7 Days Rongai Route

7 Days Rongai Route Hike – Luxury Safaris Tanzania

Mountain Kilimanjaro offers a challenging hiking adventure however worth to do. The African giant has several trails to the peak, inclusive of the Rongai Route/ trail. The Rongai route ascends Kilimanjaro from the northeastern side of the mountain, along the border between Tanzania and Kenya. This route retains a sense of unspoiled wilderness and offers a different perspective of Kilimanjaro by approaching it from the north. The topography of the route does not allow for the application of the climb high and sleep low principle and hikers generally suffer more from altitude sickness on the Rongai route compared to other routes. The Rongai route uses the scree summiting path from Kibo hut to Gilman’s point and descends via the Marangu route. While hiking through this route, an additional acclimatization day is highly recommended for you to regain from the steep and difficult to climb topographic nature of the route. Our 7 days Rongai Route hike is best designed for you.

Rongai Route
Rongai Route

Quick tour details

Duration: 7 days

Number of People: Tailored

Starts/Ends: Arusha

Availability: All year round

PLACES TO VISIT: MOUNT KILIMANJARO

Tour Overview – 7 Days Rongai Route

  • Day 01:  Airport pick-up
  • Day 02:  Rongai Start Point (1996m) – Simba camp (2626m)
  • Day 03:  Simba camp (2626m) – Kikelewa Camp (3679m)
  • Day 04:  Kikelewa Cave (3679m) – Mawenzi Tarn camp (4303m)
  • Day 05:  Mawenzi Tarn camp (4303m) – Kibo hut (4730m)
  • Day 06:  Summit attempt
  • Day 07:  Horombo hut (3705m) – Marangu Gate (1860m)

Day by day detailed itinerary for 7 days Rongai Route safari – hike

DAY 01: ARRIVAL AND PICK-UP

Upon our arrival to Tanzania, you will be picked up by a professional guide from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and driven to your accommodation in Moshi town. Participants will be given a short briefing for the climb the next day. Kits and the necessary equipment will be checked as well.

Meals Plan: Dinner

DAY 02: RONGAI START POINT – SIMBA CAMP

Very early in the morning, we depart from Moshi town and drive 45mins. to Marangu park gate for registration. From there, we travel to Naro Moru, a further 68km and approximately 2 ½ hours on bad roads to the Rongai starting point (1996m). We begin our hike from the Nale Moru village. The small winding path crosses maize fields before entering the pine forest, and then we climb gently through a forest. The trail is not steep but is rather a gentle hike through the beautiful countryside. The first night’s camp is at Simba Camp (2626m). The camp facilities include a public toilet and a wooden table with benches, but no hut. The hike will last for about 4 hours with a distance approximating 6.7km.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner

DAY 03: SIMBA CAMP – KIKELEWA CAMP

We continue with our hike up from Simba camp to Kibo (3482m). We arrive for lunch at First Caves. The distance is 5.8km. After lunch, we continue trekking until we reach Kikelewa Camp at about 3679m. Here you will have an amazing view including a stream of water below the cave. The hike will last for about 6 – 7hours before arriving at Kikelewa camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner

DAY 04: KIKELEWA CAVE – MAWENZI TARN CAMP

From Kikelewa cave to Mawenzi tarn camp is a short distance but a steep climb up grassy slopes offer superb views of this wilderness area. The vegetation zone ends shortly before you reach your next camp at Mawenzi Tarn situated beneath the towering spires of Mawenzi. Here we spend the afternoon acclimatizing and exploring the area. the hike will last for up to 3 hours.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner

DAY 05: MAWENZI TARN CAMP – KIBO HUT

After breakfast, we head west and continue ascending on the east side of Kibo. We then cross the saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo taking 4 to 5 hours to reach Kibo Hut. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the final ascent, which begins around midnight. The hike will cover a distance approximating 9 km.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 06: SUMMIT ATTEMPT

The total time spent walking on this day is around 14 hours, so be prepared for a very tough day. You will rise around 23h20, and after some tea and biscuit, we begin our ascent. The first section of the trail consists of a rocky path to the Hans Meyer Cave (5150m), also a good resting spot. The path then zigzags up to Gillman’s point (5681m), which is located on the crater rim. This section is very steep with a lot of stone scree, requiring a great physical and mental effort. This is probably the most demanding section of the entire route. From Gillmans Point, you will normally encounter snow all the way up to Uhuru peak (5895m), the highest point in Africa!

Weather conditions on the summit will determine how long you will be able to spend taking photographs and enjoying the amazing scenery. Afterward, we begin our 3-hour descent back to Kibo hut. After a short rest at Kibo hut, we gather all our remaining gears and head down to Horombo hut (3 hours) for your overnight. The return to Horombo hut will seem surprisingly fast compared to the ascent. Later in the evening, you will have your last dinner on the mountain and have a well-earned sleep.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 07: HOROMBO HUT – MARANGU GATE

After breakfast, we continue our descent for around 6 hours passing the Mandara hut down to the Marangu gate. At Marangu gate, successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Gillman’s Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates, and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. Afterward, we drive back to Moshi for a long overdue hot shower and celebration

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

End of 7 Days Rongai Route

Safari includes

  • All activities (unless labeled as optional)
  •  All accommodation as stated in the itinerary
  •  A professional driver/guide
  •  All transportation (unless labeled as optional)
  •  Round-trip airport transfer
  •  All Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
  •  Drinking water on all days
  •  Camping Equipment

Safari excludes

  • The government imposed an increase in taxes and/or park fees
  •  Alcohol drinks
  •  Rescue Fee
  •  Climbing Gear
  •  Sleeping Bag
  • International flights
  •  Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
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