Moshi
Your Moshi hotel
Budget, midrange or luxury — your base for the briefing before the climb and a hot shower after it.
Kilimanjaro · Marangu Route
5-Day Marangu
Route
Kilimanjaro's oldest route, with nights in mountain huts instead of tents and a sunrise summit via Gilman's Point.
- 5 days on the mountain
- Challenging
- Hut accommodation
- Private climb
The climb
A roof over
your head.
Marangu, nicknamed the 'Coca-Cola Route', is the only Kilimanjaro trail where you sleep in mountain huts rather than tents. It is the oldest and best-established route, on a gentle, well-made path.
This five-day plan is the quickest way up and down. The short schedule leaves little time to acclimatise, so it suits confident trekkers who adapt quickly — or add a day with the 6-day version.
Route & elevations
From the gate
to the Roof of Africa.
Every climb is led by a professional mountain guide with a full support crew.
- Day 01 Moshi Arrival & briefing
- Day 02 Mandara Hut 2,700 m
- Day 03 Horombo Hut 3,720 m
- Day 04 Kibo Hut 4,720 m
- Day 05 Uhuru Peak 5,895 m
- Day 06 Marangu Gate 1,860 m
Day by day
Your climb, step by step
Times and distances are a guide — your lead guide sets the pace on the mountain.
Day 1: Arrival in Moshi
Welcome to Kilimanjaro
Overnight: Hotel in Moshi (budget, midrange or luxury)
Our team meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and drives you to your hotel in Moshi, the gateway town to the mountain.
In the evening your lead guide talks you through the climb, checks your gear and answers your questions. The rest of the day is for resting and drinking plenty of water.
- Stay
- Hotel in Moshi (budget, midrange or luxury)
- Meals
- Dinner
Day 2: Marangu Gate → Mandara Hut
Forest trail to the first hut
Overnight: Mandara Hut
After registering at Marangu Gate, you follow a shaded, gently rising path through the rainforest.
Blue monkeys and tall fig trees line the way to Mandara Hut. If you have energy, a short walk to Maundi Crater gives wide views over the plains.
- Stay
- Mandara Hut
- Elevation
- 1,860 m → 2,700 m
- Walking
- 8 km · 4–5 hrs
Day 3: Mandara Hut → Horombo Hut
Into the moorland
Overnight: Horombo Hut
Leaving the forest, the trail enters moorland dotted with giant lobelias and groundsels.
Mawenzi and Kibo come into view as you walk slowly to Horombo Hut, where a warm meal and a bed in a shared hut await.
- Stay
- Horombo Hut
- Elevation
- 2,700 m → 3,720 m
- Walking
- 12 km · 6–8 hrs
Day 4: Horombo Hut → Kibo Hut
Across the Saddle
Overnight: Kibo Hut
The trail crosses the Saddle, a vast, dry plateau between Mawenzi and Kibo.
You reach Kibo Hut by mid-afternoon to prepare your gear, eat early and sleep before the summit attempt.
- Stay
- Kibo Hut
- Elevation
- 3,720 m → 4,720 m
- Walking
- 10 km · 6–7 hrs
Day 5: Kibo Hut → Uhuru Peak → Horombo Hut
Summit day
Overnight: Horombo Hut
You start shortly before midnight, zig-zagging up to Gilman's Point (5,681 m) in the dark.
The crater rim leads on to Uhuru Peak for sunrise. After photos you descend to Kibo Hut for a break and on to Horombo for your last night on the mountain.
- Stay
- Horombo Hut
- Elevation
- 4,720 m → 5,895 m → 3,720 m
- Walking
- 20 km · 12–14 hrs
Day 6: Horombo Hut → Marangu Gate
Back down to Moshi
Overnight: Hotel in Moshi (budget, midrange or luxury)
The final descent leads through moorland and dense rainforest, warmer and greener with every step.
At Marangu Gate you sign out and collect your summit certificate, then drive back to Moshi for a celebration dinner.
- Stay
- Hotel in Moshi (budget, midrange or luxury)
- Elevation
- 3,720 m → 1,860 m
- Walking
- 20 km · 5–7 hrs
Day 7: Departure
Farewell from Tanzania
Depending on your flight time, we drive you to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your journey home.
Continuing on safari or to Zanzibar? We arrange the connection so your next adventure begins smoothly.
Prices
Clear rates,
no surprises.
Classic Premium — 1–2 guests: $1,800 per person · 3 or more guests: $1,750 per person
VIP Private — Bespoke luxury and a custom itinerary — quoted on request
Rates are in USD and cover park fees, rescue fees, emergency oxygen and your mountain crew. Subject to availability.
Where you will sleep
Rest well,
climb strong.
On the mountain
Mandara, Horombo & Kibo huts
Shared dormitory huts with mattresses and a roof over your head — a real comfort, especially in the rainy season.
Included
Your climb includes
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Return transport to and from the trailhead
- Two nights in a Moshi hotel (before and after the climb)
- Park, conservation and rescue fees, plus VAT
- Professional mountain guide and full crew, wages and allowances included
- First-aid kit and emergency oxygen
- Rescue vehicle on standby
- Hut accommodation at Mandara, Horombo and Kibo
- Three meals a day on the mountain
- Morning wake-up call, hot washing water and ginger tea on summit night
Not included
Not included
- Flights
- Travel and health insurance
- Tips for the mountain crew
- Drinks at the hotel
- Personal items and gear
- Taxis and extra transfers
Good to know
Extras, transfers
& tipping.
Optional extras — private toilet $150 per trip · private tent $5 per day · Kailas X3 alpine tent $10 per day · thicker sleeping mattress $10 · Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad $15.
Private transfers — Kilimanjaro Airport to Moshi (or back) $50 · Arusha to Moshi (or back) $100. Pre-booking recommended.
Suggested crew tips per climber — lead guide USD 20–25 · assistant guide USD 15–20 · cook USD 12–15 · porter USD 8–10.
Make more of your trip — add a wildlife safari in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro or Tarangire, a few days on Zanzibar's beaches, or a cultural visit to Maasai and Chagga communities and a coffee tour near Moshi.
Start planning
Tell us when
you want to climb.
Every climb is private and planned around your dates, fitness and pace.
Send us the details below and our team will put together your 5-Day Marangu Route proposal.
Good to know: Your enquiry does not commit you to a booking. It simply gives our team what we need to plan your climb.
Request your climb proposal
Ready for the Roof of Africa?
Tell us your dates and group size. We reply within 24 hours with a climb plan and a clear price.