6 Days
Daily Tour
10 people
English
Known as the “Coca-Cola” route, the Marangu route is a classic trek on Mount Kilimanjaro. It is the oldest, most well-established route. Many favour the Marangu route because it is considered to be the easiest path on the mountain, given its gradual slope. It is also the only route which offers sleeping huts in dormitory-style accommodations.
The minimum days required for this route is five, although the probability of successfully reaching the top in that time period is quite low. Spending an extra acclimatization day on the mountain is highly recommended when climbing Kilimanjaro using the Marangu route.
However, despite its immense popularity, we avoid leading climbs on the Marangu route. The route has the least scenic variety of all the routes because the ascent and descent are done on the same path and it is the most crowded route for that reason. Marangu is favoured only during the rainy season, where the hut accommodations are preferred
Altitude gain:6,046 ft to 8,858’ ft; Hiking time: 4-5 hours, 5 miles
Leave Moshi/Arusha at 8am for Marangu Gate. After completing gate registration, begin your Kilimanjaro trek. Walk along a narrow trail through the rainforest of Kilimanjaro for most of the hike. Eat a picnic lunch at Kisambioni, day one's halfway point. After lunch continue walking through the rainforest until reaching Mandara Hut. Relax for the rest of the day or take a short walk to Maundi Crater.
The views to the east over Taveta and to the northwest to Mawenzi Peak are stunning on a clear day, making the short hike well worth the effort. The A-frame Mandara Huts can accommodate up to seventy people and consist of several sleeping huts and a dining area. All of Marangu's huts have beds with mattresses.
8,858 ft to 12,205 ft :Hiking time: 6-8 hours, 7 miles
After breakfast, leave Mandara Hut and Kilimanjaro's forests for Horombo Hut. Most of the day's hike will be through Kilimanjaro's moorland, a rocky landscape with desert-like plants. Eat a picnic lunch at Kambi ya Taabu before continuing to Horombo Hut. If the weather is clear, enjoy beautiful views of Mawenzi and Kibo peaks. Arrive at Horombo Hut at around 3pm and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing.
Although extremely busy, the Horombo Huts are considered to be the nicest on Kilimanjaro. The small, A-frame buildings can accommodate up to eight people each and provide lodging for hikers ascending, descending and acclimatizing. Horombo can accommodate up to one hundred hikers and many more porters, cooks and guides.
12,205 ft to 14,400 ft : Hiking time: 2-3 hours, 3 miles
Day three is an acclimatization day. We suggest hiking all the way to Mawenzi Hut to allow for maximum acclimatization. The hike will increase your chances of reaching Uhuru Peak, and also reward you with magnificent views of Kibo. Return to Horombo for a late lunch. Spend the afternoon and evening relaxing at Horombo.
12,205 ft to 15,430 ft : Hiking time: 6-8 hours, 6 miles
Leave Horombo Hut after breakfast to hike through the moorland and alpine desert of Kilimanjaro's upper altitudes. After hiking for about an hour arrive at Maua River, a small mountain stream. After Maua, the terrain becomes flatter and the vegetation begins to disappear. Break for lunch at Middle Red Hill.
After lunch, continue on a steady incline for another two hours through Kilimanjaro's Saddle. Although the environment on the way to Kibo is a bleak desert with little vegetation, you will see many stunning views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. Reach Kibo Hut around 3pm to rest and prepare for your midnight climb.
15,430 ft to 19,341 ft to12,205 ft, 4 miles ascent, 10 miles descent, 6-8 hours ascent, 4-6 hours descent
3,760 feet Elevation Loss: 2,175 meters, 7,140 feet Around midnight, awake for the final ascent to Uhuru Peak, the roof of Africa. The hike begins with a demanding five hour hike to Gillman's Point on the crater rim. Although this is considered to be the easiest of the three crater ascent paths, it is still extremely difficult. The first major rest stop, William's Point, lies at 5000 meters and is approximately a two hour hike Kibo Hut. Continue on for thirty minutes before beginning the rocky switchbacks that will continue to Gillman's Point (5,681 meters).
The hike from Gilman's to Uhuru Peak is a gradual climb and as far as hikes go, not very difficult. The altitude, however, makes the hike long and tiring. The crater rim hike takes approximately two hours. Upon reaching Uhuru, take photos of your guide and group at the peak before beginning the descent to Horombo Hut. On the way down from the summit, you will see all of the magnificent views you could not see on the way up. Stop for a short break and snacks at Kibo Hut before continuing on to Horombo Hut. Reach Horombo Hut in the afternoon and enjoy your last night on the mountain.
12,205 ft to 6,046 ft : Hiking time: 5-7 hours, 12 miles
After breakfast, finish the trek with a descent to Marangu Gate. Your last hike on Kilimanjaro is a beautiful one, passing through Kilimanjaro's cloud forest. Watch your step during the descent, as the trail can be slippery. Our vehicles will be waiting at Marangu Gate to take you back to Moshi/Arusha. You will be able to buy t-shirts and sodas at the gate.
Airport transfers are not included in the price of this tour, however you can book for an arrival transfer in advance. Our representative will be at the airport to greet you. To arrange this please contact our customer service team once you have a confirmed booking.
You are expected to carry your own day pack, with only things which should be able to sustain you until you reach the next camp at the end of the day. You do not need to carry your personal backpack/ duffel pack - It will be carried by our porters.
No worries about that - this is a common concern. It is much better for your body if you proceed slowly and guides will permanently remind you about this (“pole-pole” - which means “slowly slowly”). By walking slowly, your body will much better acclimatize to high altitude.
There is plenty of time allocated each day for the treks, even for those who like to go very slowly.
Some climbers may fall short of reaching the summit, but not at the expense of their overall experience. Even for those who never reached the top, the experience of the wonders of Kilimanjaro is very rewarding.
If one or more members of the group decide they cannot continue, or if a guide deems it unsafe for an individual (or a group) to continue, they are escorted to the most convenient campsite or Hut.
Our guides intimately know the network of shortcuts to escort climbers to safety, and they are trained to act quickly and calmly under any circumstance.
On the Marangu Route, there are simple basic Huts. The first 2 Huts sleep four people each and the last Hut is a dome-style with bunk beds.
On all the other routes, you will sleep in 3 dome-style Tents, two people each. The Tents are modern and have an outer flysheet and large vestibules keep equipment from the elements. They are set up, broken down and carried- along with everything else- by our porters.
There are public toilets set up at every campsite, but portable toilets are available upon request at the cost of $ 100 per group for the whole tour. Hot water is provided for each person every morning but No showers during trek
There will be dining tents with chairs and tables where all meals will be served. Before any meal, we will provide soap and hot water for washing your hands.
For each trek on the Mount a dedicated cook will be part of the logistical team. They are professional chefs and have the ability to prepare different kinds of dishes. Please see a sample page for Dietary Menu.
You shouldn't worry- You are in safe hands. Our guides are professionally trained to handle all sorts of distress and respond quickly and accordingly. They all have Wilderness First Aid Responder qualification and they will all time bring you to safety. They will directly call for an emergency evacuation if the situation worsens.
The tours are scheduled to start in Moshi, departing on Daily basis. However, circumstances like clients’ arrival time, activities to be done and client’s preference could affect the program. Our company is flexible for such arrangements and adjustments. Normally the program starts around 7:30 AM
The tours are scheduled to End in Moshi. You may also wish to be dropped outside Moshi at an extra cost depending on the place of drop off. However, our travel specialists will need to know your specific drop-off point prior to the hike to get aligned with the program
Member Since 2022
