7 Days Rongai Route

Day 1: Arrival At The Airport

After arrival at the airport (Kilimanjaro / Arusha), your private driver guide will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to your accommodation for dinner and overnight awaiting for your departure on the following day. Your safari guide will meet you at your accommodation for the briefing and equipment checkup.

Day 2: Arusha (1400m) – Rongai Gate (1950m) – Simba Camp (2600m)

• Hiking time: 3-4 hours

• Habitat: Montana forest

Pick up from your hotel and drive for 4-5 hours to Rongai gate for formalities registration. You will begin your hike from the gate. The trail is not at all steep, but is rather a gentle hike through beautiful country. The first night’s camp is at Simba camp, at about 2,600 meters. There is a toilet and a wooden table with benches, but no hut. Water can be found just down the trail below Simba camp.

Day 3: Simba Camp To Kikelewa Caves

• Distance: 8 km

• Hiking Time: 6-7 hours

• Habitat: Moorland

The morning walk is a steady ascent up to the ‘Second Cave’ (3450m) with superb views of Kibo and the Eastern ice fields on the crater rim. After lunch, we leave the main trail and strike out across the moorland on a smaller path towards the jagged peaks of Mawenzi. Our campsite is in a sheltered valley with giant senecios near Kikelewa Caves.

Day 4: Kikelewa Cave To Mawenzi Tarn

• Distance: 5 km

• Hiking Time: 3-4 hours

• Habitat: Heath Zone

A short but steep climb up grassy slopes offers superb views of this wilderness area. The vegetation zone ends shortly before you reach your next camp at Mawenzi Tarn spectacularly situated beneath the towering spires of Mawenzi. Spend the afternoon acclimatizing and exploring the area.

Day 5: Mawenzi Tarn To Kibo Huts

• Hiking time: 5 hours

• Distance: About 7 km’s

• Habitat: Alpine desert

Continue ascending on the east side of Kibo crossing the saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo taking 4 to 5 hours to reach Kibo Hut. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the final ascent, which begins around midnight. You will overnight at Kibo Camp.

Day 6: Kibo Hut (4720m) To Uhuru Peak (5895 M) - Horombo Hut (3720 M)

• Hiking time: 8 hours

• Distance: About 11 km’s

• Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

Today will by far be your toughest day, you will be woken just before midnight and soon head off into the cold night up a rocky path towards to the Hans Meyer Cave at 5150 metres – you may take a short rest here before continuing your ascent up to Gillman’s point at 5685 metres. Probably the most demanding section of the entire route as it is very steep and stony – go slowly and carefully here. From Gillman’s Point, you will more than likely be walking through snow for the next 2 hours, when you will finally reach the summit of Uhuru Peak at 5895 metres.

Cold and fatigue will set in quickly here and you may find it very difficult to get started again. So spend a little time to enjoy the fact that you have conquered Kilimanjaro, get the camera out and take some pictures, then it will be best that you get moving again – it’s a long way down! The first part of your descent to Kibo hut will take almost another 3 hours. After a short rest you which will be accompanied with brunch, you will begin the next part of your descent – it will take another 4 hours of hiking to get to Horombo hut. Arriving Horombo hut in the evening for dinner and spend overnight there. You will no doubt have a good sleep, feeling exhilarated and proud of your achievement.

Day 7: Horombo Hut (3720 M) To Marangu Gate

• Hiking time: 7 hours

• Distance: About 9 km

• Habitat: Moorland + Rain Forest

After an early and well-deserved breakfast, you continue your descent passing the Mandara hut, down to the Marangu gate – this will take the best part of seven hours. At Marangu gate you sign your name and details in a register. To make your achievement official, you will receive a summit certificate. If you reached Gillman’s Point you will be presented with a green certificate, and if you made it all the way to Uhuru Peak you will have earned yourself a gold certificate. You will have hot lunch at the gate, you will have a celebration with your mountain crew.

After sign out to the park gate you will be transferred to a hotel in Moshi or Arusha for hot shower probably dinner and overnight or otherwise in the evening you will be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport to connect with your flight back home.