Kilimanjaro Marangu Route Itinerary
The Kilimanjaro-Marangu route itinerary is the most popular route to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. It is a six-day Marangu route that takes hikers through the rainforest, moorlands, and alpine desert to the summit of Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa.
Marangu Route
The Marangu Route, also known as the “Coca-Cola Route” or “Tourist Route,” is the oldest and most well-established trekking route on Mount Kilimanjaro. It is the only route on the mountain that has hut accommodation for hikers, with 60 bunk beds each at Mandara and Kibo Huts and 120 bunk beds at Horombo Hut. Typically, tour operators provide mattresses and pillows for climbers, but sleeping bags need to be brought separately by trekkers. However, according to KINAPA, the Marangu Route suffers from the lowest success rate (42%), due to poor acclimatization, and too many climbers try to do it in only 5 days of the Kilimanjaro Marangu route itinerary and fail due to poor acclimatization.
Pros and cons of the Kilimanjaro-Marangu route itinerary
Pros:
- The Marangu route is the most popular route to climb Kilimanjaro, so there are many tour operators and guide companies that offer this route.
- The Marangu route is a relatively short route, so it is a good option for hikers who are short on time or who are not in peak physical condition.
- The Marangu route has permanent huts at each campsite, so hikers do not need to carry their own tents or sleeping bags.
Cons:
- The Marangu route is the most crowded route to climb Kilimanjaro, so hikers may experience a lot of traffic on the trail.
- The Marangu route has a shorter acclimatization period than some of the other routes, so hikers may be more likely to experience altitude sickness.
6 days Kilimanjaro-Marangu route itinerary
D1: Arrival in Moshi.
You will be welcomed at the airport and transferred to your hotel in Arusha.
In the evening, you’ll receive a briefing to prepare you for the climb and check your equipment.
D2: Marangu Gate (1980 m)—Mandara Hut (2700 m).
You start your trip after breakfast with the transfer to the village of Marangu.
By choosing this route, your journey will begin at the Marangu gate (1980 m), where you have to check in at the park office. Carriers will charge all the trekking supplies with water, food, cooking gas, and most other equipment, but you will need to bring your drinking water, picnic, and clothes for the day.
The path is marked by a small stream and some beautiful waterfalls. Mandara Hut, where you stay for the night, is in a clearing of the forest and consists of a group of wooden huts. If you still have enough time and energy, you can even take a short walk (about 15 minutes) to the Maundi crater, where you might see the Mawenzi Peak if the weather is good. In this crater, you also see blue monkeys and black and white colobus monkeys.
5 hours of walking, distance: 12 km.
D3: Mandara hut (2700 m)—Horombo hut (3720 m).
Your second day starts with a light breakfast. Here you begin your trek in the last parcels of forest. You pass behind the crater of Maundi and soon enter the vegetation area of Moorland. In this vegetation zone, you see the dominant plant, the heather, as well as the beautiful Dendrosenecio kilimanjari and Lobelia dokenii. If the weather is good, you have great views of the Mawenzi and Kibo peaks.
2 nights are planned in Horombo Camp.
6 hours of walking, distance: 15 km.
D4: Horombo huts (3720 m)—Zebra Rockos (4200 m)—Horombo huts (3720 m).
This extra day around the Horombo Huts camp is important for good acclimatization. Indeed, the climb up to the 4200 meters of Zebra Rockos is done quietly and has as its sole objective to prepare you for the altitude, which will rise quickly during the next few days.
The round trip lasts 5 to 6 hours.
D5: Horombo huts (3720 m)—Kibo refuge (4700 m).
This stage brings you to Kibo huts (4700 m), located in the arid alpine desert. The only plants you see here are rustic herbs and everlasting flowers. Kibo Hut consists of a single stone block house. Several rooms are available, and it is here that you spend your last evening before the ascent.
6 hours of walking, distance: 15 km.
D6: Kibo hut (4700 m) — Uhuru Peak (5895 m) — Horombo hut (3720 m).
At midnight, the climb to the summit begins. After 6 hours and 6 kilometers of ascent, you finally arrive at the summit of Kilimanjaro! After a few minutes to enjoy your success and enjoy the magnificent view of Mount Meru, the Kenyan plains, and the glaciers around, you begin to slowly descend. First to the start camp, where you find your porters and eat the brunch that has been prepared to congratulate you. The break is short because it is necessary to go down 15 kilometers and reach Horombo camp before night.
D7: Horombo huts (3720 m)—Marangu gate (1980 m).
You start your last day on Kilimanjaro with a breakfast at the Horombo hut. After Mandara Hut (2700 m), you recognize the path already used the first day. After the last administrative formalities at the Marangu Gate, your certificate of climbing the summit is given to you. It is now time to return to the hotel in Arusha.
D8: Arusha—transport to airport.
At any time, depending on your return schedule, a driver will take you back to the airport.
THE PRICE INCLUDES
- Local supervision: cooks, drivers, porters, and guides.
- Return transfers from Kilimanjaro international airport to your hotel in Arusha.
- Return transfers from the hotel to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate.
- 2 nights hotel before and after the trekking.
- Meals from D1 dinner to D8 lunch.
- Collective camping equipment (tents for 2 people + mattress).
- Safety equipment: hyperbaric chamber, oxygen tanks, and pulse oximeter.
- Entrance, accommodation, and rescue fees in Kilimanjaro National Park.
THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE
- Tanzanian visa.
- Return flights to Arusha.
- Airport transfers if you cannot get to Kilimanjaro JRO.
- Tips on site (groups of 1 to 4: $300 per person, groups of 5 or more: $250 per person).
- Drinks during meals at the restaurant.
- Personal expenses and equipment.
- Optional insurance.
- Bank charges for international transfers.
- Anything not mentioned in “The price includes”.
ACCOMMODATION
- Overnights in dormitory (bed, table, chair, mattress) with outdoor sanitary facilities and solar electricity.
- All equipment needed for meals is provided.
- Please note: sleeping bags are not provided.
