Transportation
Hiking
Group Size
2-12 People
Maximum Altitude
5895 (Uhuru Peak)
Accomodation
Tented Lodges
Fitness level
HIgh
Arrival on
KLM/ARU Airport
Departure from
KLM/ARU Airport
Best season
June-October, January-March
Guiding method
Guided
Language
English, Spanish, French
Trip type
MId-range
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Permits
Included
Minimum Age
18
Maximum Age
60
Destinations
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
Activities
Mountain Trekking & Hiking
Trip Type
Mount Trekking
Difficulty
Moderate

Overview

The oldest and most established route on Mount Kilimanjaro, famously known as the “Coca-Cola” route. The Marangu Route is unique for offering comfortable permanent wooden solar-powered bunkhouse huts at every campsite rather than sleeping in tents, making it ideal for hikers seeking a traditional mountain hut trekking experience.

Trip Highlights

Accommodation in permanent bunkhouse mountain huts at every overnight stop.
Full guided support team with professional guides, cooks, and porters.
Classic direct ascent and descent path up the southeastern slopes of Kilimanjaro.
Beautiful lush tropical rainforest hikes and expansive alpine desert plateau crossings.
Stunning sunrise views over the crater rim from Gilman's Point and Uhuru Peak.

Itinerary Description Section

Expand all

The 5-day Marangu Route follows a direct, steady ascent and descent path up the southeastern slopes of Kilimanjaro. It is ideal for hikers seeking a traditional mountain hut trekking experience. The journey begins with a lush tropical rainforest hike to Mandara Hut, transitions into the scenic moorland zone toward Horombo Hut, and traverses the barren alpine desert across the Saddle to Kibo Hut before the midnight summit push to Uhuru Peak.

Day 01 :

Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut:

Rainforest Zone | Distance: ~8 km | Time: 4-5 hours.

08:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Depart your hotel in Arusha or Moshi for a scenic drive to Marangu Gate (1,860m). Complete park entry formalities, register with the national park authorities, and meet your professional lead guide, camp cook, and porter team.
11:00 AM – 04:00 PM: Begin trekking through dense, humid tropical rainforest. Watch for playful blue monkeys swinging through the canopy, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and vibrant endemic bird life.
Afternoon & Evening: Arrive at Mandara Hut (2,700m). Settle into your shared wooden bunkhouse huts, enjoy afternoon tea, and take a short optional walk to Maundi Crater for panoramic views over Kenya before a hot dinner.

Day 02 :

Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut

Moorland Zone | Distance: ~12 km | Time: 5-7 hours.

07:30 AM – 08:30 AM: Enjoy an early morning breakfast as you leave the forest glades behind and emerge onto the open, rolling moorland zone.
08:30 AM – 03:00 PM: Trek steadily upward through open shrublands where giant groundsels (Senecio kilimanjari) and towering Lobelia plants thrive. The route provides increasingly majestic, unobstructed views of both Mawenzi and Kibo peaks.
Afternoon & Evening: Arrive at the sprawling village of Horombo Hut (3,720m). Check into your mountain huts, hydrate, rest, and enjoy a warm dinner under clear alpine skies.

Day 03 :

Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut

Alpine Desert Zone | Distance: ~10 km | Time: 5-6 hours.

08:00 AM – 02:00 PM: Ascend gradually past the last permanent water stream, entering the stark, otherworldly alpine desert zone. Cross "The Saddle"—a wide, flat, windswept high-altitude desert plateau bridging the imposing gap between Kibo and Mawenzi peaks.
Afternoon & Evening: Arrive at Kibo Hut (4,703m), a stone-built fortress at the base of the massive Kibo crater wall. Eat an early dinner, organize your thermal layers and headlamps, and attempt to sleep early ahead of the midnight summit departure.

Day 04 :

Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak & Down

11:30 PM (Day 3 night) – 06:00 AM: Wake up for hot tea and biscuits before beginning your challenging midnight summit push. Climb steeply over loose volcanic scree and zigzag switchbacks up the precipitous slope to reach Gilman’s Point (5,681m) on the crater rim just as the sun begins to rise. Continue along the rim's snow-capped path to reach Uhuru Peak (5,895m), the highest point in Africa.
06:00 AM – 04:00 PM: After capturing photographs at the summit sign, retrace your steps down through the snow and scree back to Kibo Hut for a brief rest, brunch, and packed gear retrieval. Continue descending further down the mountain past the Saddle to reach Horombo Hut (3,720m) for a celebratory final night's sleep

Day 05 :

Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate & Return to Moshi/Arusha

Moorland & Rainforest Zone | Distance: ~18 km | Time: 5-6 hours.

07:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Enjoy a final celebratory breakfast with your mountain crew, complete with traditional songs of appreciation and tipping. Embark on a steady, knee-saving descent through the moorland and lush rainforest zones back down to Marangu Gate (1,860m).
Afternoon: Sign out at the park gate, collect your official gold or green park completion certificates, and transfer back to your hotel in Moshi or Arusha for a long-awaited hot shower and celebration.