7 Days Rongai Route Hike

From: $1,790

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Duration

7 Days

Tour Type

Daily Tour

Group Size

10 people

Languages

English

About this tour

Tour Overview

The Rongai route is the only route that approaches Kilimanjaro from the north, close to the Kenyan border. Though gaining popularity amongst climbers, this route still experiences low crowds. Rongai has a more gradual slope than the mountain’s other routes. It is the preferred route for those looking for an alternative to the popular Marangu route, for those who would like a more remote hike, and for those who are climbing during the rainy season (the north side receives less precipitation). Rongai is a moderately difficult route, and is highly recommended, especially for those with less backpacking experience. Although the scenery is not as varied as the western routes, Rongai makes up for this by passing through true wilderness areas for nearly the entire way. Descent is made via the Marangu route. Topi Adventure offers Rongai as a 7 day Kilimanjaro group climb or a six or seven private climb. The six day variation does not have an acclimatization day on day four at Mawenzi Turn Hut

Included/Excluded

Airport Pickup and Drop – Off
2 Nights’ accommodation in Moshi is included
All transfers to the mountain and back to your Moshi hotel.
Professional, experienced, mountain guides
Guides, Porters, cook salaries and park fees
Quality, waterproof, four seasons private mountain sleeping tents
Sleeping Mattress
All meals while on the mountain
Quality mess tents with table and chairs
Large portions of fresh, healthy, nutritious food
Clean purified drinking water
Kilimanjaro National Park Entrance fees
All Government taxes and levies including 18% VAT
Community Development Fund & Conservation Fund

Drinks at your hotel before and after the climb.
Travel insurance
Flights
Laundry (Available at the hotel)
Personal items and toiletries
Tips for guides, porters and cook

Itinerary

Elevation(m): 1,387/915 m to 1,950 m to 2,750 m
Distance: 9 km
Hiking Time: 4 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest

You will have an early breakfast. Transfer by our vehicles through many villages and coffee and plantations for 2-3 hour drive to Rongai Gate (1,950 m/6,398 ft). After signing in and preparing the porters, you will start hiking on a wide path winding through fields of maize and potatoes, and then enter into montane forest. You will then start to climb gently but consistently through attractive forest that shelters a variety of wildlife. The forest begins to thin as you arrive at Simba Camp (2,600 m/8,530ft) with fantastic views over the Kenyan plains.

Elevation: 2,750 m to 3,600 m
Distance: 17 km
Hiking Time: 7 hours
Habitat: Moorland

After an early breakfast you will have a steady ascent to the second cave where you will stop for lunch. You leave the direct trail at this point and strike out across the moorland on a smaller path toward Mawenzi Peak to Kikelewa Camp in a sheltered valley. At the Kikelewa Camp you will settle for your dinner and overnight rest.

Elevation: 3,600m to 4,330m
Distance: 7km
Hiking Time: 4 hours
Habitat: Semi-Desert

After breakfast you will face a short, steep climb up grassy slopes; rewarded by superb all-round views, immersed in the vast surrounding wilderness. Soon after, you leave the vegetation behind and arrive at the Mawenzi Tarn Camp, which is situated in a spectacular cirque directly beneath the towering spires of Mawenzi Peak. After this hike, you will reach to the Mawenzi Tarn Hut Camp where you will also see the amazing lake (tarn) with no inlet as well as no outlet. Here you will have lunch, rest, then dinner and overnight at this camp.

This is your extra day on the mountain, and you will spend an extra night at Mawenzi Tarn. You will hike up towards Mawenzi for a splendid acclimatization hike. Then after return back to the camp for lunch the dinner and overnight.

Elevation: 4,330 m to 4,695 m
Distance: 8km
Hiking Time: 5 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert

After an early breakfast you will cross the lunar desert of the saddle between Kibo Peak and Mawenzi Peak to Kibo Huts Camp at the bottom of Kibo’s crater wall. You will spend the remainder of the day resting and preparing for your summit climb.

Elevation: 4,695 m to 5,895 m to 3,690 m
Distance: 4 km up, 14 km down
Hiking Time: 10-15 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert.

Wake at midnight to a light breakfast and then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly before or after sunrise. Leave to the peak at 12; 00AM, switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Gilman’s Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft between 4 and 6 AM. At this point, you will have views of the fabled crater and its icecaps facing you. Then after 2 hours of hiking along the Kibo Crater Rim near the celebrated snows takes you to Kilimanjaro’s true summit, Uhuru Peak here you will spend some minites for taking photos and denjoying the achievement.

After your summit activities done, descend back to the Kibo Huts Camp, have lunch, rest, collect your equipment, and continue on down, re-crossing the saddle to the Horombo Huts. Have dinner and overnight at Horombo Camp.

Elevation: 3,690 m to 1,830 m to 1,387 m
Distance: 18 km
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours

After a long and enjoyable sleep you will be awaked for breakfast and pack up, start descend through the moorland to Mandara Huts. Here you will have lunch then precede with your triumphant recessional down through lush forest to Marangu Gate. Here you will sign out then after a vehicle will take you to back to the hotel where it is definitely time for certificate presentation and celebration!

Durations

Multi day

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

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

See Group Booking Discount

The price per person for group expeditions are fixed based on a group size. However, we have optional arrangements for individual private and tailor-made preferences best suited for you, your family and friends.

Number of Clients	Price Per Person
Solo Traveler	$ 2,230
2 to 4 Pax	$ 1,790
5 to 7 Pax	$ 1,730
8 to 10 Pax	$ 1,605
11 to 13 Pax	$ 1,555
14 and above	$ 1,505

What customers have to say about what we do

    
 
 
        
   Kevin B 
 2023-09-12
 
 
 Verified Great hike with a great team
Emanuel and his team were amazing from start to finish. He took the time to help us plan the route and walk us through all the preparations. On the mountain, the Topi guides and porters were experienced, friendly, and a joy to climb with. I can't speak more highly of this team and everyone considering climbing Kilimanjaro should work with Topi Adventures.
  
 
       
   Kyle 
 2023-09-12
 
 
 Verified A true mountaintop experience
Look no further - you have found your next adventure. Kilimanjaro is an incredible, but challenging endeavor. In order to get the most out of it, you're going to need the right team. I could give no higher recommendation than to consider Topi for your choice. Emmanuel and his team were incredibly organized and made sure that we were not only safe, but well taken care of the whole way. I was blown away by the attention and care each and every one of the thirty (!!) crew members took for our group of six climbers. Topi takes every detail into account so that you can focus on experiencing everything the mountain has to offer, which is indescribable.
  
 
       
   Kim B 
 2023-08-26
 
 
 Verified The perfect day in Arusha
Today I enjoyed a wonderful tour of Arusha with my local guide Nickson. We went to multiple markets and I especially loved the food and spice markets. Also toured the cultural museum which was really special. Nickson is very knowledgeable explaining local customs, history.
  
 
       
   Laura S 
 2023-07-21
 
 
 Verified Nice Way to Spend the Day in Arusha
Park was full of baboons! We also saw giraffes, flamingos, warthogs. The walking safari to a waterfall was nice. The game drive was enjoyable.
  
 
       
   Scenic31190382571 
 2023-03-01
 
 
 Verified What a memorable experience - thank you!
Thank you to the whole Topi Tours crew for an unforgettable memorable experience. Everything was absolutely well organized and taken care of. Hope to see you all very soon again.
  
 
       
   jim 
 2023-02-18
 
 
 Verified Topi adventures... brilliant
I would highly recommend Topi adventures and Safari based in Moshi at the foot of Kilimanjaro. Emanuel, John, and the rest of the team were highly professional in the caring of our safety and wellbeing, so friendly and approachable, they made climbing Kilimanjaro an absolute pleasure... we are hoping to go back next year and embark on a Safari with this great company...Thanks
  
 
       
   Patrick C 
 2022-10-10
 
 
 Verified Amazing trek, great team!
My wife and I did the seven day Machame route with Topi Adventure - we could not be happier with our choice! Emmanuel got us all settled before the hike, ensured we were prepared with all necessary items, and John and the team gave us a great experience on the mountain. The food was great, the service was above and beyond, and we truly had a wonderful experience - including making it up to the peak before sunrise! We will happily recommend Topi to all of our friends / family that are looking for a Tanzanian adventure!
  
 
       
   Wilfred Thompson 
 2022-09-13
 
 
 Verified World-class Kili climb and the best deal possible
Embarked in the 6-day trip up the Marangu route to Uhuru peak. Topi Adventures were extremely helpful in sorting accommodation and travel whilst I was in Kilimanjaro. Emanuel, the owner, was very pleasant, as were all the porters and guides. My guide John was the true star, however. The pace set was perfect, and his knowledge of the nature surrounding us was spectacular. All my needs were catered for, and I honestly felt I was better looked after than the other more established and well-known organisations also taking people up Kilimanjaro. Without question the best deal you can get when it comes to climbing Kili, but also a company which values porters and guides much better than mainstream and foreign companies. I cannot recommend Topi high enough, and I hope they see the future success they deserve.
  
 
       
   Martin P 
 2022-07-10
 
 
 Verified Great experience
This is a great 1st time experience . It was rainy and cold but fun we had . Our guy is wonderful I had a small problem coming down with my leg and he helped Be all the way . Would definitely recommend this tour company
  
 
       
   Srikant 
 2022-01-01
 
 
 Verified Best Guide/Operator for Mount Kilimanjaro climb
Topi Adventure is the best tour operator one can rely upon to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. It's owner Emanuel is very polite, humble, well mannered and supportive person. All his crew members are very much experienced and well trained. They will leave no stone unturned to provide you with the best possible facilities and food up on the mountain. Each and every minute thing is very well taken care of by them and additionally, they also click beautiful pictures of you☺️. The guide, cook, porters, helpers everyone are well cultured and disciplined guys. You can blindly trust them on the mountain and they will not let you down. I personally liked the cook, Emanuel provided me with. Each and every meal prepared by him was absolutely mouthwatering and finger licking, which in return provided me with extra strength for my climb. Also, before and after the climb, one will be provided with the best hotel stay there is in Moshi, that too for no extra charges ;) Hence I strongly recommended everyone who is reading this post to blindly trust this review and plan your trip with Topi Adventure. Further, for any other questions or clarifications you can contact me on srikant.seerapu896@gmail.com. Just in case you need any additional information for your climb.
  
 
  
  
 
 
   Tripadvisor rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 28 reviews