5 Days Marangu Route

Rongai Route:

The Rongai route is the only route that approaches Kilimanjaro from the north, close to the Kenyan border. Though gaining popularity amongst climbers, Rongai has low traffic. It is the preferred route for those looking for an alternative to the crowded Marangu & Machame route, for those who would like a more remote hike, and for those who are climbing during the rainy season as the north side receives less precipitation.

Itinerary

Day 1: Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 40000 Tanzania
After breakfast and a briefing from your guide, leave Moshi at 8 AM, drive for 45 minutes to the Marangu Gate on the eastern side of Kilimanjaro, register with the national park, and begin hiking at 10:30 AM. In the rainforest, look for towering Eucalyptus trees, bird life, and Colubus monkeys. At these lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy, so gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts should be sufficient, but keep your rain gear and warmer clothing handy. Stop halfway for lunch, and reach the Mandara Huts at 2 or 3 PM. Unpack, rest, and have some tea or coffee. A 15 minute side trip to Maundy Crater is a good way to see the surroundings including Northern Tanzania and Kenya. Dinner is served during the early evening at 7 PM. Bathrooms with running water are available..
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Accommodation will be at Mandara Hut

Day 2: Mandara Huta to Horombo Hut

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 40000 Tanzania
Wake to a 7:30 AM breakfast, and pack for your next trek. Break camp by 8:30 AM, hike for an hour through rainforest glades, then follow an ascending path through heath land where you can look for giant lobelias and groundsels. Continue up into open moorlands where small shrubs are the main vegetation. Stop halfway for lunch, where you can enjoy amazing views of Mawenzi. Arrive at the Horombo Huts by 3 PM, where you can see Kibos summit. Rest, unpack, and prepare for dinner. Bathrooms with running water are available. You may start to feel the effects of altitude here, and to aid your acclimatization, you can choose to spend an extra day resting at Horombo or climbing to a base camp below Kibos sub peak Mawenzi.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Accommodation will be at Horombo Hut

Day 3: Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 40000 Tanzania
Wake to breakfast as usual, but if you wake early you can get some great photos of the sunrise. The first part of the days hike climbs through the dwindling heath land that blends into a moonscape as you enter the sweeping saddle connecting Mawenzi and Kibo. When you stop for lunch, and later when you cross this surprisingly large saddle, you can examine the summit climb up Kibo that you will be starting in just a few hours. Be careful to notice any signs of altitude sickness. There is no running water at the Kibo Huts.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Accommodation will be at Kibo Hut

Day 4: Summit Day! Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak to Horombo Hut

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 40000 Tanzania
Light breakfast, and then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly after sunrise. Leave at 1 AM, switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Gilmans Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft between 5 and 7 AM. Here, views of the fabled crater and its icecaps greet you. Another 2 hours of hiking along the crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to Kilimanjaro true summit, Uhuru Peak, by 9 AM. This is Africas highest point. Be sure to have your picture taken at the summit to show your friends. After your summit stay, descend back to the Kibo Huts, have lunch, rest, collect your things, and re cross the saddle to the Horombo Huts. Eat dinner and get some well-deserved sleep! You do the beginning of this climb in the dark with headlamps or flashlights. It will be very cold until you start descending, so you will need all of your warm layers.
Duration: 15 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Accommodation will be at Horombo Hut

Day 5: Horombo Hut to Mandara Hut to Marangu Gate

Stop At: Mount Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro National Park 40000 Tanzania
Wake as usual, pack, and descend through the moorland to the Mandara Huts. Have lunch there then continue your triumphant recessional down through lush forest to the park gate, which you should reach around 2 or 3 PM. Remember to tip your guides, cooks, and porters, since you will be leaving them here. A vehicle will take you back to your hotel in Moshi, where it is definitely time for celebration!
Duration: 7 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Accommodation will be at Moshi town

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