6 Days Rongai route
One of the simplest routes up Kilimanjaro, it has grown in popularity over the past few years. On the northern side of Mount Kilimanjaro, this route offers a variety of breathtaking landscapes as well as unique plant and animal species. This journey typically lasts six days. However, you can extend the climb to seven days by including an acclimatization day.
The Rongai Route offers better scenery than the Marangu Route, is simpler than other camping routes up Kilimanjaro, and has a very high success rate. On the Rongai Route, you sleep in tents instead of the huts you do on the Marangu Route. At the end of each day’s trek, the porter will have your tent set up and ready for you. One of the least used routes, it begins on the north side of the mountain, just south of the Kenyan border. For the summit ascent, the route combines with the Marangu Route. You will be able to see Mount Kilimanjaro from many vantage points because the descent follows the Marangu Route on the mountain’s southeast side. A 6-day direct itinerary and a 7-day itinerary that takes a longer route are both available for this trek. Below is a description of the 6-day itinerary, and the section on the extra days describes the longer variant.
Itinerary
Day 1: Moshi to Rongai Gate to Simba Camp
You will have an early breakfast. Transfer by our vehicles through many villages and coffee 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 the montane forest. You will then start to climb gently but consistently through an attractive forest that shelters a variety of wildlife. The forest begins to become thinner 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
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 the 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
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 the Mawenzi turn hut camp where you will also see the amazing undried Lake with no inlet as well as outlet here you will have lunch and rest, 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 returning back to the camp for lunch, dinner and overnight at the camp.
Day 5: Mawenzi Tarn hut to Kibo Huts camp
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
Wake up 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; 00 AM, switch back 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 snow takes you to Kilimanjaro’s true summit, Uhuru Peak here you will spend some time taking photos but it will depend on how you feel. After your summit activities are done, descend back to the Kibo Huts, have lunch, rest, collect your equipment, and continue going 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
After a long and enjoyable sleep, you will be awakened for breakfast and pack up, start to descending through the moorland to Mandara Huts. Here you will have lunch then proceed with your triumphant recessional down through the lush forest to Marangu Gate. Here you will sign out, then a vehicle will take you back to the hotel where it is definitely time for the certificate presentation and celebration!
Includes
- 4×4 safari land cruiser
- Accommodation per itinerary
- Meals as per itinerary B=Breakfast, L=Lunch and D=Dinner.
- Services of a literate
- English driver/guide
- National park entrance fees as per itinerary.
- Excursions & activities as per itinerary
- Drinking water in the safari vehicle
- flight from Nairobi to Masai Mara
- flight from Masai Mara to Diani
Excludes
- activities in Diani
- Flights not included in the itinerary
- Visas and related costs
- Personal expenses like drinks, laundry, telephone calls and other
items of a personal nature - Optional excursions and activities not listed in the itinerary
- Covid-19 related test
- Tips and gratuities
anything else not included in the itinerary
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