Kilimanjaro Rongai Route 7 Days

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  • Duration: 7 Days
  • Max Travelers: 20
  • Trip Type: Hiking Tour
  • Availability: Jan - Dec

Tour Overview

Rongai Route begins on the northern side of Kilimanjaro Mountain, 45km from Moshi town or 69km from Arusha town. This is one of Kilimanjaro’s easiest routes, becoming an increasingly popular route in recent years. This route is located on the northern side of Mount Kilimanjaro with a variety of spectacular landscapes together with different plants and animal species. The typical duration for this trip is 6 days. However, you can also add an acclimatization day and make it a 7-day climb. The Rongai Route is more scenic than the Marangu Route and easier than another camping route in climbing Kilimanjaro and the success rate on the Rongai Route is very high. Unlike the Marangu Route where you sleep in huts, on the Rongai Route you sleep in tents, the porter will have your tent pitched and waiting for you at the end of each day’s trek. This route starts on the north side of the mountain just south of the Kenyan border and is one of the least travelled routes—the route merges with the Marangu Route for the summit climb. The descent follows the Marangu Route on the mountain’s southeast side, so you will see Kilimanjaro from many viewpoints. There are two versions of this trek – a direct 6-day itinerary, and a 7-day itinerary that takes a longer route. The 6-day itinerary is described below and the longer variation is described in the extra day’s section.

Tour Highlights

  • Departure and Return Place: Moshi Town to Marangu Gate and then back to Kilimanjaro International Airport (Google Maps)
  • Departure Time: Please be ready by 8:15 AM for a prompt departure at 8:30 AM.
  • Return Time: Approximately 10:30 AM on the last day.
  • Dress Code: Casual. Comfortable athletic clothing, hiking shoes, hat, cold weather jacket, gloves, pants, and spare clothing.
  • Accommodation: Two nights of accommodations based on Bed and Breakfast at 3 stars hotel (upgrades on request).
  • Customizations: Can be customized upon request, to meet traveller’s needs
  • Extensions: Trip Extensions are available on request.
  • Trip Availability: All year round.

Itinerary

Day 1 Moshi to Rongai gate to Simba Camp

Elevation: 1387/915 m to 1950 m to 2750 m, Distance: 9 km, Hiking Time: 4 hours, Habitat:  Montana Forest

You will have an early breakfast. Transfer by our vehicles through many villages and coffee and plantations for a 2–3-hour drive to Rongai gate (1,950 m/6,398 ft). After signing in and preparing the porters, you will start hiking on a wide path winding through fields of maize and potatoes, and then enter into Montana forest. You will then start to climb gently but consistently through an attractive forest that shelters a variety of wildlife. The forest begins to thin as you arrive at Simba Camp (2,600 m/8,530ft) with fantastic views over the Kenyan plains.

Day 2 Simba Camp to Kikelewa Camp

Elevation: 2750 m to 3600 m, Distance: 17 km, Hiking Time: 7 hours, Habitat: Moorland

After an early breakfast, you will have a steady ascent to the second camp where you will stop for lunch. You leave the direct trail at this point and strike out across the moorland on a smaller path toward the Mawenzi side peak to Kikelewa Camp in a sheltered valley. At the Kikelewa Camp, you will settle for your dinner and overnight rest.

Day 3 Kikelewa camp to Mawenzi turn hut

Elevation: 3600m to 4330m, Distance: 7km, Hiking Time: 4 hours, Habitat: Semi-Desert

After breakfast you will face a short, steep climb up grassy slopes; rewarded by superb all-round views, immersed in the vast surrounding wilderness. Soon after, you leave the vegetation behind and arrive at the Mawenzi Tarn Camp, which is situated in a spectacular cirque directly beneath the towering spires of Mawenzi Peak. After this hike, you will reach the Mawenzi turn hut camp where you will also see the amazing undried Lake with no inlet as well as an outlet here you will have lunch and rest then dinner and overnight at this camp.

Day 4 Acclimatization

This is your extra day on the mountain, and you will spend two nights at Mawenzi Tarn. You will hike up towards Mawenzi for a splendid acclimatization hike. Then after returning to the camp for lunch dinner and overnight.

Day 5 Mawenzi Tarn hut to Kibo Huts camp

Elevation: 4330 m to 4695 m, Distance: 8km, Hiking Time: 5 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert

After an early breakfast, you will cross the lunar desert of the saddle between Kibo peak and Mawenzi Peak to Kibo Huts at the bottom of Kibo’s crater wall. You should spend the remainder of the day resting and preparing for your summit climb.

Day 6Summit Day! Kibo Huts camp to Uhuru Peak to Horombo Huts camp

Elevation: 4695 m to 5895 m to 3690 m, Distance: 4 km up, 14 km down, Hiking Time: 1015 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert.

Wake at midnight to a light breakfast and then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly before or after sunrise. Leave to the peak at 12; 00 AM, switch back up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Gilman’s Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft between 4 and 6 AM. At this point, you will have views of the fabled crater and its icecaps facing you. Then after 2 hours of hiking along the Kibo crater rim near the celebrated snow takes you to Kilimanjaro’s true summit, Uhuru Peak here you will spend some time taking photo but it will depend on how you feel. After your summit activities are done, descend back to the Kibo Huts, have lunch, rest, collect your equipment, and continue on down, re-crossing the saddle to the Horombo Huts. Have dinner and overnight at Horombo camp.

Day 7 Horombo Huts camp to Marangu Gate to Moshi

Elevation: 3690 m to 1830 m to 1387 m, Distance: 18 km, Descending Time: 5-7 hours

After a long and enjoyable sleep, you will be awakened for breakfast and pack up, start descending through the moorland to Mandara Huts. Here you will have lunch then proceed with your triumphant recessional down through the lush forest to Marangu Park gate. Here you will sign out then a vehicle will take you back to the hotel where it is definitely time for the certificate presentation and celebration!

Pricing
Number of Travelers Cost Per Traveler in US($)
1 Person $2,060
2 People $2,o30
3 People $2,010
4 People $1,990
5 People $1,960
6 People $1,930
7 People $1,910
8 People $1,880
9 People $1,810
10 People $1,800

Price Includes

  • Park fees
  • Camping fees
  • VHF handheld radios – Carried on each trek, for easy communication between guides,the camp manager and office.
  • 18% VAT on tour fees & and services which cost nearly 55% of the total cost charged.
  • Transportation to & and from the mountain gate
  • Professional mountain guides, cooks, and porters
  • 3 meals daily while on the mountain
  • Filtered water throughout the trek
  • Fair wages for the mountain crew as approved by the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA), Kilimanjaro Association of Tour Operators (KIATO)

Price Excludes

  • Both National and International flights
  • Medical / Travel insurance
  • Visa cost which is $50 except for Canadian and USA passport holders which is 100$
  • Tips to mountain crew
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Laundry Services
  • A doctor for the group
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Portable flush toilet with a toilet tent is extra ($150 per toilet + toilet tent)
Map

Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route Trail Map

FAQs

When is the best time to climb Kilimanjaro?

Mount Kilimanjaro can be climbed anytime throughout the year. Most travelers prefer climbing during the dry seasons: December to March, June to October. Many consider the best months to climb Kilimanjaro to be January, February, and September.

Do you offer private and fully customizable climbs?

Your Kilimanjaro dream climb is entirely your own to design. We will work with you to customize exactly the triumphant Tanzanian mountainous quest experience you want. You go with the people you choose. You leave on whatever day you wish. You decide on your preferred route option, pace, and the number of days you will take.

Do I need to apply visa?

You will need a Single entry visa to enter Tanzania. It costs 100$ for US citizens and 50$ for other nationalities. There are 3 ways to apply it.
1. Apply it online from this link – Official link to apply your visa
2. Get a visa on arrival if you are eligible – Read Eligibility Guidelines
3. Apply through Tanzanian Embassy in your home Country

Do I need travel insurance?

Climbers are strongly advised to obtain travel insurance immediately after booking their trip.

How many hours will I trek each day?

On most routes, you’ll trek 4-7 hours most days. On certain routes you’ll trek as many as 10-15 hours on the longest days.

Who are your operators in Tanzania?

We are. We are not agents for anybody, but run the treks ourselves through our own registered Tanzanian local company.

What is the maximum number of people on the trek?

The maximum number of people on the trek is eight. Occasionally this may stretch to nine or ten if, for example, there are already 6 people booked on the trek and a group of four want to join. On the rare occasion where this happens we will contact those already booked on the trek to see if they have any objection to the group size to grow above eight.

Is there a minimum number of people on the trek?

We can book a trek for just one person but, as stated above, this will be quite expensive. If you are a solo traveler, therefore, we strongly advise you to join one of the scheduled treks.

What currencies do you accept as payment?

As we are charged in US dollars, so all our prices are quoted in US dollars too. However, we are able to accept a wide range of other currencies too including sterling, euros, Canadian dollars, Australian dollars, Israeli shekels, Singapore dollars, Indian rupees etc etc

How many days before the start of the climb should I arrive in Tanzania?

We advise you to spend at least one full day in Tanzania before beginning your trek. Arriving by plane one day and then climbing the next is not the best way to begin a trek.

What are the safety/rescue procedures on Kilimanjaro?

The guides have been trained in high-altitude medical care. Each trek will also be equipped with a comprehensive first-aid medical kit. The guides also carry oxygen for those people who are suffering from altitude sickness – though this is very much a last resort and the guides are trained to spot altitude sickness before it becomes necessary to use oxygen.

What are the safety/rescue procedures on Kilimanjaro?

The guides have been trained in high-altitude medical care. Each trek will also be equipped with a comprehensive first-aid medical kit. The guides also carry oxygen for those people who are suffering from altitude sickness – though this is very much a last resort and the guides are trained to spot altitude sickness before it becomes necessary to use oxygen.

Are park fees included in your price?

Yes, all Tanzania National Park (TANAPA) fees are included in our Kilimanjaro price. Currently, the conservation fees at Kilimanjaro National Park are: US$70 per person per day and US$50 per person per night for camping. Crew entry fees and Tanzanian Forest Services Agency (TFS) fees (applicable for Rongai, Shira and Lemosho routes) are also included in our Kilimanjaro price.

Can children climb Kilimanjaro?

The minimum age limit set by Kilimanjaro National Park for children trekking to Uhuru Peak on Mount Kilimanjaro is 10 years old.

How many guides will we have?

You will have one lead guide and an assistant guide for 2-3 climbers.
For 4-6 climbers, you will have one lead guide and 2 assistant guides.
For 7-8 climbers, you will have one lead guide and 3 assistant guides.
For 9-10 climbers, you will have one lead guide and 4 assistant guides.

What if I am slow?

We never rush our trek, instead, we like to take in the views and enjoy the experience. Some trekkers may be slower than others, but with our client-to-guide ratio, we are able to support everyone along the way. Our mantra, “pole pole” (Swahili for “slowly slowly”), reminds us to take our time and ensure that all of our trekkers have the opportunity to enjoy the experience fully.

Are there discounts for groups?

We can offer a discount for more than 2 people, please enquire at the time of booking.

What kind of food will I eat?

Highly-trained chefs prepare three hot nutritious meals daily, as well as trail snacks and afternoon tea each day. You’ll eat all your meals in a solar-lit dining tent with your fellow trekkers and head guide. Delicious vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other specialty meals can be provided (with advance request). We’re happy to send you a sample menu—just ask!

What are the Kilimanjaro accommodations like?

Your mountain camps are set up and broken down each day by expert camp porters. You’ll stay in double occupancy all-weather tents with full-ground pads to keep you and your gear dry. Private toilet tents, solar-lit dining tents with tables and chairs, and basins of hot water for washing are provided in every camp. Grand Traverse treks include upgraded solar-lit walk-in-height sleeping tents with mountaineering beds and mattresses for additional comfort.

How long are the treks?

The treks vary from six to eight days. The exact length of each trek is written on the Trekking dates and prices page. You can, of course, ask for treks that are longer than eight days and we can arrange this for you – though we don’t book treks for less than 6 days as we feel this is too short to allow you to acclimatize properly.

How do I cope with change of altitude?

Always remember to maintain a slow, steady pace from beginning to end. Going slowly allows the body to acclimatize while hiking. Those who start out too quickly will have troubles higher up the mountain as the body will be overexerted. This still holds true if you are spending an extra day on the mountain.

How long does it take to reach the summit?

It will depend on the route you pick and your pace. It can take from 4-8 hours to reach the summit from the high camp.

What is the deposit amount to hold my space?

A 15% deposit is required at time of booking to hold your Kilimanjaro climb and 30% for your Tanzania safari.

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