Typical day on Kilimanjaro

After waking up, the waiter will bring tea / coffee to your tent. Every hiker will also get a small bowl of hot water to freshen up, wipe your face and brush your teeth. You will then pack your daypack, roll up your sleeping bag and pack duffel bag. You will then enjoy a wholesome breakfast prepared by the cook, served in the dining tent. The guide will also perform the daily health check with the pulse Oximeter and take note of your blood oxygen levels, heart rate and any symptoms you might have.

After breakfast meet your guide and start the hike to the next campsite. Depending on the route, you will either receive a picnic lunch from the cook or a hot lunch will be prepared and served half way en-route to the next campsite. Please make sure you have taken everything that you may need from your duffel bag, since you will leave your duffel bag inside the tent and only see it again at the next campsite.

After the group left, the luggage porters will dismantle the campsite (including your tent, dining tent etc) and take everything to the next campsite. The luggage porters’ hike very fast and they will normally arrive to the next campsite well before the rest of the group. By the time you arrive to the next campsite, everything will be set up already!

Remember to hike slowly and maximize the time your body has to acclimatize. The group will stop half way to enjoy the picnic lunch or a hot lunch, depending on the route and conditions.

After lunch continue hiking to the next campsite. Upon arrival at the next campsite, tea or coffee and a snack will be served. Your tent will already be assembled and your duffel bag inside. Every hiker will receive another small bowl of hot water in the afternoon for basic washing. The group will then meet in the dining tent for dinner. The guide will then arrange the second daily health check and brief the group on the next day’s hike. After dinner you can relax, play card games etc before retiring to your bed early, making sure you get enough rest for the next day. Unfortunately no open fires are allowed on Kilimanjaro.

Toilets and showers on Kilimanjaro

Toilets on Kilimanjaro

Most campsites and huts have shared public Kilimanjaro toilet facilities that are used by everybody. The majority of the campsites provide small wooden shelters with long drop style toilets. Kilimanjaro National Park has upgraded some of the long drop toilets into western toilets blocks, however with no full time cleaners available, their cleanliness and smell leave much to be desired.

For this reason many hikers choose to rent a private portable toilet for the duration of their hike. Please note private portable toilets are not allowed on the Marangu route.

If you need to go while hiking from one camp to the next camp, the only option is to go behind a bush or rock, we do recommend collecting your used toilet paper and dispose of properly at the next campsite.

Showers on Kilimanjaro

Except for extremely cold showers available at Mandara hut and Horombo hut, there are no showers available on your Kilimanjaro hike. We also don’t recommend using these showers because of the cold water.

Your Kilimanjaro crew will supply a small bowl of hot water every morning and every afternoon for to freshen up and wash your face. Since there are no full body wash solutions, we recommend bringing wet wipes to clean yourself.