Marangu Route

5 Days | 4 Nights

From $1,250 / person

Your trip overview

The 5-day Marangu route itinerary and package for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro offers an exhilarating journey to the summit of Africa, Uhuru Peak. Along the way, you’ll traverse diverse vegetation and climatic zones, encountering various animals and birds amidst scenic trails while enjoying breathtaking views of Kilimanjaro’s peaks. This adventure promises to satisfy your thirst for exploration and adrenaline as you navigate through different terrains.

Notably, the Marangu route is among the shortest trails to Kilimanjaro’s summit, making it an efficient and cost-effective option. With shorter hiking days and accommodation provided in A-shaped, dormitory-style cabins instead of tents, the 5-day Marangu route package offers affordability and convenience.

Additionally, there’s an option to extend the itinerary to 6 days for enhanced acclimatization, ensuring a safer and more enjoyable climbing experience.

The Marangu Route, famously known as the Coca Cola route, stands out as the only route on Mount Kilimanjaro to exclusively utilize huts for accommodation instead of tents. It’s a highly popular route, renowned for its accessibility and convenience.

Summit night on the Marangu Route commences from Kibo Hut, following a steep ascent via Gilman’s Point to reach the summit at Uhuru Peak. This route’s short and steep nature poses a challenge, as it allows limited time for climbing and acclimatization. Additionally, it shares the same route for ascent and descent, contributing to its high traffic and popularity among climbers.

Duration: 5 or 6 days, Difficulty: Medium, Scenery: Good, Traffic: High

The 5-day Marangu Route often reports a relatively low summit success rate of around 50%. This can be attributed to climbers rushing to reach the summit without adequate acclimatization. Skipping an additional acclimatization day can further decrease the average success rate, as climbers may not have sufficient time to adjust to the altitude, increasing the risk of altitude-related issues and reducing the chances of reaching the summit successfully. Therefore, it’s essential for climbers to prioritize proper acclimatization to improve their chances of success on the Marangu Route.

Trip Destinations

where to visit

Mandara Hut

Mount Kilimanjaro

Horombo Hut

Mount Kilimanjaro

Kibo hut

Mount Kilimanjaro

Marangu Gate

Mount Kilimanjaro

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Full Itinerary

Day by Day

Day 1: Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut

Your 5-day Marangu route adventure commences with a drive to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate from your lodge or hotel in Moshi/Arusha. Upon arrival at the park gate, complete the check-in process at the office and make final preparations for the climb. Exiting the park gate, you ascend through the mist-shrouded rainforest on a well-defined ridge track.

The forest is a habitat for a variety of Kilimanjaro’s bird species and resident animals. The first night will be spent at Mandara Hut, a cluster of wooden A-frame houses nestled in a clearing within the woodland. Water is sourced from springs above the camp, and there are flush facilities located behind the main cabin.

Elevation (m):
1879m to 2720m

Distance:
8km,

Time:
3 hours.

Habitat:
Montane Forest.

Where to stay

Mandara Hut

Day 2: Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut

The journey from Mandara Hut progresses through a brief stretch of woodland before transitioning into the zone between the rainforest and moorland, tracing the perimeter of the Maundi Crater. After approximately 6 hours, we reach Horombo Hut, our overnight stop. Take advantage of the hot washing water provided for refreshment.

Elevation (m):
2700m to 3720m.

1Distance:
1km,

Time:
6 hours.

Habitat:
Moorland.

Where to stay

Horombo Hut

Day 3: Horombo Hut to Kibo hut

Our journey continues upward into the alpine dry zone as we leave Horombo Hut behind. We reach the final water source at 4130 meters, where we fill our water bottles to capacity, ensuring we have enough water until we return to Horombo Hut in two nights.

With the summit now only 1195 meters away from Kibo Hut, we prepare for our summit ascent tonight. To maximize our rest, we retire to bed around 18:30 p.m., aiming to get as much sleep as possible before the challenging climb ahead. On this day you will have early dinner than usually to get ample time for summit preparation and rest.

Elevation (m):
3720m to 4720m

Distance:
9.5km,

Time:
5-6 hours.

Habitat:
Alpine Desert

Where to stay

Kibo Hut

Day 4: Kibo Hut to Summit to Horombo Hut

We’ll get up around 23:30 p.m. and head out into the night after some tea and snacks. It will be a challenging push to the summit. The hike begins with a rocky road that leads to Hans Meyer Point (5250m). The path then zigzags up the crater rim to Gillman’s point (5681m). This portion has a lot of scree and is fairly steep.

Snow could be encountered all the way up to Uhuru peak (5895m), Africa’s highest point, from Gillman’s Point. The weather on the summit will dictate how much time we have to spend photographing before the three-hour descent back to Kibo Hut.

We grab all of the stuff we left behind for the ascent and proceed down to Horombo Hut after a short rest (3 hours). Later that evening, we have a mountain dinner and a well-deserved rest, replete with recollections of the day’s accomplishments.

Elevation (m):
4720m to 5895m

Distance:
21km,

Time: 6-7hours.

Habitat:
Stone screed and ice-capped summit and Moorland.

Where to stay

Horombo Hut

Day 5: Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate

Day 5 of our Marangu route itinerary marks the final day of our climb. We continue our journey of descending Mount Kilimanjaro (6 hours) down to the Marangu Gate, passing the Mandara Hut on the way. This is also where our summit certificates will be handed out. At Marangu Gate, a van will be waiting to transport you back to your hotel or airport.

The prices for the Marangu Route Package start from $1,250 per person for a group of 10 individuals sharing. For groups larger than 10 people, please contact us for pricing information. Here is the breakdown of prices based on the number of participants:

Elevation (m):
4720m to 5895m

Distance:
21km,

Time:
6-7hours.

Habitat:
Stone screed and ice-capped summit and Moorland.

Where to stay

Marangu Gate

Rates Per Person

1PAX	2-5 PAX	6-10PAX	11+PAX
$1,870	$1,610 (per person)	$1,495 (per person)	$1,250 (per person)

Safari/Trip

Inclusions & Exclusions

Inclusions

Park fees (For non-residents)

All activities (Unless labeled as optional)

All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)

A professional driver/guide

All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)

All Taxes/VAT

Roundtrip airport transfer

Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)

Drinking water (On all days)

Exclusions

International flights (From/to home)

Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour

Tips (No tip expected)

Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)

Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees

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Marangu Route

5 Days | 4 Nights

Your trip overview

Trip Destinations

where to visit

Mandara Hut

Horombo Hut

Kibo hut

Marangu Gate

Planning Your Safari

Reviews and Rates

Full Itinerary

Day by Day

Where to stay

Where to stay

Where to stay

Where to stay

Where to stay

Rates Per Person

Safari/Trip

Inclusions & Exclusions

Enquire this Tour

What our Client Say

Design your own trip

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