6 Day Marangu Route

The Marangu route, famously known as the "Coca-Cola" route as you can get a bottle of Coca-Cola at each hut, is the original route established to climb Kilimanjaro. It is often billed as one of the easier walking routes - however, according to KINAPA it suffers from the lowest success rate (42%) as too many climbers try to do it in only 5 days and fail because of poor acclimatisation. Approaching Mount Kilimanjaro from the southeast, the Marangu route uses the same ascent and descent route which means it is less scenic than the other routes.

A six-day trip to ascend Africa’s highest peak, using the popular Marangu Route. Expect a variety of landscapes, perhaps some wildlife on the lower slopes... This six-day trip to majestic Kilimanjaro allows for extra acclimatization time, giving you an excellent chance of reaching the snow-capped summit. You will have a private vehicle to take you to and from the mountain; on the mountain, your accommodation on this trip will be in comfortable huts.

Day 01: Arrival in Kilimanjaro International Airport

A Member of Safari Stride Tours hospitality team greets you upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport. He will drive you to your accomodation, where you will have all the essentials for a comfortable stay after a long flight, such as: pleasant rooms with hot showers, a restaurant with delicious choices, genial service team and access to the Internet.

Your briefing, in the course of which your guides will provide all the details of the forthcoming trek, takes place at the appointed time. They will answer your questions and make sure you are properly equipped for the trek, providing rental gear when necessary.

Day 02: Marangu Gate then Hike up to Mandara Hut

After an early breakfast at your hotel (07.00), you depart one hour later and arrive at the Marangu Gate around 9.00, ready for registration and the start of the trek. Excitement builds as the porters load up equipment and you meet the professional trekking team who will accompany you up the mountain. Starting on the south-east side of Kilimanjaro, at an altitude of 1,879 metres and finishing the day at 2,720 metres, your total walking time today to Mandara Hut – where you will spend the night – is around 3.5 to 4 hours (excluding breaks), during which you cover just over 8 km.

You start the walk-in mid-morning, take your picnic lunch at around 13.00hrs, and then continue the walk until you reach the hut at 16.00hrs. Dinner is served at 18.30hrs. Today’s walk, though almost entirely uphill, is a pleasant one, with perhaps the chance to see some blue monkeys or to admire the rainforest vegetation on the ascent.

The rainforest is the chief feature of today’s landscape. Look out for the bright red impatiens kilimanjari flower, an iconic symbol of the mountain. At the end of the day, the giant heathers and bearded lichen begin to show themselves for the first time. The Mandara A-frame Huts, where you will sleep, feature solar-powered lighting, while water is supplied from a stream and there are flush toilets. As you will be sleeping in dormitory-style accommodation with others, bringing some earplugs is advisable!

HIKING TIME AND ELEVATION: 3 hours walking, from 1,879 at Marangu Gate to 2,720 m at Mandara Hut m

ACCOMMODATION: Dormitory beds, at Mandara Huts

Day 03: Mandara to Horombo Hut

Your early 07.00 breakfast prepares you for an 08.30 departure and today your 11 km walk will take between 5.5 and 6 hours of actual walking time (excluding breaks) and you will climb a total of 1,000 metres to the finishing-point at Horombo (altitude: 3,720 metres).

On the way you will enjoy your picnic lunch at 13.00, before continuing your climb and arriving at the hut at Horombo around 16.00. Dinner will be served at 18.00. On today’s walk, you will note that the forest landscape is quickly replaced by moorland and heather, as your route takes us past the renowned Maundi Crater. Altogether, the scenery today becomes more barren, but nevertheless some of Kilimanjaro’s iconic plant species can be seen today.

Look out for the fascinating giant groundsels, lobelias and proteas. If you are lucky enough to have a clear day, you should get the first chance to see the snow-capped peak of Kibo and also the distinctive Mawenzi peak. Like Mandara, Horombo also consists of A-Frame huts and caters for those on the way up the mountain and those on the way back down. Once again, you will be in dormitory accommodation.

ACCOMMODATION: Dormitory Accommodation, at Horombo Hut

HIKING TIME AND ELEVATION: 5.5 – 6 hours’ walking, from 2,720 m at Mandara Hut to 3,720 m at Horombo Hut

Day 04: Acclimatization Day

Today is your extra day for acclimatization, a very important part of your program as it allows vital extra time for adapting to the mountain air, which becomes ever thinner as you ascend. Everyone is given the option today to visit the Zebra Rocks (4,100 meters), which involves a 90 – minute climb and a return descent to the Horombo Hut (3,720 meters) for a second night. Don’t expect to see a zebra at these rocks, however, as they take their name from their stripy black and white colour, caused by the effects of mineral-laden water on the lava rockface.

Horombo is a busy stopover, being used by both climbers and descenders on Marangu, as well as those descending on the Rongai Route. The presence of abundant water at Horombo (3,720 meters) means that you have the ‘luxury’ of toilets and even washbasins! Look around you today and you will notice that you are reaching the point where the moorland scenery runs out, to be replaced by Alpine desert. And although there is definitely no zebra here, you may be surprised to find some species of rodents and birds this high on the mountain.

ACCOMMODATION: Dormitory Accommodation, at Horombo Hut

HIKING TIME AND ELEVATION: 2-3 hours, 3,720 m at Horombo Hut to Zebra Rocks at 4,100 m and return to Horombo Hut 3,720 m

Day 05: Horombo to Kibo Hut

From your Horombo starting point a 3,720m, today, you ascend a further 983 metres, covering around 9 km and aiming to arrive at the hut at Kibo for your overnight stop by around 15.00. Once again, you will start early, with a 07.00 breakfast and a 08.30 departure. Your walk to the Kibo Huts is expected to take you around 5-8 hours.

Where the path divides today, you choose to take the southern (left-hand) route. On this path you take the opportunity to fill up your water reserves at the Maua River, the last useable water supply at a height of around 4,000 metres. At first today’s stage is rather steep, and there is less vegetation, but you are rewarded with your first sight today of some of the famous ‘cones’ of Kilimanjaro. Picnic lunch is once again scheduled for 13.00. After the Maua River, you climb towards the Mawenzi Ridge and across the barren, dry terrain known as the Saddle and head for the huts, which are at the bottom of the Kibo summit. Dinner tonight is at 17.30 and you are advised to get to bed early, in preparation for the midnight departure for the summit. Kibo Huts are made of stone and quite basic.

ACCOMMODATION: Dormitory Beds, at Kibo Huts

HIKING TIME AND ELEVATION: 5 – 6 hours walking, from 3,720 m at Horombo Hut to 4,703 m at Kibo Hut

Day 06: Ascent to Uhuru Peak and Descent to Horombo Hut

Your schedule for your ‘Summit Day’ is very different. Rising at 23.00, you take your tea and biscuits (23.30) before a midnight departure. Today, you have 1,192 metres to climb, on what will be your toughest day, with around 13 hours of actual walking time and a distance of 21 km

Your expectation is to reach the summit from 07.00 onwards. You begin on a rocky path, and then climb via a series of zig-zags which get ever smaller.

Your reference points on your ascent today are, first, William’s Point (5,000 metres), Hans Meyer Cave (5,151 metres) and then Gilman’s Point (5,685 metres). The focus today is on walking slowly. On reaching the top, you take time to celebrate the successful climb, take photos and congratulate yourself, then make the descent to return to Kibo hut for about 11.00 and take a very well-deserved, two-hour rest and enjoy a welcome hot lunch. Setting off again at 14.00, you continue your descent until you reach Horombo for about 17.00hrs. Dinner today will be served at 19.00hrs.

ACCOMMODATION: Dormitory Accommodation, at Horombo Hut

HIKING TIME AND ELEVATION: 11-13 hours’ walking, from 4,703 m at Kibo Hut to the summit at 5,895 m, then down to 3,720 m at Horombo Hut

Day 07: Descent Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate

After breakfast at your now-familiar time of 07.00hrs, you take the chance to thank your hard-working guides and porters at the important ‘Tipping Celebration’. Afterwards, you depart from Horombo Huts (3,720 metres) and start your descent down towards Marangu Gate (1,879 metres), stopping at Mandara Hut (2,720 metres) around midday for a cooked lunch.Marangu Gate (1,879 metres) is usually reached by 16.00hrs, and today’s section is approximately 20 km/ 12 miles which takes you between 6.5 to 7 hours of walking time. Having reached Marangu Gate, you will be presented with your certificate, a fitting souvenir recognizing your tremendous effort.

You then return by vehicle to Moshi, to the comfort of your hotel, for your overnight stay and some deserved relaxation. Or perhaps, if you still have some energy, you can celebrate your wonderful achievement. After all, you have just climbed Africa’s highest mountain!

ACCOMMODATION: At our Partner Lodge

HIKING TIME AND ELEVATION: 6.5 – 7 hours’ walking, from Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate, descending from 3,720 m to 1,879 m, then return by vehicle from Marangu Gate to your hotel 1 hours’ drive

Day 08: Departure - Kilimanjaro National Airport

After a good night’s rest at your hotel, you will take breakfast ready for the scheduled check-out by 11.00.(In case you need a late check-out because of an evening flight, please advise us of this when you book your trip and we will inform you of the cost for day room use which ends at 18:00hrs, and then make the booking on your behalf.)

As a transfer service to the airport is included in this package, you will be collected from your hotel and dropped off at the airport. For those travellers who have booked to go on safari, our Safari Stride guide will be meeting you in the evening to provide you with a briefing.