Tour Kilimanjaro: Rongai Route | Visit Tanzania, United Republic of

Accommodation

On the mountain you’ll be camping out under the stars with a full-service camping experience. You can bring your own sleeping bag or hire one through us (please advise your booking agent), while mattresses are provided. Our two-person tents are ideal for expedition trips and feature a flysheet made from ripstop nylon, anti-mosquito netting, reflective guy ropes and a 3000mm waterhead, ensuring you stay warm and dry even in difficult conditions. Camping (with toilet facilities) (5 nights), Hotel (2 nights)

Guide

KILIMANJARO CLIMB: This trip is led by experienced guides, with a minimum of 1 guide to every 2 climbers. Sufficient porters are employed to carry the group’s equipment.

Others

Mount Kilimanjaro - Trek Briefing Mount Kilimanjaro - Complimentary equipment hire (sleeping bag and walking poles) - must be requested at time of booking Mount Kilimanjaro - Services of experienced English speaking mountain guides (first-aid qualified) cooks and porters (a minimum of 1 guide to every 2) Fully catered trek including National Park entrance fees, climbing fee, tented camps & rescue services (6 days) Mount Kilimanjaro - Porterage of 1 bag (9kg/20lb max) Mount Kilimanjaro - Return transfers from hotel to park gate Mount Kilimanjaro - Emergency oxygen and comprehensive first aid kits Rongai - Kilimanjaro Porters Assitance Project

Meals

7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners

Transport

NAIROBI TO MARANGU SHUTTLE: It’s easy to book yourself a transfer from Nairobi to Marangu (or vice versa). Simply ask at your hotel. They will make a booking and collect payment for you (cost is approx US$80). This public shuttle transfer leaves your Nairobi hotel around 08:00 and connects with a 14:00 shuttle in Arusha. The Arusha shuttle transfers to Moshi, Marangu. The transfer company we work with have agreed to take our passengers through to Kibo Hotel. Please ask your booking agent for the shuttle company details. Minibus

Not included:

Optional

Other activities and services not included

Flights

International flights not included.

Others

Other activities and services not included

Insurance

Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered. If you require travel insurance, TourRadar has partnered up with World Nomads to provide a hassle-free experience. More information can be found here (https://www.tourradar.com/travel-insurance).

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Marangu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Marangu

Jambo! Welcome to Tanzania. Your trip begins in the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro in Marangu. The hotel is a short walk from the village’s bustling market and some excellent coffee shops. It is also very close to some beautiful waterfalls and ancient Chagga caves. Please make sure you are at the hotel by early evening, as your trip starts with a full briefing and kit inspection by an experienced Kilimanjaro climber.
Day 2 Day 2: Simba Camp
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Simba Camp

Enjoy some breakfast before meeting your guides and porters. Each person has a personal porter and there are extra porters for camping equipment and food. This morning you’ll transfer to the northern side of the mountain and the village of Nale Moru (1950 metres). On the way we stop into one of the clothes lending offices of Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Projects and learn how their program, supported by the Intrepid Foundation, is assisting porters. As you walk up from the gate you’ll wind through cultivated farmland and pine forest plantations before entering lush forests. As you go along, keep your eyes peeled – many species of bird hide in the trees, and you might be lucky enough to see monkeys and signs of larger game. Your first mountain camp is on the edge of the moorland zone with great views back down to the plains and into Kenya.
Day 3 Day 3: Kikelewa Caves
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Kikelewa Caves

Rise early for a hot drink and a hearty breakfast. Your walk commences with a steady uphill ascent which will bring you to the second cave (3450 metres). Look above and see the glorious Kibo peak of Kilimanjaro looming – the eastern ice fields cling to the mountain’s crater rim. Down below, the slope sweeps away down into the forests. The third cave is our goal for today, so we will head further up the mountain and reach the camp in the afternoon.
Day 4 Day 4: Mawenzi Tarn
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Mawenzi Tarn

This morning you have a steady but steep ascent under the jagged peaks of Mawenzi. Leave the grassy slopes and vegetation zone behind as you enter the high-altitude desert. Make the journey to the Mawenzi Tarn, the location of tonight’s camp. This is the only permanent lake on Kilimanjaro. You’ll see the 5149-metre peak towering above you as you complete your hike. Enjoy free time this afternoon – take the opportunity to relax. It’s important to pace yourself – this is part of the acclimatisation process.
Day 5 Day 5: Kibo Camp/Uhuru Peak
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Kibo Camp/Uhuru Peak

Head out into the lunar landscape of ’The Saddle’, a broad tundra desert between the two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo. From here you can take in fantastic views of the upper reaches of the mountain. Continue to Kibo Camp (4703 metres), which that has limited facilities. Tonight, prepare for tomorrow’s final ascent. Take the opportunity to re-pack your bag and leave any non-essential items with the porters – you’ll need all your energy for the summit. It’s important to retire early tonight and get as good a sleep as you can, as there will be a midnight start in order to reach the summit in the morning before the cloud cover settles and have time to get back down.
Day 6 Day 6: Uhuru Peak/Horombo Camp
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Uhuru Peak/Horombo Camp

Prepare for a demanding but rewarding day. The guides will wake you before midnight. Starting your walk in darkness, you will zig-zag up a long scree slope by the light of your head torch. At this time of day the scree is still frozen, which makes it easier to walk on. After roughly 2 hours we should reach Hans Meyer’s Cave, which is named after the German geologist who made the first successful ascent in 1889. The gradient will get steeper, and 3 hours on (this is the hardest stretch of the ascent) we should reach the crater rim at Johanne’s Notch. From here it’s a short scramble to Gillman’s Point (5680 metres) in time for dawn. The reward is the dramatic spectacle of the sun rising over the ice fields and craggy peaks of Mawenzi – the profusion of colours and shapes make all the exertion seem worthwhile. Those with some drive left can take another couple of hours to hike along the crater rim to Uhuru (Freedom) Peak (5895 metres). Your descent retraces the route to Kibo Camp. Here you can get some food and recharge a little before continuing down to Horombo Camp for a well-deserved rest.
Day 7 Day 7: Marangu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Marangu

The descent from Horombo to Mandara Camp takes around 3 hours, and the final part of the descent through the forest to Marangu Gate takes another 2 hours. Vehicles will be waiting at the gate to take you and your crew back to the hotel. Enjoy an invigorating hot shower – a real treat after the intense physical effort of the last few days. Over a celebratory meal you can relive and share your experiences of the past five days on the mountain.
Day 8 Day 8: Marangu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Marangu

Your trip comes to an end after breakfast. Transfers to Kilimanjaro Airport or a shuttle to Nairobi can be arranged locally. Please speak to your leader about this at the welcome meeting on Day 1.

8 days tour

Kilimanjaro: Rongai Route

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Kilimanjaro: Rongai Route

Day 1: Marangu

Day 2: Simba Camp

Day 3: Kikelewa Caves

Day 4: Mawenzi Tarn

Day 5: Kibo Camp/Uhuru Peak

Day 6: Uhuru Peak/Horombo Camp

Day 7: Marangu

Day 8: Marangu

Experience Style

Accomodation level

Experience Type

Physical Rating

Age range

Who talk about us:

Best cities to travel to

America

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania