Kilimanjaro: Marangu Route

Kilimanjaro: Marangu Route

331 Views
8 Days From

$3765

$3012

Kilimanjaro: Marangu Route

8 Days Starting and ending in Marangu

Visiting: Marangu, Mandara Hut, Horombo Hut, Kibo Hut / Mawenzi Peak, Uhuru Peak / Horombo Hut

Tour operator:

Intrepid Travel

Tour code:

YKXM

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

1 - 12

Physical rating:

High

Age range:

15-99 years

Tour operated in:

English
From: $3765 $3012 Operator discount: -$753 -20%

NB: Prices correct on 24-Nov-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

Take on Kilimanjaro on an eight-day trekking adventure. This is the most popular and direct of the mountain routes and the only one serviced by mountain huts to provide protection from the elements. With one guide for every two passengers and a team of porters, all you have to do is focus on the incredible views and keep your footing, while the crew keeps you safe and sound. Hike through forests and alpine meadows, over rocky ravines and past lunar landscapes to the spectacular summit of Africa's highest peak – the panoramic views from the top of Mt Kilimanjaro must be seen to be believed.

Highlights

  • Sleep in mountain huts during your trek and enjoy an included acclimatisation day at Horombo Hut to give you the best chance of reaching the summit.

  • Travelling with experienced guides – the best on the mountain – plus trained porters, you'll be in good hands, with one guide for every two trekkers.

  • Passing through vast grasslands, giant cacti fields and alpine meadows, all against dramatic mountain backdrops, the Marangu Route is popular for good reason.

  • Hike Kilimanjaro's climactic last stretch by lamplight and give yourself as much chance as possible to watch a sunrise over icefields from behind Africa’s highest peak.

  • We’re an official partner with the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project. Hike easier knowing that while our porters are taking care of you, there’s someone looking out for them.

Itinerary

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Day 1: Marangu

Location: Marangu

Accommodation: Hotel

Meals Included: dinner

Jambo! Welcome to Tanzania. Your hike begins in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Marangu. The hotel is a short walk from the village’s bustling market and some excellent coffee shops. It is also very close to some beautiful waterfalls and ancient Chagga caves. Please make sure you are at the hotel by early evening, as your trip starts with a full briefing and kit inspection by an experienced Kilimanjaro climber. This will take place before dinner, usually around 6 pm. In the event that one of your fellow travellers is late, the meeting may have to be rescheduled for the following morning.

Included Activities:
-Complimentary Sleeping Bag and walking pole hire ( must be requested at time of booking )
-Mount Kilimanjaro - Trek Briefing

Day 2: Mandara Hut

Location: Mandara Hut

Accommodation: Mountain hut

Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner

After a hearty breakfast, make your way to Marangu Gate, the entrance of the Mt Kilimanjaro National Park (1860 m) and meet your guides and porters. With introductions and assignment of porter loads taken care of, it’s time to embark on your trek. Commonly known as the 'Coca Cola' route, the Marangu Route is the oldest track on Kilimanjaro. Look out for the resident wildlife and enjoy the vast landscape as you walk.

Included Activities:
-Mount Kilimanjaro - Return transfers from hotel to park gate
-Mount Kilimanjaro - Porterage of 1 bag (9kg/20lb max)
-Mount Kilimanjaro - Emergency oxygen and comprehensive first aid kits
-Fully catered trek including National Park entrance fees, climbing fee, mountain huts & rescue services (5 days)
-Mount Kilimanjaro - Services of experienced English speaking mountain guides (first-aid qualified) cooks and porters (a minimum of 1 guide to every 2)

Day 3: Horombo Hut

Location: Horombo Hut

Accommodation: Mountain hut

Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner

Your second day on the mountain involves another long hike over a slightly steeper stretch. The total distance from Mandara to the Horombo huts is 12 kilometres (approximately 5to 7 hours). Today you will see the rainforest give way to open and rolling alpine meadows dotted with giant heather trees. Once out of the forest canopy, the twin snow-tipped peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi lie directly ahead. These are two of the three great cones of Kilimanjaro (the other being Shira). During the day’s walk we will traverse several ravines before reaching the hut, which is set in a rocky valley. There is time to enjoy a wide variety of vegetation and changing landscapes on the way to Horombo Hut (3780 metres). We will spend the next two nights here at the hut.

Day 4: Horombo Hut

Location: Horombo Hut

Accommodation: Mountain hut

Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner

After breakfast, walk towards Mawenzi Hut, passing the unusual Zebra Rocks on the way. It’s a steep climb up a grassy slope, but well worth it: the views over the area towards Kibo are second-to-none. Afterwards, return to Horombo for lunch. Spend the afternoon relaxing and acclimatising to the altitude, or ask your guides about short walks in the area. Take advantage of the rest day here and drink plenty of water – the next couple of days will be pretty intense!

Day 5: Kibo Hut / Mawenzi Peak

Location: Kibo Hut / Mawenzi Peak

Accommodation: Mountain hut

Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner

Today you’ll walk the 10 kilometres or so from Horombo to Kibo Hut (approximately 5–7 hours). As the journey progresses you will notice the landscape gradually becoming more rugged and rocky, and the air noticeably thinner. We will have to soften our pace a little to accommodate these environmental changes. Marvel at giant groundsels and lobelias while you travel across the sparse moorland. Skirt Mawenzi Peak and marvel at the stark lunar landscape of the Saddle, reaching Kibo Hut in afternoon (4740 m), take the opportunity to have an early night in preparation for a very early (or late?) wake-up call.

Day 6: Uhuru Peak / Horombo Hut

Location: Uhuru Peak / Horombo Hut

Accommodation: Mountain hut

Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner

Your guides will wake you up at 11 pm and hot tea will be served. Prepare for the last leg of the trek – to the summit. The distance from Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak is six kilometres (approximately 6–8 hours), and the descent to Horombo will be approximately the same amount of time. The trek begins beneath the stars as you zigzag your way up a large scree slope, guided only by torch light, to reach Gilman's Point (5685 m). With some luck, arrive in time for breathtaking views of the sun rising behind Mawenzi Peak. This is the stretch that most people find the hardest, and you should be prepared for a very cold morning. The dramatic spectacle of the sun rising over the ice fields of the crater will make the early start worthwhile. For those who still have the energy, it's a further walk (approximately 2 hours) along the rim of the crater to Uhuru Peak (5896 m), the highest point in Africa. From here there are amazing views of the crater, ice fields and plains below. After photos and time to catch your breath, descend back to Horombo Hut for a well-earned rest.

Day 7: Marangu

Location: Marangu

Accommodation: Hotel

Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner

Continue your descent through alpine meadows and rainforest to the park gate. The distance from Horombo to Marangu Gate is 20 kilometres (approximately 5–6 hours). Here your transport awaits and you will return to the hotel for a relaxing shower – a real treat after the physical exertions of the last few days! Over a celebratory meal we can relive and share our experiences of the past five days on the mountain.

Day 8: Marangu

Location: Marangu

Meals Included: breaksfast

There are no activities or trekking planned for today. A transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport or a shuttle to Nairobi can be arranged locally – please speak to your group leader about this at the welcome meeting.

What's Included

  • Accommodation
    Hotel (2 nights), Mountain hut (5 nights)

  • Complimentary Sleeping Bag and walking pole hire ( must be requested at time of booking )

  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Trek Briefing

  • Fully catered trek including National Park entrance fees, climbing fee, mountain huts & rescue services (5 days)

  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Services of experienced English speaking mountain guides (first-aid qualified) cooks and porters (a minimum of 1 guide to every 2)

  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Return transfers from hotel to park gate

  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Porterage of 1 bag (9kg/20lb max)

  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Emergency oxygen and comprehensive first aid kits

  • Marangu - Kilimanjaro Porters Assitance Project

  • Meals

    7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners

What's Not Included

  • Tipping and Gratuities

  • International Travel

Included Activities

  • Complimentary Sleeping Bag and walking pole hire ( must be requested at time of booking )
  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Trek Briefing
  • Fully catered trek including National Park entrance fees, climbing fee, mountain huts & rescue services (5 days)
  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Services of experienced English speaking mountain guides (first-aid qualified) cooks and porters (a minimum of 1 guide to every 2)
  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Return transfers from hotel to park gate
  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Porterage of 1 bag (9kg/20lb max)
  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Emergency oxygen and comprehensive first aid kits
  • Marangu - Kilimanjaro Porters Assitance Project
  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Services of experienced English speaking mountain guides (first-aid qualified) cooks and porters (a minimum of 1 guide to every 2)
  • Fully catered trek including National Park entrance fees, climbing fee, mountain huts & rescue services (5 days)
  • Fully catered trek including National Park entrance fees, climbing fee, mountain huts & rescue services (5 days)
  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Services of experienced English speaking mountain guides (first-aid qualified) cooks and porters (a minimum of 1 guide to every 2)
  • Mount Kilimanjaro - Services of experienced English speaking mountain guides (first-aid qualified) cooks and porters (a minimum of 1 guide to every 2)
  • Fully catered trek including National Park entrance fees, climbing fee, mountain huts & rescue services (5 days)

Transport

  • NAIROBI TO MARANGU SHUTTLE:
  • It's easy to book yourself a transfer from Nairobi to Marangu (or vice versa). Simply ask at your hotel. They will make a booking and collect payment for you (cost is approx US$80). This public shuttle transfer leaves your Nairobi hotel around 08:00 and connects with a 14:00 shuttle in Arusha. The Arusha shuttle transfers to Moshi, Marangu. The transfer company we work with have agreed to take our passengers through to Kibo Hotel. Please ask your booking agent for the shuttle company details.

Accommodation

  • On the mountain you'll be staying in basic but comfortable wooden A-frame huts with single beds and simple mattresses. The huts are 4, 6 and 12 share depending on where you are on the mountain. Due to limited accommodation on the mountain, you may need to share a hut with non-Intrepid passengers and/or members of the opposite sex. There are also washroom huts with western & drop toilets and basins.

Important Information

  • 1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Days 2,3,4,5,6 (Mountain huts) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
  • 2. A Self-Assessment Form is required for this trip. Your booking agent will provide you with this form at time of booking to fill out before arrival.
  • 3. The cabins used during your trek are multishare for 4–12 people per cabin.
  • 4. Parts of your trip go above 2800 meters (9200 feet) where it is common for travelers to experience some adverse health effects due to the altitude.
  • 5. Please make sure you arrange your flights in order to arrive at the starting hotel before 4 pm on Day 1 in order to attend the very important pre-climb briefing and information session that is usually held before dinner.

Mode of Transport

  • NAIROBI TO MARANGU SHUTTLE:
  • It's easy to book yourself a transfer from Nairobi to Marangu (or vice versa). Simply ask at your hotel. They will make a booking and collect payment for you (cost is approx US$80). This public shuttle transfer leaves your Nairobi hotel around 08:00 and connects with a 14:00 shuttle in Arusha. The Arusha shuttle transfers to Moshi, Marangu. The transfer company we work with have agreed to take our passengers through to Kibo Hotel. Please ask your booking agent for the shuttle company details.

Check out our Q&As

  • Is this trip right for you

    Although no mountaineering experience is required, a good level of physical fitness is necessary to tackle Mt Kilimanjaro. You’ll need to be comfortable walking 6–8 hours uphill a day. The distances may not be long, but the altitude makes it harder than your average uphill hike. You can find our detailed guide to tackling Mt Kilimanjaro here https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/theme/walking/kilimanjaro-trek.

    The sky’s the limit! Sections of this trip take you above 2800 metres (9200 ft), where it is common to experience altitude sickness.

    Temperatures at night can get very low when you're above 3500 metres, so clothing and a sleeping bag made for this kind of climate are essential. You can hire this at the beginning of your trip if you need, but make sure you speak to your travel agent or an Intrepid representative for details.

    Your safety comes first. All our guides and trekking leaders have been trained by independent, UK-based medical specialists and are proficient in first aid. They also carry oxygen cylinders on all treks for emergency use.

    You must be prepared to share the huts along this route with between 3 and 11 other people who may be of a different gender.

    Hiking for several days without a shower can be tough – be prepared for some dust and dirt. A mask, wet wipes and face washer may become your best friends!

    Some passengers on this trip may have been travelling together prior to the start of your trip. See what you're missing out on in the Serengeti & Kilimanjaro adventure – search trip code YGOMC on the Intrepid website for more information.

  • What policies are in place for Covid-19?

    Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes

  • What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?

    Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room

Reviews of this operator

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Operator discount: -$753

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Book with Confidence

  • Free Date Changes

    Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.

  • Transfer as credit to Future Tours

    Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.

  • Low Deposit

    Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.

    Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.

    At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.

    At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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