Moshi
Your Moshi hotel
Budget, midrange or luxury — your base for the briefing before the climb and a hot shower after it.
Kilimanjaro · Rongai Route
6-Day Rongai
Route
A wild, uncrowded climb from Kilimanjaro's northern slopes to Uhuru Peak, with a descent through the southern rainforest.
- 6 days on the mountain
- Challenging
- Quiet northern approach
- Private climb
The climb
The quiet way
to the summit.
Rongai is the only route that starts on Kilimanjaro's northern side, close to the Kenyan border. It is drier, calmer and far less busy than the southern trails, and you may spot wildlife on the lower slopes.
The gradual gradient gives your body time to adjust, and the six-day plan is very achievable with good preparation and a steady pace. You climb the north, cross the Saddle and come down through the Marangu forest, seeing much of the mountain on the way.
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 Simba Camp 2,600 m
- Day 03 Second Cave 3,450 m
- Day 04 Third Cave 3,800 m
- Day 05 Kibo Hut 4,700 m
- Day 06 Uhuru Peak 5,895 m
- Day 07 Marangu Gate 1,870 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: Rongai Gate → Simba Camp
The quiet northern start
Overnight: Simba Camp (tents)
A morning drive to Rongai Gate, close to the Kenyan border, puts you on Kilimanjaro's least-visited side.
The trail climbs gently through farmland and pine forest, where colobus monkeys are often seen, to Simba Camp on a grassy ridge with views north into Kenya.
- Stay
- Simba Camp (tents)
- Elevation
- 1,950 m → 2,600 m
- Walking
- 8 km · 4–5 hrs
Day 3: Simba Camp → Second Cave
Onto the open moorland
Overnight: Second Cave Camp (tents)
A steady climb across open moorland brings Kibo and Mawenzi into full view.
You reach Second Cave, beside an old lava tube, by early afternoon. After lunch, an optional short walk to higher ground helps your body adjust before dinner.
- Stay
- Second Cave Camp (tents)
- Elevation
- 2,600 m → 3,450 m
- Walking
- 9 km · 5–6 hrs
Day 4: Second Cave → Third Cave
A gentle acclimatisation day
Overnight: Third Cave Camp (tents)
A short, easy-paced walk keeps today's altitude gain modest.
Wide views stretch across the northern plains as you arrive at Third Cave, a remote camp few trekkers ever see.
- Stay
- Third Cave Camp (tents)
- Elevation
- 3,450 m → 3,800 m
- Walking
- 6 km · 3–4 hrs
Day 5: Third Cave → Kibo Hut
Across the Saddle
Overnight: Kibo Hut
The trail crosses the Saddle, a stark high desert stretched between Mawenzi and Kibo.
Both summits stay in sight all day. You reach Kibo Hut in the afternoon to eat early, rest and prepare for the night climb.
- Stay
- Kibo Hut
- Elevation
- 3,800 m → 4,700 m
- Walking
- 7 km · 4–5 hrs
Day 6: Kibo Hut → Uhuru Peak → Horombo Hut
Summit night
Overnight: Horombo Hut
Around midnight you set off by headlamp, climbing steep scree to Gilman's Point on the crater rim.
The rim leads past Stella Point to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. After photos you descend to Kibo Hut for a rest, then continue down to Horombo Hut.
- Stay
- Horombo Hut
- Elevation
- 4,700 m → 5,895 m → 3,720 m
- Walking
- 12–16 hrs
Day 7: Horombo Hut → Marangu Gate
Down through the rainforest
Overnight: Hotel in Moshi (budget, midrange or luxury)
The final descent leads through heather and then lush forest full of birdsong and colobus monkeys.
At Marangu Gate you collect your summit certificate before the drive back to Moshi for a hot shower and a celebration.
- Stay
- Hotel in Moshi (budget, midrange or luxury)
- Elevation
- 3,720 m → 1,870 m
- Walking
- 6–7 hrs
Day 8: 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.
Where you will sleep
Rest well,
climb strong.
On the mountain
Camps and huts
Tented camps on the quiet northern slopes, then nights at Kibo Hut and Horombo Hut on the way up and down.
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
- Sleeping and dining tents at the camps, plus huts at Kibo and Horombo
- 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.
Prices for this route are quoted on request for your dates and group size.
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 6-Day Rongai 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.