Safari Itinerary · Tanzania · Northern Circuit Safari
5 Day Kilimanjaro Climb via Marangu Route
From $5,800 per person
This five-day trek takes you up Africa’s highest mountain on the Marangu Route. You start at Marangu Gate and walk through rainforest, moorland and alpine desert. You sleep in mountain huts with bunk beds instead of tents. You summit Uhuru Peak at 5,895 meters, then descend the same trail to Marangu Gate.
Your mountain guides set the pace each day. Slow walking helps your body adjust to altitude. A team of assistant guides, cooks and porters carries your gear and prepares your meals.
Duration: 5 days
Route: Marangu Gate, Mandara Hut, Horombo Hut, Kibo Hut, Uhuru Peak, Horombo Hut, Marangu Gate
Your stay: Mountain huts
Hotel transfers: Included
Summit altitude: 5,895 meters
About this itinerary
The Marangu Route is the oldest and most direct trail on Kilimanjaro. Guides call it the Coca-Cola Route. It has a gradual slope and a steady path, so you avoid steep scrambling. Huts give you a bed, a roof and a dining hall at every stop. You share the dorm rooms with other climbers.
This is the shortest option on the mountain. Five days leave less time to adjust to altitude, and success rates are lower than on longer routes. A six day version adds an extra night at Horombo Hut and improves your odds. Ask your specialist if you want it. Your guides check your health twice a day and adjust the plan when needed. No summit is guaranteed.
Best suited to: hikers, climbers who prefer a bed to a tent, couples, friends and private groups.
Itinerary
Each day gives you time to walk, rest and adjust to the altitude.
Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut
Your guide picks you up from your hotel in Moshi or Arusha after breakfast. The drive to Marangu Gate takes about one hour from Moshi and about two hours from Arusha. Register with the park and meet your crew. Walk through thick rainforest on a clear, well kept trail. Eat lunch on the trail and arrive at Mandara Hut by mid-afternoon. Your cook serves dinner in the dining hall.
Walking time: 4 to 5 hours
Distance: 8 km
Altitude: 1,860 m to 2,720 m
Overnight: Mandara Hut
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Day 2
Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut
Climb out of the forest into heather and open moorland. The air gets cooler and the views widen toward Mawenzi Peak. Eat lunch beside the trail. Giant groundsels and lobelias line the path. Arrive at Horombo Hut by mid-afternoon. Rest, drink water and watch the clouds drop below you.
Walking time: 5 to 6 hours
Distance: 12 km
Altitude: 2,720 m to 3,720 m
Overnight: Horombo Hut
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3
Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut
Cross the Saddle, a wide stretch of alpine desert between Mawenzi and Kibo peaks. The land is bare rock and dust. Wind picks up as you climb. Kibo Hut sits at the base of the summit cone. Eat an early dinner and sleep for a few hours. Your guide wakes you near midnight with hot tea and biscuits. Dress in layers and check your headlamp.
Walking time: 5 to 6 hours
Distance: 10 km
Altitude: 3,720 m to 4,700 m
Overnight: Kibo Hut
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4
Summit Day, Uhuru Peak to Horombo Hut
Start the summit climb around midnight. Walk slowly in the dark up a steep, loose scree slope. It is cold and the air is thin. Reach Gilman’s Point on the crater rim at about sunrise. Continue 1.5 to 2 hours along the rim, past Stella Point, to Uhuru Peak. Take photos and begin the descent. Rest at Kibo Hut for a hot meal, then continue down to Horombo Hut. Expect a long and tiring day.
Walking time: 12 to 15 hours
Distance: 21 km
Altitude: 4,700 m to 5,895 m to 3,720 m
Overnight: Horombo Hut
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5
Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate and Return
Walk down through moorland and rainforest to Marangu Gate. Your knees will feel the descent, so use trekking poles. Collect your summit certificate at the gate. Your driver takes you back to your hotel in Moshi or Arusha. Hot showers and a proper meal wait for you.
Walking time: 5 to 7 hours
Distance: 18 km
Altitude: 3,720 m to 1,860 m
End of climb: Moshi or Arusha
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
The complete package
Everything included.
STAY
Moshi or Arusha
1 night before the climb in a selected hotel is recommended and is added on request.
Mountain huts
4 nights in shared huts with bunk beds and mattresses. Full board.
Experiences
Rainforest
Walk through moss covered trees and look for monkeys and birds.
Horombo Hut:
Rest above the clouds with views of Mawenzi Peak.
The Saddle
Cross a wide alpine desert between two volcanic peaks.
Uhuru Peak
Reach the highest point in Africa at sunrise.
Travel
Hotel pickup and drop off in Moshi or Arusha
Licensed mountain guide and assistant guides.
Cook, porters and camp crew.
Speak to a safari specialist
Let's plan your journey.
From your first enquiry to the day you come home, one named safari specialist looks after every detail. A safari specialist will be in touch within as little as 15 minutes during working hours
Everything included
A clear overview of what your climb package covers. Your final proposal lists the exact accommodation, equipment and transport arrangements.
Transport
Private transfer from your hotel to Marangu Gate and back.
Accommodation
Four nights in mountain huts, as listed in your confirmed itinerary.
Meals
Meals as shown in each day of your itinerary.
Park Fees
Kilimanjaro National Park entry, hut and rescue fees for the confirmed route.
Usually excluded: international flights, visas, travel insurance, sleeping bags, trekking poles, personal gear, tips for the crew and items not listed in your confirmed proposal.