This 5 days Marangu Route Itinerary is the shortest program / route for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. The Marangu route is the only one that uses cabins and huts as accommodations, unlike other routes that use tents. The 5-day Marangu route is the mountain’s oldest and most popular route, and it is also one of the easiest and shortest routes. The success rate for the Marangu route is around 42% for 5 days, and this is because it does not include the acclimatization extra day.
The hike up is both short and steep which may attribute to the low success rate for going up to the summit.
The Marangu route also known as the Coca-Cola route is one of the six routes hikers use to get to Mount Kilimanjaro Peak. The Marangu route is the only one that uses cabins and huts as accommodations, unlike other routes that use tents. The 5-day Marangu route is the mountain’s oldest and most popular route, and it is also one of the easiest and shortest routes. The success rate for the Marangu route is around 42% for 5 days, and this excludes the acclimatization extra day.
The 5-day itinerary does not have an acclimatization day, therefore hikers are encouraged to have enough training and follow all the regulations and advice that the guides give you. The route is 72 kilometers long, a busier route as compared to other routes and although the route is not as scenic as the other routes, you end up using the same route while descending. Marangu route also has the highest failure route due to hikers getting altitude sickness because of failure to acclimatize and this somehow reduces their chances of getting to the summit.
For higher chances of summiting through the Marangu Route, one should consider doing the 6 days Marangu Route which has a day of acclimatization and therefore boosting the chances of going to the top quite substantially.
5 days Marangu Route Itinerary
Arrival into Kilimanjaro Airport - Transfer to Moshi
You will be met by our professional guide and driven to your hotel in Moshi, where a small briefing will be carried out and an inspection of all the climbing equipment will take place. In case some equipment is missing, it can be hired on this day to avoid the last-minute hustle.
Moshi or Marangu, Hike to Mandara
Mountain zone: montane forest
Elevation: 1700 m to 2740 m
Duration: 4 to 5 hours
Distance: 7km
Accommodation: Mandara Hut (a dormitory-style lodge cabin)
Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
You will be transferred from your hotel in Moshi to the Marangu Gate, which is a 45-minute drive. Registration is needed at the Marangu Gate for every participant, and after that, a briefing will be made so that you get to know what to expect from the hike. After registration, the trek through the Montane forest where you get the chance to explore the Maundi crater (achieving acclimatization), and a night will be spent at the Mandara hut will begin.
Mandara huts, Hike to Horombo huts
Mountain Zone: Heathland
Elevation: 2700 m to 3700 m
Duration: 6 to 8 hours
Distance: 11km
Accommodation: Horombo style (a dormitory-style lodge cabin).
Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
The trek on the second day starts immediately after breakfast through the Montane forest to the moorlands. This is the time when you get your first glimpse of the mountain and you spend the night at the Horombo hut.
Horombo, Hike to Kibo huts
Mountain zone: Alpine Desert
Elevation: 3700 m to 4700 m
Duration: 6 to 8 hours
Distance: 10km
Accommodation: Kibo Hut (a dormitory-style lodge cabin).
Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
After breakfast and a good night’s rest, the hike on the third day through the Alpine Desert took us past the last water point. This is also the point between Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. The hike will take you 6 to 8 hours, with an overnight stopover at the Kibo hut.
This 5 days Marangu Route Itinerary doesn’t have a day of acclimatization, thus the reason why climbers will go straight t0 Kibo Huts which is the base camp for the summiting day.
Kibo hut to Summit and back to Horombo hut
Mountain zone: Alpine Desert
Elevation: 4700m to 5895m and 5895m to 3700m
Duration: 10 to 15 hours
Distance: 4km (ascent) and 14km (descent).
Accommodation: Horombo Hut (a dormitory-style lodge cabin).
Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
You get to spend the whole day at Kibo hut, and after a light meal at midnight, the ascent to the summit begins with headlights and flashlights. It will be an extremely cold affair, which means that you need to have several layers of warm clothing. The goal of ascending at midnight is to hike slowly so that you get to the summit before dawn. You get to Uhuru Peak and Gilman’s Point at the crater rim between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. You can take as many photos as you want while at the peak before descending to Kibo hut to gather the remaining staff before continuing to Horombo hut, where you will spend the night.
Horombo, descend to Marangu Gate, Transfer to Moshi / Arusha
Duration: 5 to 7 hours
Distance: 18km
Elevation: 3700 m to 1700 m
You will be awakened for breakfast before continuing with the descent through the forest back to the Mandara huts, where lunch will be served. After lunch, proceed with the descent to Marangu Gate, where you will sign out and the safari vehicle will be waiting to take you back to the hotel, where a certificate will be presented to you.
The cost of the hike depends on the number of days and the number of people willing to take the hike. Book with us and let us know the number of people, and we shall instantly get back to you with what to expect and the exact cost.
5 days Marangu Route Prices, Inclusions & Exclusions
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