5 Days Marangu Route Kilimanjaro Trekking

Location

Duration

5 days

Explore Tours

The Marangu Route, which approaches the mountain from the southeast, is the only route up the mountain which offers hut accommodation, as opposed to the tents which are used on other routes. It is also special as it can be completed in as little as five days, offering the quickest route to Uhuru Peak. An extra acclimatization day is recommended, however, therefore the route is typically completed in five days.

Due to the availability of hut accommodation and its low cost, the Marangu Route is the most popular route on the mountain for beginners — as such, its success rate is lower than some of the other routes, as many hikers underestimate the difficulty of reaching the peak of Kilimanjaro.

Trip Highlights

The route starts from the park headquarters in the village of Marangu and heads straight westwards towards Kibo.
The trail goes through lush rainforest, heath, and moorland to alpine desert and ultimately the arctic zone at the peak and same route down.
An optional acclimatization day at Horombo Huts is highly recommended for those with no prior trekking in altitude experience under their belt.
Soft drinks, bottled water, and beer may be for sale at the huts.

Day 1: Marangu Gate to Mandara Huts

Distance: 7km

Hiking Time: 3 hours

Habitat: Montane Forest

You will be picked up from your hotel in the morning and driven to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate. Once signed in at the park and final preparations are complete, we start ascending on a cleared ridge trail through the rainforest. Our first night is at Mandara Hut camp set in a forest clearing. This camp consists of a group of wooden A-framed huts and flush toilets behind the main hut.

Day 2 : Mandara Huts to Horombo Huts

Distance: 12km

Hiking Time: 6 hours

Habitat: Moorland

In the morning we leave camp and trek through a short stretch of forest through to moorland, circumventing the base of the Maundi Crater. In the afternoon we will reach the Horombo Hut where will we stay overnight.

Day 3 : Horombo Hut To Kibo Hut

Distance: 10km

Hiking Time: 5 hours

Habitat: Alpine desert

Today we continue our ascent into the Alpine desert zone to Kibo Hut. This afternoon we will have an early dinner, prepare your personal gear for the summit and then get some sleep. Our summit trek starts around midnight.

Day 4: Kibo Hut to Summit to Horombo Hut

Distance: 21km

Hiking Time: 6-7 hours

Habitat: Stone screed and ice-capped summit and Moorland

You will be woken around 23:30pm, and after a hot breakfast, we will start our final summit. The first section of the trail consists of a rocky path to Hans Meyer point (5250m). The path then zigzags up to Gillman’s point (5681m) on the crater rim. This section is very steep with a lot of screens. From Gillman’s Point, we could encounter snow all the way up to Uhuru peak (5895m), the highest point in Africa. After taking photos at the summit we start the 3 hours of descent back to Kibo Hut. After a short rest, we pack up all your personal gear and trek down to Horombo Hut (3 hours). Tonight is our last night on the mountain.

Day 5: Horombo Hut to Marangu-Gate

Distance: 18km

Hiking Time: 6 hours

Habitat: Montane Forest

This morning we make our final descent down to Marangu Gate where we started. You will be taken for lunch and here you will receive your summit certificate to commemorate your great achievement. We will then drive you back to your hotel where we will say our farewell.