5 Days Marangu Route

The Marangu Route is the easiest and shortest route to Kilimanjaro’s summit and is known as the “Coca Cola” or “tourist” route. This is the only route on Kilimanjaro with the comforts of solar-powered sleeping huts and comfortable beds at every camp. The huts are communal, and each bunk has a sponge mattress and pillow. There are 60 beds at both Mandara and Kibo Huts and 120 beds at Horombo Hut. Bathrooms and running water are available at the two lower huts. Basic men’s and ladies’ latrines are available at the last camp. All climbing groups, often from several countries around the world, share meals in dining huts providing a jovial and energetic atmosphere. Soft drinks, bottled water, and beer may be for sale at the huts. Bring small Tanzanian bills to purchase these items (prices increase with elevation). This route is usually done in 5 days, but you can do it in 6 days for better acclimatization. You can spend your extra day resting at Horombo or climbing to a basecamp below Kibo’s sub peak Mawenzi.

PACKAGE INCLUDES

• Two nights’ accommodation at the Springlands Hotel in Moshi double or triple occupancy (before and after the climb)
• First night includes dinner &breakfast
• Last night includes dinner & breakfast
• Qualified guides with mountain crew
• National park fees
• Hut/camping fees and tents
• Tents foam sleeping pads, cooking equipment, and (Cutlery / Crockery) eating utensils.
• Rescue fees (required by the National Park)
• Pulse oximeters 
• First aid kit
• Guides, porters, cook, waiter salaries
• Boiled water on the mountain
• Airport transfers (JRO – Kilimanjaro International Airports)
• All meals on the mountain (breakfast, lunch & dinner)
• Guides, porters, waiter, cook accommodation and entry fees on the mountain

PACKAGE EXCLUSIONS

• Single rooms supplement at Springlands Hotel
• Meals and drinks not specified
• Mountain equipment (eg sleeping bags)
• Climbing gear (Some equipment is available for rent).
• Car Supplement USD$145 per car for clients who go through Lemosho/Rongai/Shira Routes
• Items of personal nature (expenses)
• Emergency Oxygen
• Additional nights beyond the two standard hotel nights included
•  Extra activities (waterfall tour, cultural village visit).
• Guides, Porters, Cook & Waiters tips
• Visa fees & travel insurance.
• Flight tickets

Health Requirements 

Please note you will need a Yellow Fever Inoculation, this must be done no later than 10 days prior to departure. If   you have had any previous history of Liver Disorders you must consult your physician first. Malaria prophylactics are a must.

Travel Insurance

Please ensure you have sufficient Medical Cover for the duration of your trip and in particular to cover you while doing the Kilimanjaro Climb.

Sensational Adventures recommends WORLD NOMADS

TIPPING RECOMMENDATIONS 

Tipping is highly appreciated at the end of safari/ hiking: 

Tips will vary depending on the length and complexity of the trip, the number of staff on the trip and the number of clients on the trip. Generally, groups like to meet before the end of the trek to discuss how much they would like to tip each staff member based on their individual trek experience.

The following are daily rates for each climber recommended to tip per staff member:

• Per Chief Guide: $15- 20 Per day
• Per Assistant guide:  $10- 15 Per day
• Per Cook$10 Per day
• Per Porter: $8-10 Per day

RECOMMENDED TIP:

Each climber should expect to tip between US$ 250 – US$ 350 for the entire climb.

NB: These are just guidelines and tips can be given to safari staffs/mountain crew according to services provided.

For all Kilimanjaro routes except Marangu you will have:

1 climber: 1 guide, 3 porters, 1 cook
2 climbers: 1 guide, 6 porters, 1 extra assistance guide, 1 cook
3 climbers: 1 guide, 9 porters, 1 extra assistance guide, 1 cook
4 climbers: 2 guides, 9 porters, 1 extra assistance guide, 1 cook, 1 waiter

For Marangu you will have:

1 guide and 1 cook for each 8 climbers, 1 extra assistant guide per each
3 climbers, 2 porters per climber

• The pack that the porters carry is limited to 15 kg (35 pounds)
• Store electronics in sealed water-proof bags (double sealed if possible)
• Wrap clothing in plastic bags
• In the day pack, take along water, camera, binoculars, rain pants and jacket at a minimum. Add any other items you might need during the day because you may not see the porters until the end of your trek for that day.

Day 1

Arrive at the Kilimanjaro International Airport at 8:15pm. You will be met at the airport and transferred to the Springlands Hotel in Moshi for your overnight.

Day 2

After breakfast and a briefing from your guide, leave Moshi at 9 AM, drive for 45 minutes to the Marangu Gate on the eastern side of Kilimanjaro, register with the national park, and begin hiking at 10:30 AM. In the rainforest, look for towering Eucalyptus trees, bird life, and Colobus monkeys. At these lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy, so gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts should be sufficient, but keep your rain gear and warmer clothing handy. Stop halfway for lunch, and reach the Mandara Huts at 2 or 3 PM. Unpack, rest, and have some tea or coffee. A 15 minute side trip to Maundi Crater is a good way to see the surroundings including Northern Tanzania and Kenya.

Dinner is served during the early evening at 7 PM. Bathrooms with running water are available.

Day 3

Wake to a 7:30 AM breakfast, and pack for your next trek. Break camp by 8:30 AM, hike for an hour through rainforest glades, and then follow an ascending path through heathland where you can look for giant lobelias and groundsels. Continue up into open moorlands where small shrubs are the main vegetation. Stop halfway for lunch, where you can enjoy amazing views of Mawenzi. Arrive at the Horombo Huts by 3 PM, where you can see Kibo’s summit. Rest, unpack, and prepare for dinner. Bathrooms with running water are available.

You may start to feel the effects of altitude here, and to aid your acclimatization, you can choose to spend an extra day resting at Horombo or climbing to a basecamp below Kibo’s sub peak Mawenzi.

Day 4 

Wake to breakfast as usual, but if you wake early you can get some great photos of the sunrise. The first part of the day’s hike climbs through the dwindling heathland that blends into a moonscape as you enter the sweeping saddle connecting Mawenzi and Kibo. When you stop for lunch, and later when you cross this surprisingly large saddle, you can examine the summit climb up Kibo that you will be starting in just a few hours. Be careful to notice any signs of altitude sickness.

There is no running water at the Kibo Huts.

Day 5

Wake at midnight to a light breakfast, then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly after sunrise. Leave at 1 AM, switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Gilman’s Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft between 5 and 7 AM. Here, views of the fabled crater and its icecaps greet you. Another 2 hours of hiking along the crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to Kilimanjaro’s true summit, Uhuru Peak, by 9 AM. This is Africa’s highest point, and you would have to travel more than 3,000 miles toward the Himalayas to find a higher peak! Be sure to have your picture taken at the summit to show your friends. After your summit stay, descend back to the Kibo Huts, have lunch, rest, collect your things, and re cross the saddle to the Horombo Huts. Eat dinner and get some well-deserved sleep!  You do the beginning of this climb in the dark with headlamps or flashlights.

It will be very cold until you start descending, so you will need all of your warm layers. This is, by far, the most difficult part of the trek. Slowly slowly, or, “pole pole,” and an optimistic attitude will get you there!

Day 6: 

Wake, as usual, pack, and descend through the moorland to the Mandara Huts. Have lunch there then continue your triumphant recessional down through lush forest to the park gate, which you should reach around 2 or 3 PM. Remember to tip your guides, cooks, and porters, since you will be leaving them here.

A vehicle will take you back to the Springlands Hotel or similar hotel in Moshi, where it is definitely time for celebration!

“I HAVEN’T BEEN EVERYWHERE BUT IT’S ON MY LIST.”

Susan Sontag

We can’t wait to meet you and show you our backyard, it’s truly magical and a once in a lifetime experience. Please talk to us, we are more than ready for you.