Arrival Day

Moshi - Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, a warm welcome awaits you. Our driver will be at the arrival hall, easily identifiable by a sign displaying either the lead traveler’s name or your own if traveling solo.

Nale Muru Gate to Simba Camp

Kilimanjaro National Park - After breakfast, your guide will provide a briefing. At 10 am, our team will transport you from Keys Hotel to the charming village of Nale Muru. The scenic drive, passing through villages and coffee plantations, takes about 4-5 hours. Upon arrival, your guides and porters will organize your gear and supplies while you register at the Kilimanjaro Park Office. Your trek begins through fields of maize and potatoes, leading into a pine forest. The ascent starts in a forest teeming with wildlife. As you approach Simba Camp, near the First Cave, the forest thins out. Your camp, set at the moorland’s edge, offers stunning views of the Kenyan plains. Upon arrival, you’ll find your camp and tent already set up by the porters, who will also provide boiled drinking water and washing water in preparation for dinner.

Simba Camp to Kikelewa Camp

Kilimanjaro National Park - After breakfast, you prepare for the day’s trek across moorland terrain. The path to Second Cave is steady in both grade and ascent. Along the way, enjoy breathtaking views of Kibo and your first sight of the ice fields on the Eastern crater rim. As you approach Second Cave, the moorland’s small shrubs become sparser. Here, you’ll take a short break for lunch. Then, diverging from the main path, head east across the moorland on a less-traveled route towards Mawenzi. After a 10km trek, you’ll enter a cozy valley filled with giant Senecios plants near Kikelewa Cave. You’ll spend the night at Kikelewa Camp.

Kikelewa Camp to Mawenzi Tarn

Kilimanjaro National Park - After breakfast and packing, embark on a relatively short hike up steep, grassy slopes. At the top, enjoy a stunning 360-degree panoramic view. Continuing on, leave behind all vegetation as you enter semi-desert terrain. It won’t be long before you reach Mawenzi Tarn, nestled beneath the towering peaks of Mawenzi. Spend the afternoon exploring this captivating range.

Acclimatization Day at Mawenzi Tarn

Kilimanjaro National Park - Today is an extra day on Kilimanjaro, but it’s not for resting at camp. The secret to the higher success rate of the 8-day itinerary lies in today’s acclimatization hike. Start your day as usual, then embark on a short hike towards Mawenzi. Depending on your pace and how you feel, ascend for 2-4 hours before returning to camp. The roundtrip typically takes 3-6 hours. Spend another night at Mawenzi Tarn before continuing your journey to Uhuru Peak.

Mawenzi Tarn to Kibo Huts

Kilimanjaro National Park - After an early breakfast and packing your daypack, begin your hike by crossing the saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo. The terrain resembles a lunar desert. Start early to ensure you reach the next camp in time to rest before your summit attempt. Today’s hike takes you just below the Kibo crater wall, where you’ll camp at Kibo Huts. Here, you’ll join the Marangu Route for the summit hike. Prepare your clothing and equipment (replace batteries for headlamp and camera) before going to bed by 7 PM to catch some sleep before your summit attempt.

Kibo Huts to Uhuru Peak to Horombo Huts

Kilimanjaro National Park - Wake up for breakfast at midnight and prepare for your summit ascent. Depart at 1 AM, aiming to reach the peak around sunrise. The trek involves switchbacks, leading you up the steep scree to Gilman’s Point on the crater rim (18,640 ft/5,861 m) between 5 and 7 AM. Here, you’ll be greeted by the snow-filled crater and its icecaps. Hiking along the crater rim, you’ll reach Uhuru Peak around 9 AM. Congratulations, you’re now standing on the Roof of Africa! Take time for photos with the iconic Uhuru Peak sign, but begin your descent soon to allow enough time to rest at Kibo Huts. After returning to Kibo, have lunch, rest, pack up, and head to Horombo Huts. Enjoy dinner and a well-deserved sleep.

Horombo Huts to Marangu Gate

Kilimanjaro National Park - Wake up for breakfast, pack, and descend through the moorland to Mandara Huts for lunch. Continue descending through the rainforest, reaching the park gate around 2 or 3 PM. A 45-minute drive will take you back to Keys Hotel in Moshi. It’s time to celebrate!

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner

• Laundry service available at 4$ per cloth

Starting from the Rongai gate, the route traverses several diverse climate zones, and each produces its own amazing views and experiences. Because of its remote location, the route offers trekkers a relatively unspoiled wilderness experience where it is possible to see large wildlife like antelope, elephants, and buffalo. Heading up to Kikelewa Caves on day two, the views start to open up, with the Amboseli Plains of Kenya stretching into the distance. The route continues up to the mountain’s second summit at Mawenzi, before crossing the Saddle, a barren plain that connects the two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo. After reaching the summit, the descent is along the more heavily traveled Marangu route, offering you the chance to see Mount Kilimanjaro from both sides.

Lying in the rain shadow of Kilimanjaro, the Rongai route is one of the best routes to make the attempt on Kilimanjaro during the rainy season.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.