Mount Kilimanjaro Climb 6 Days Rongai Route
Rongai route approaches Mount Kilimanjaro from Eastern side, marking a border with Kenya country. It’s an easy route even for beginners and aged people. Due to its remoteness, Rongai route receives the least traffic compared to the rest of the routes. It joins Marangu route on 3rd day at Kibo hut camp-and descending is through Marangu route.
Tour type: perfect for family, couple and private groups.
Activities: Hiking/trekking/Climbing
Attractions: On the first day trail, wild animal like Antelope, Elephant, Buffalo, and Monkeys can be seen. Trekkers are more likely to get clearly unclouded view of the Mountain, small water streams, different Kilimanjaro vegetation zones, Mount Kilimanjaro sceneries and its panoramic view.
Day 1: Drive from Moshi town to Rongai gate, hike to Simba camp.
Long drive from Moshi town to Marangu gate for registration then to Rongai gate (1990amsl) starting point. Trek begins from Nale Moru village before entering mountain rain forest. First day hiking is very easy; on the way expect to see wild animals like Elephant and Buffalos.
Day 2: Hike from Simba Camp (2626m) – Kikelewa Camp (3679m)
Hiking from Simba camp toward Kibo till First Caves point (3482m), short break for lunch, then continue hiking to Kikelewa Camp (3679m.) The views start to open up and you begin to feel you are on a really big mountain! Enjoy dinner and overnight at Kikelewa Camp.
Day 3: Hike from Kikelewa Cave (3679m) – Mawenzi Tarn camp (4303m), acclimatization day.
A short but steep climb up grassy slopes offers superb views of this wilderness area. The vegetation zone ends shortly before you reach the next camp at Mawenzi Tarn. Spend the afternoon acclimatizing and exploring the area.
Day 4: Hike from Mawenzi Tarn Camp (4303m) – Kibo Hut (4730m), summit night.
From the camp, hike to the east side, crossing the saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo taking a time of about 4 to 5 hours to reach Kibo Hut. At Kibo hut you will have hot lunch and spend the remaining time for rest, dinner, and early sleep. Around 01:00am, guide will awake you to get well prepared with the summit gears, warm clothes that can accommodate up to -10 degree Celsius.
After all process is done, the guide will slowly lead you to hike up for the summit attempt, passing through Hans Meyer cave, (5150m) to Gilman’s point (5681m) to Uhuru Peak (5895m). Congratulation! You have made it to the top of Africa; you are now standing at the Africa’s highest point ‘Uhuru Peak’
Day 5: Hike from the summit back to Kibo hut to Horombo hut
Weather conditions on the summit will determine how long you will be able to stay, taking photos of your lifetime African adventure while sunrise. Slowly hike down to Kibo hut for breakfast and a short break, gather all your belongings, and hike down to Horombo hut for hot lunch, rest, dinner, and overnight
Day 6: Hike from Horombo hut to Marangu gate via Mandara hut.
At Marangu gate you will sign out the park. Successful climbers will be awarded their certificates according to the point they reach. Those who reach Gillman’s point (5685m) will be awarded with a green certificate, while those who reach Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. After all process is completed, you will drive back to Moshi town for a long overdue hot shower, celebrations and continue with other planned schedules.l
Hiking time: 6 hours
Distance: 16.7 km
Habitat: Moorland and Montane forest.
Tour Location
History Of Rongai Route
Climbers seeking a more secluded trek up Kilimanjaro should consider the Rongai Route. This route approaches from the rarely-used northern side of Mount Kilimanjaro and descends through Marangu on the west, allowing climbers the chance to traverse the mountain throughout their expedition. Rongai offers climbers a remote trek in pristine wilderness, with a higher chance of spotting wildlife. While the trail is not steep, one of the drawbacks to the Rongai Route is that it has a less than ideal acclimatization profile.
Despite some advertisements that this route begins on the “Kenyan side” of Mount Kilimanjaro, the whole of Africa’s highest mountain is within the borders of Tanzania. The start of the Rongai route is closer to the Kenyan border than other routes, but the entire trek takes place exclusively in Tanzania.
Rongai is one of the few routes to ascend Kilimanjaro through the comfortable shade of coniferous forests instead of a tropical rainforest. Due to its remote nature, there is a higher chance of hikers spotting animals such as gazelles, buffalo and even elephants on this route.
Rongai’s trail gently ascends, avoiding steep hikes and is sometimes recommended for beginners as one of the easiest climbs up Kilimanjaro. However, this also results in a poor acclimatization profile for the Rongai Route: without steep ascents, it is not possible to follow the climber’s mantra of “climb high, sleep low”, which can result in climbers having difficulty at higher altitudes. Tanzania Seasons addresses this concern by offering an additional acclimatization day to increase chances of success.
Price Included
- Pre & Post Trek accommodation
- Professional guides, cooks and porters
- Transportation to & from the mountain gate
- Park fees, Camping fees & rescue fees
- VAT fees and Charges
- Double layered Sleeping Mats
- 3 meals daily while on the mountain
- Filtered water throughout the trek
- Pick up and drop off at the airport.
- Fair wages for the mountain crew.
Price Not Included
- International flights.
- Bank charges
- Personal Expenses
- Tips to Crew (highly recommended).
- Visa, Travel Insurance (we can help arrange of them).
- Expenditures of personal nature like drinks, telephone, laundry, Internet etc.
Hayate H
January 25, 2025
Amazing trip Kilimanjaro hike
We had an amazing trip with Tanzania Seasons.Guide and his crew was excellent and really appreciate their efforts . We had a great time. Highly recommend!!