day 2: Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut; From Mandara Hut, you will continue through the rainforest and then into the heather and moorland zones. You will hike for around 5-6 hours before reaching Horombo Hut, which is at an elevation of 3,720 meters.
Day 3: Acclimatization Day at Horombo Hut; This day is set aside for acclimatization, which is important to help your body adjust to the altitude. You can take a short hike to Zebra Rocks or relax at the hut.
Day 4: Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut; This is a long and challenging day, as you'll climb up to Kibo Hut (4,703 meters). You'll cross the lunar desert landscape and have fantastic views of the mountain. This will take about 6-8 hours of hiking.
Day 5: Summit Day and Descent; This is the most challenging and rewarding day of the trek. You'll start your ascent to the summit around midnight, with the goal of reaching Uhuru Peak (5,895 meters) at sunrise. The final ascent takes about 6-7 hours, and the descent back to Horombo Hut takes another 5-6 hours.