Marangu Route — 5 Days

Overview

The 5-day Marangu is the shortest and cheapest way up Kilimanjaro, and the only route where you sleep in permanent huts with bunk beds. Because there is no built-in acclimatisation day, summit success is lower — we recommend it only for climbers with recent high-altitude experience.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Arr
   Arrival Day

   Arrival Day

   When you arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), a representative from Tanzania Travelers will meet you and transfer you to a hotel in Moshi town. The hotel has everything you need for a comfortable stay: nice rooms, hot water, friendly staff, a pool and Wi-Fi. You’ll spend your first night there. If you arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Kenya instead, we’ll pick you up and bring you to Moshi by Shuttle Bus. In the evening, there will be a meeting with the guides to help you get ready for the climb the next day.

   Note: Hotel check-in starts at 2:00 PM.

   Meals: Breakfast, DinnerShose Farmhouse or Brubru Lodge
2. 1
   Day 1

   Moshi → Marangu Gate → Mandara Hut

   Today's Status

   Hiking Time: 3–4 hours

   Total Distance: 8 km

   Starting Altitude: 1,860 m (6,100 ft)

   Final Altitude: 2,700 m (8,858 ft)

   Elevation Change: +840 m

   Habitat: Montane rainforest

   Morning briefing and gear check in Moshi, then a 1-hour drive to Marangu Gate (1,860 m) for park registration. A well-graded, easy-to-follow forest path climbs through lush montane rainforest with troops of blue monkeys, colobus and the calls of turacos overhead. Mandara Hut is a cluster of A-frame wooden cabins with bunk beds; an optional 30-minute walk to Maundi Crater gives views across to Kenya.

   Meals: Lunch, DinnerMandara Hut · 2,700 m
3. 2
   Day 2

   Mandara → Horombo Hut

   Today's Status

   Hiking Time: 6 hours

   Total Distance: 12 km

   Starting Altitude: 2,700 m (8,858 ft)

   Final Altitude: 3,720 m (12,205 ft)

   Elevation Change: +1,020 m

   Habitat: Heather & moorland

   The forest ends abruptly within an hour, opening into heath and moorland dotted with giant lobelias and senecios. Long, gentle switchbacks all day with your first clear views of jagged Mawenzi and the snow dome of Kibo. Horombo is a village of huts on a ridge at 3,720 m — twice-daily pulse and oxygen checks are taken here, and sunset falls over a sea of cloud below camp.

   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerHorombo Hut · 3,720 m
4. 3
   Day 3

   Horombo → Kibo Hut

   Today's Status

   Hiking Time: 6–7 hours

   Total Distance: 10 km

   Starting Altitude: 3,720 m (12,205 ft)

   Final Altitude: 4,700 m (15,420 ft)

   Elevation Change: +980 m

   Habitat: Alpine desert

   Past the Last Water Point at 4,130 m — everything beyond is carried by the crew — and out onto 'The Saddle', a stark, wind-scoured alpine desert stretching between Mawenzi and Kibo. Vegetation disappears completely and the summit cone looms ahead all afternoon. Arrive at Kibo Hut, a stone bunkhouse at 4,700 m, in time for an early dinner, kit preparation and a few hours of rest before the midnight push.

   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerKibo Hut · 4,700 m
5. 4
   Day 4

   Summit Day · Kibo → Uhuru Peak → Horombo Hut

   Today's Status

   Hiking Time: 12–14 hours

   Total Distance: 22 km

   Starting Altitude: 4,700 m (15,420 ft)

   Final Altitude: 3,720 m (12,205 ft) via Uhuru Peak 5,895 m

   Elevation Change: +1,195 m / −2,175 m

   Habitat: Arctic → moorland

   Wake at 23:00 for tea and biscuits and set off by headtorch at midnight. Steep switchbacks of loose scree climb past Hans Meyer Cave (5,150 m) to Gilman's Point (5,681 m) on the crater rim, usually reached around sunrise. A further 1.5–2 hours along the rim past the glaciers brings you to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m). After photos, descend to Kibo for brunch, then continue across The Saddle down to Horombo.

   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerHorombo Hut · 3,720 m
6. 5
   Day 5

   Horombo → Marangu Gate → Moshi

   Today's Status

   Hiking Time: 5–6 hours

   Total Distance: 20 km

   Starting Altitude: 3,720 m (12,205 ft)

   Final Altitude: 1,860 m (6,100 ft)

   Elevation Change: −1,860 m

   Habitat: Moorland → rainforest

   A long but straightforward descent retracing the moorland and rainforest path, with a rest stop at Mandara Hut. Sign out at Marangu Gate and receive your summit certificate — gold for Uhuru Peak, green for Gilman's Point. Farewell song and tipping ceremony with the crew over a celebratory lunch, then transfer to your Moshi hotel.

   Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
7. Dep
   Departure Day

   Departure Day

   Spend time at the hotel before being transferred to the airport, based on your flight schedule. The total distance covered on the Marangu route is approximately 72 kilometers or 44.7 miles.

   Note: Standard hotel check-out time is 11:00 AM. If your flight is later in the day and you require a late check-out, you can extend your stay for an additional cost. This marks the end of your climb!

   Meals: Breakfast

Trail map

A stylised overview of the Marangu Route — camps, elevations and summit approach.