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 five 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.

Itinerary

Duration: 6

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: 1200m to 2,364m to 2,750 m
• Distance :7km.
• Hiking Time: 3hours
• Habitat: Montane forest

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 (2,364 m/7,801 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 Second Camp to Third Cave Camp

• Elevation: 2,750 m to 3,450m/11,385ft to 3,805m/ 12,556ft
• Distance: 9.5km
• Hiking Time: 7-8hrs
• Habitat: Moorland

You continue on the trail leading out of the forest and into a savannah of tall grasses, heather, and volcanic rock draped with lichen beards. As you ascend through the lush rolling hills and cross several streams, we reach the first Cave, then second Cave for hot lunch before proceeding to third Cave. The view of Kibo Peak is amazing.

Day 3:  Third Cave to School Hut

• Elevation:12,700 ft to 15,600 ft
• Distance:5 km
• Hiking Time:4-5 hours
• Habitat: Alpine Desert

Today you will be climbing from Third Cave to School Hut, your base camp for the final summit push. You may start to be feeling butterflies in anticipation of your big summit night. Within less than 24 hours, you’ll be standing on the top of Africa! The hike will be shorter today, but significant altitude height will be gained to acclimate you for the summit. Soon after leaving Third Cave, the landscape will become barren, and you may feel like you’re on another planet with the clouds sitting below you. The hike will be shorter today, but significant altitude height will be gained to acclimate you for the summit. Soon after leaving Third Cave, the landscape will become barren, and you may feel like you’re on another planet with the clouds sitting below you. You’ll notice that the altitude can be difficult. While the trek doesn’t seem very steep, the lack of oxygen will make it feel otherwise. Do not be discouraged, and take as much time as you need! The views of the towering will motivate you as you take each step. Weather and cloud cover permitting, you have Kibo in your view the entire time. It’s still fairly early as you approach the School Hut campsite, so that you can get as much rest as possible before the exciting night ahead. Even though you may not be feeling hungry due to the altitude, try to eat as much as possible to gain strength for your summit push. After an early dinner, it’s time to get your gear ready for your early wake up, and to catch as much sleep as you can.

Day 4: School Hut To Uhuru Peak to Horombo Hut Camp

• Elevation: 4728m/ 15,600 ft to 5895m/ 19,456 ft to 3690m/ 12,177ft
• Distance: 4km up, 14km down.
• Hiking Time: 10-14 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 5: Horombo Huts camp to Marangu Gate to Moshi

• Elevation:3,690 m to 1,830m to 1200m
• Distance :18km.
• 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 6: 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 Lobelias representative tour 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

Include:

• Private transport to & from Kilimanjaro International airport to the Panama Garden Resort Moshi.
• 2 nights of accommodation in Panama Garden Resort Moshi (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.

Exclude:

• 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 $70$ for entire trek.
• International/ Domestic Flights
• Tips for guides, porters and cook (this is a guide to tipping on the mountain htt://www.kiliporters.org/ tipping recommendations
• Tipping on Kilimanjaro from the trekking group (not per climber)
• Guides: 20$ /day/guide
• Cook: 15$/ day
• Porter: 10$/day/porter