Kilimanjaro Climb Rongai Route
8 Days Starting and ending in Marangu
Visiting: Tanzania
Tour operator:
Tour code:
TYW
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
4 - 16
Age range:
18-99
Special diets catered:
Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements
Tour operated in:
EnglishTour Overview
With a gentle gradient and sense of untouched wilderness, the Rongai Route approaches Kilimanjaro from the north and is less crowded than the most popular trails. We trek through farmlands, forest and alpine moorlands as we approach the beautiful summit cone. This route allows an extra day for acclimatisation under the imposing spires of Mawenzi before the arduous final ascent. The last climb begins in darkness but our reward is an incomparable dawn vista over the sweeping East African plains.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Start Marangu
The adventure starts at our hotel in Marangu. There will be a trip briefing this afternoon/evening. Please bring your passport, insurance and air ticket details. The briefing will cover all aspects of your trip and will include the distribution of any equipment you have booked.
Accommodation: Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort or similar
Day 2 : Begin Ascent Through Rongai Forest
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After completing the necessary registration formalities, we transfer by road to Nale Moru (6,400ft/1,950m) to begin our climb on this seemingly untouched wilderness route. We start with a half-day walk on a small path that winds through farmland and pine plantations. It is a consistent but gentle climb through forest that shelters a variety of wildlife. We reach our first overnight stop by late afternoon at the edge of the moorland zone (8,530ft/2,600m).
Accommodation: Full-service camping
Day 3 : Climb To Kikelewa Moorland
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The morning walk is a steady ascent up to Second Cave (11,320ft/3,450m) with superb views of the eastern icefields on the rim of Kibo, the youngest and highest of the three volcanoes that form the entire mountain. After lunch, we leave the main trail and strike out across the moorland on a smaller path towards the jagged peaks of Mawenzi, the second of Kilimanjaro's volcanoes. Our campsite, which we reach in late afternoon, is in a sheltered valley near Kikelewa Caves (11,810ft/3,600m).
Accommodation: Full-service camping
Day 4 : Steady Ascent Beneath Mawenzi; Afternoon Acclimatisation
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A steep climb up grassy slopes is rewarded by superb panoramas of the Kenyan plains to the north. We leave vegetation behind close to Mawenzi Tarn (14,200ft/4,330m), spectacularly situated in a cirque beneath the towering cliffs of Mawenzi. The afternoon will be free to rest or to explore the area as an aid to acclimatisation.
Accommodation: Full-service camping
Day 5 : Cross Lunar Desert Of The Saddle To Kibo, At The Bottom Of Summit Cone
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We leave our attractive campsite to cross the lunar desert of the Saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo to reach Kibo campsite (15,420ft/4,700m) at the bottom of the Kibo crater wall by early afternoon. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the final ascent before a very early night.
Accommodation: Full-service camping
Day 6 : Early Start To Reach Gillman's Point In Time For Sunrise Over The Crater Rim; On To Uhuru Peak, The Highest Point In Africa. Descend To Horombo
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We start the final (and by far the steepest and most demanding) part of the climb by torchlight at around midnight. It will be extremely cold as we walk very slowly in darkness on a switchback trail through loose volcanic scree to reach the crater rim at Gillman's Point (18,650ft/5,685m). We rest for a short time to enjoy the spectacular sunrise over Mawenzi. Those who are still feeling strong can make the three-hour round trip along the snow-covered rim to the true summit of Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak (19,340ft/5,895m), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area. The descent to Kibo Hut (15,420ft/4,700m) is surprisingly fast and, after refreshments and rest, we continue descending to reach our final campsite at Horombo (12,200ft/3,720m). This is an extremely long and hard day with between 11 and 15 hours of walking at high altitude.
Accommodation: Full-service camping
Day 7 : Continue Descent To Mandara And Marangu
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
A sustained descent with wide views across the moorland takes us into the lovely forest around Mandara (8,860ft/2,700m), the first stopping place on the Marangu route. The trail continues through semi-tropical vegetation to the national park gate at Marangu (6,000ft/1,830m). We leave the local staff to return to our hotel in Marangu by mid-afternoon for a well-earned, shower and beer.
Accommodation: Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort or similar
Day 8 : End Marangu
Meals Included: Breakfast
Depending on the time of your return flight, the day can be spent resting at the hotel or exploring the village for souvenirs. If you’d like the adventure to continue, speak to your sales representative about joining our safari extension, which takes in three national parks over three days, or a chilled post-climb escape to Zanzibar.
What's Included
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All breakfasts, six lunches, five dinners
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All accommodation
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All transport and listed activities
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Tour leader throughout
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Kilimanjaro Park fee
What's Not Included
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Travel insurance
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Single accommodation (available on request includes single tent)
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Visas or vaccinations
Food
All breakfasts, six lunches and five dinners are included. All meals during the climb are included. Please allow about 153,500 Tanzanian shillings (US$65) for the meals not included.
On trek, the emphasis is on a varied and well-balanced diet with a greater amount of fresh fruit and soup to maximise the daily intake of fluids.
Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests. Please note that in Tanzania the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets (eg gluten-free or dairy-free) is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring these specialised dietary items from home.
The menu has a high liquid and carbohydrate content; the two important elements for successful climbing. At higher altitudes, stimulants (such as coffee) and less digestible foods (such as meat) are not recommended. Our evening meal at the highest camp on Kilimanjaro is a meatless stew as our experience shows this to be the ideal preparation for the summit day. At mealtimes a selection of hot drinks is available. Soup is served twice daily.
Daily meals
Bed tea: Tea or coffee served in your tent.
Breakfast: Seasonal fresh fruit (mango/banana/watermelon), porridge, cooked eggs, sausage, bacon and toast.
Energy snacks, such as bananas and chocolate bars, are provided for the daily walk.
Lunch: Either a packed lunch on longer days or, more usually, a hot lunch served in camp by a small team who have raced ahead of the group. A hot lunch typically consists of soup, bread or pancakes, cheese, tuna, jam, peanut butter, pasta salad and cake.
Afternoon tea: Served in late afternoon. It is an opportunity to drink lots of hot drinks and snack on peanuts or popcorn.
Dinner: The main meal of the day and always three courses: soup and bread; followed by the main dish, which could be rice, potatoes or pasta with fish, meat or vegetables; and dessert, often of fruit.
Summit snacks: While we provide enough food for the climb, we recommend you bring some of your favourite snacks and keep them for the summit day. This is because the summit day is a long and tough climb and having your favourite snacks can give you a very welcome boost.
Water
While the water we provide on Kilimanjaro is suitable for drinking, you may wish to be extra safe and treat it with your own water purification tablets.
Accommodation
On this adventure, we spend five nights camping in three-person tents and two nights in a hotel.
Marangu: Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort (nights 1 and 7)
Before and after the trek, we stay at the Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort. Close to Kilimanjaro National Park, it is tucked deep in the banana and coffee plantations of Kyalla village. It has two restaurants, plus a bar serving the refreshing Kilimanjaro Lager and banana wine. There is also a swimming pool to enjoy when you return from Kilimanjaro.
Kilimanjaro: Full-service camping (nights 2-6)
Although conditions are basic on the mountain, the camping we experience is one of the best available on the Rongai Route. We sleep in Vango Halo Pro 300 tents regardless of whether you have made a twin-share or single supplement booking. These are spacious three-person tents that are ideal for the conditions on Kilimanjaro. Our camp life is about as comfortable as it gets on Kili, with a communal mess tent, where we gather as a group and eat breakfast and dinner, and a private toilet tent. We also ensure there is a bowl of hot washing water for you in the morning and again after the walk at an agreed time in the afternoon. The only exception is the highest camp where there is no water source.
Worth knowing
The campsites on Kilimanjaro are designated by the national park and are mainly stone/dirt. They are not all level and can be crowded in peak season.
We always ensure there is a bowl of hot washing water for you in the morning and again after the walk at an agreed time in the afternoon. The only exception is the highest camp where there is no water source.
Handwashing water, treated with Dettol, is available along with soap before all meals, and everyone is strongly advised to make use of it.
The toilet tent has toilet paper within it, but we recommend you bring your own toilet paper and wet wipes.
All camping equipment is provided except for sleeping bags, sleeping mats and pillows.
Check out our Q&As
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
Noi
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Are all entrance fees included in the price?
Kilimanjaro Park Fee
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
18+ age people can go on this tour.
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
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