Mt. Kilimanjaro Trek – Rongai Route 7 Days

Trip Introduction

If you’re looking for a relatively easy route up Kilimanjaro, the Rongai Route on the mountain’s northern side is a great option. Over the course of seven days, you’ll experience breathtaking landscapes and encounter a variety of fascinating plant and animal species. If you’re interested in acclimatizing, you can extend the trip to seven days. We offer three options for the Rongai Route, ranging from five to seven days. We highly recommend the seven-day trek for optimal acclimatization.

Compared to the Marangu Route, the Rongai Route is more scenic and easier to navigate. While the Marangu Route features huts for sleeping, the Rongai Route features tents. Each day, your porter will set up your tent for you at the end of your trek. The Rongai Route is also less traveled than other routes up Kilimanjaro. However, it does merge with the Marangu Route for the final summit climb. The descent follows the Marangu Route on the mountain’s southeast side, providing stunning views of Kilimanjaro from multiple angles.

Day 0: Arrival – Moshi- Pre-trek Briefing

If you have chosen to use our airport transfer service, we will collect you from Kilimanjaro Airport and take you to your hotel in Moshi or Arusha. Your guide will meet you at the hotel for a pre-trek briefing, which is scheduled for the day after your arrival. We recommend that you arrive at least one day before the trek begins. During the briefing, we will discuss the trek and review your equipment. If you require any additional equipment, we can arrange for it to be rented from our store.

Day 1: Moshi to Rongai gate to Simba Camp

Elevation: 1,387/915 m to 1,950 m to 2,750 m
Distance: 7km.
Hiking Time: 3 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest

You will have an early breakfast. Transfer by our vehicles through many villages and coffee and plantations for 2-3-hour drive to Rongai gate (1,950 m/6,398 ft). After signing in and preparing the porters, you will start hiking on a wide path winding through fields of maize and potatoes, and then enter into montane forest. You will then start to climb gently but consistently through attractive forest that shelters a variety of wildlife. The forest begins to thin as you arrive at Simba Camp (2,600 m/8,530ft) with fantastic views over the Kenyan plains.

Day 2: Simba Camp to Kikelewa Camp

Elevation: 2,750 m to 3,600 m
Distance: 18km.
Hiking Time: 8-9 hours
Habitat: Moorland

After an early breakfast you will have a steady ascent to the second cave where you will stop for lunch. You leave the direct trail at this point and strike out across the moorland on a smaller path toward Mawenzi side peak.to Kikelewa Camp in a sheltered valley. At the Kikelewa Camp you will settle for your dinner and overnight rest.

Day 3: Kikelewa camp to Mawenzi turn hut

Elevation: 3,600m to 4,330m
Distance: 7km.
Hiking Time: 4 hours
Habitat: Semi-Desert

After breakfast you will face a short, steep climb up grassy slopes; rewarded by superb all-round views, immersed in the vast surrounding wilderness. Soon after, you leave the vegetation behind and arrive at the Mawenzi Tarn Camp, which is situated in a spectacular cirque directly beneath the towering spires of Mawenzi Peak. After this hike, you will reach to the Mawenzi turn hut camp where you will also see the amazing undried Lake with no inlat as well as outlet here you will have lunch and rest then dinner and overnight at this camp.

Day 4: Acclimatization day (6-day itinerary skips this day)

This is your extra day on the mountain, and you will spend two nights at Mawenzi Tarn. You will hike up towards Mawenzi for a splendid acclimatization hike. Then after return back to the camp for lunch the dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Mawenzi Tarn hut to Kibo Huts Camp

Elevation: 4,330m to 4,695m
Distance: 8km.
Hiking Time: 5 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert

After an early breakfast you will cross the lunar desert of the saddle between Kibo peak and Mawenzi peak to Kibo Huts at the bottom of Kibo’s crater wall. You should spend the remainder of the day resting and preparing for your summit climb.

Day 6: Summit Day! Kibo Huts camp to Uhuru Peak to Horombo Huts camp.

Elevation:4,695 m to 5,895m to 3,690m
Distance:4km up, 14km down.
Hiking Time:10-15 hours
Habitat:Alpine Desert

Wake at midnight to a light breakfast and then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly before or after sunrise. Leave to the peak at 12; 00AM, switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Gilman’s Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft between 4 and 6 AM. At this point, you will have views of the fabled crater and its icecaps facing you. Then after 2 hours of hiking along the Kibo crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to Kilimanjaro’s true summit, Uhuru Peak here you will spend some times for taking photo’s but it will depend on how you feel. After your summit activities done, descend back to the Kibo Huts, have lunch, rest, collect your equipment, and continue on down, re-crossing the saddle to the Horombo Huts. Have dinner and overnight at Horombo camp.

Day 7: Horombo Huts camp to Marangu Gate to Moshi

Elevation:3,690 m to 1,830m to 1,387m
Distance:
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours

After a long and enjoyable sleep, you will be awaked for breakfast and pack up, start descend through the moorland to Mandara Huts. Here you will have lunch then proceed with your triumphant recessional down through lush forest to Marangu park gate. Here you will sign out then after a vehicle will take you to back to the hotel where it is definitely time for certificate presentation and celebration!

Day 8: Departure – Tanzania

The day is left free to wind down after the trek before your flight home. After a good night’s rest at your hotel, you will take breakfast ready for the scheduled check-out by 10.00. (If you wish to remain in the hotel during the day, please advise us of this when you book your trip and we will inform you of the cost for day room which ends at 18:00hrs, and then make the booking on your behalf.)

If you have booked a transfer to the airport, you will be collected from your hotel and dropped off at the airport. For those travelers who have booked to go on safari, our Kilele Climb guide will be meeting you in the evening to provide you with a pre-safari briefing.

*Safari, Zanzibar and other add-ons are available if you wish to continue exploring Tanzania.

The difference between the Standard Package and the Deluxe Package

For climbers, we offer two different packages to choose from, depending on your needs and preferences. Our ‘Standard Package’ provides good and safe service at an affordable rate, while our ‘Deluxe Package’ offers a higher level of comfort and superior service delivery, including luxurious hotel accommodation and personalized safety features.

Standard Package

The standard climb is an optimal choice for most travelers, as it strikes a balance between affordability and high-quality service. This package includes standard hotel accommodation, top-notch mountain support from expert guides and porters, who will take care of all your luggage and equipment, set up tents, cook meals, and handle any issues that may arise during the hike. The menu served on the hike is diverse, featuring a first course, a second course with a variety of meat and fish, a rich selection of drinks and starters, fresh vegetables, and fruits.

This climb promises to be a pleasurable journey to the summit of Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa. It offers an exceptional experience that combines adventure with comfort, and ensures that travelers can focus on the awe-inspiring natural beauty that surrounds them.

Deluxe Package

The Deluxe Package is designed for climbers who value comfort and safety as they ascend Kilimanjaro. This premium package offers a wide range of amenities and accommodations at the best hotels in the region. Our ultimate level of service guarantees an unforgettable experience during your Tanzanian expedition. In addition to all the benefits of the Standard Package, the Deluxe Package provides extra conveniences and superior accommodations at top-rated hotels. Our commitment to excellence and unparalleled expertise ensures that your journey to Tanzania will be an unforgettable experience.

Safety	Standard Package	Deluxe Package
Fully-loaded medical Kits
Emergence oxygen tank
Pulse Oximeter: To conduct a daily measurement of oxygen levels for each climber.
ALTOX Personal Oxygen System
A stretcher or a Litter fully rigid steel frame.
The Gamow Bag: A hyperbaric chamber (portable altitude chamber) for emergency situations.
VHF handheld radios: Carried on each trek for easy communication between guides, camp managers, and the office.
The rescue fee in the mountains.
Management and Safety Procedures
Medical evacuation with AMREF Flying Doctors or Kilimanjaro Search and Rescue.

Health and Meals on the Mountain	Standard Package	Deluxe Package
All meals while on the Mountain
Fresh, healthy, and nutritious foods in large portions
Clean, purified drinking water
Champagne on Summit
Warm water for washing every-day
Individual washbasins are provided for each trekker and guest upon arrival at the campsite.
Private Portable flush toilet

Camping Equipment & Accommodation	Standard Package	Deluxe Package
4 Season mountain tents, Double layered Sleeping Mats, Crew tents, Mess tent and Toilet tents
Large aluminum chairs with backs and armrests, Aluminum Tables, High powered solar LED lights
Sleeping Bags
Accommodation – Bed and Breakfast
Full board Accommodation – Bed, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Standard hotel accommodations for 2 nights; one night before and one night after the trek.
Comfort hotel accommodations for 2 nights; one night before and one night after the trek.

Transport & Other Inclusions	Standard Package	Deluxe Package
Arrival and Departure transfers
Return Transportation in Destination Location
All Government Taxes and all Park fees
Professional experience mountain guides and porters
Fair and ethical treatment of porters
A personal Porter to carry your day-pack during summit attempt

Standard Package Pricing

Price Rates Per Person in US$. The prices in other currencies are given for comparison only.

Hiking Route/Days	1 Pax	2 Pax	3 Pax	4 Pax	5 Pax	6 Pax	7 Pax	8 Pax	9+ Pax
7 Days Rongai Route	$ 2,400	$ 2,000	$ 1,900	$ 1,880	$ 1,860	$ 1,840	$ 1,800	$ 1,780	$ 1,740

Deluxe Package Pricing

Price Rates Per Person in US$. The prices in other currencies are given for comparison only.

Hiking Route/Days	1 Pax	2 Pax	3 Pax	4 Pax	5 Pax	6 Pax	7 Pax	8 Pax	9+ Pax
7 Days Rongai Route	$3,395	$ 2,785	$ 2,495	$2,450	$ 2,390	$2,340	$2,275	$2,195	$2,170

Tanzanian Residents pay 80% of rates & East African Citizens pay 60% of rates.

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE:

Private transport to & from Kilimanjaro International airport to the hotel in Moshi/Arusha.
2 nights of accommodation in Moshi/Arusha (before and after the climb bed and breakfast)
Return transportation from Moshi/from the starting/finishing point on the mountain.
Qualified guides with mountain crew
All national park fees
Hut/camping fees
4 Season mountain tents
Double layered Sleeping Mats
Mess tent (for dining) Mini camping chairs/Tables/Candles
Rescue fees
Pulse oximeters & Portable oxygen tanks
First aid kit
3 hot meals daily while on the mountain
Enough treated &filtered drinking water throughout the trek
Fair wages for the mountain crew as approved by the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA), Kilimanjaro Association of Tour Operators (KIATO)
Government taxes
Guides, porters, waiter, cook accommodation and entry fees on the mountain.

EXCLUDED FROM THE PRICE:

Meals and drinks not specified
Gear for your climb
Items of personal nature
Additional nights beyond the two standard hotel nights included
Visas
Portable flush toilet with a toilet tent is available for extra charge $90$ for entire trek.
Flights
Tips for guides, porters and cook (this is a guide to tipping on the mountain htt://www.kiliporters.org/ tipping_recommendations.php
Tipping on Kilimanjaro from the trekking group (not per climber)
Guides: 20$-30$ /day/guide
Cook: 15$-20$/ day
Porter: 7$-10$/day/porter