Kilimanjaro Classic Climb via Marangu route – 8 Days
Trip Itinerary
The Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb via Marangu route is unique in a sense that it provides extra comfort to the travelers with their permanent sleeping huts. Spectacular vistas of the Mawenzi and Kibo Peaks during the hike are something to relish as you walk the gradual slopes and more direct paths. The Kilimanjaro Marangu route is considered by many as the easiest as well as the busiest among all other routes. Commonly known as the Coca Cola route, it was the first established commercial trekking route on Kilimanjaro. The Kilimanjaro Marangu route itinerary encompasses scenic detours past rainforest waterfalls and picturesque plant life before making the final ascent to the top. Considering an extra night at Horombo Hut for acclimatization is indeed very crucial on this route as the short time frame makes altitude adaptation quite difficult. After reaching the top of the peak, you will descend down walking the same path and exit through the same gate that you entered earlier.
- Summit the peak of the highest mountain in Africa on an easy route with extra comfort
- The entire Marangu route is equipped with sleeping huts
- Traversing on this route is easy so previous hiking experience is not required and anybody can take up on this spectacular walk
- An extra acclimatization day is set aside at Horombo Hut while trekking on this route
- The scenic views of the landscapes on this route are astounding
- A short and cheap route to the summit of the “Roof of Africa”
Overview
Arrival City
Moshi, Tanzania
Departure City
Moshi, Tanzania
Lodging Level
Hotel (Aishi Machame Hotel)
Meals
7 dinner, 7 breakfast, 6 lunch
Trip Grade
Demanding
Maximum Altitude
5,895m/19,341ft
Activity
Trekking and Hiking
Styles
Active Adventures
Outline Itinerary
| Itinerary | Maximum Altitude | Walking/Hiking |
|---|---|---|
| Day 01 Arrival in Kilimanjaro, drive to Moshi | 950m/3,117ft | - |
| Day 02 Trekking from Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut | 2,700m/8,859ft | 5-7 hrs |
| Day 03 Trekking from Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut | 3,720m/12,205ft | 5-6 hrs |
| Day 04 Acclimatization Day at Horombo Hut | 3,920m/12,862ft | 4-5 hrs |
| Day 05 Trekking from Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut | 4,700m/15,421ft | 4-8 hrs |
| Day 06 Climb Uhuru Peak; descend to Horombo Hut | 5,895m/19,341ft | 9-12 hrs |
| Day 07 Descend from Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate | 1,860m/6,103ft | 5-6 hrs |
| Day 08 Final Departure | - | - |
- Accommodation in Standard Hotels on Twin Sharing Basis
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on the research published by the Climb Kilimanjaro Guide, the average summit success rate across all the routes is 65%. The Machame route is considered to be the easiest one amongst all different routes to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. While all different routes on Kilimanjaro climb have their own difficulties and own experiences, Mt. Kilimanjaro is seriously a high-altitude mountain. Even though the normal routes of Kilimanjaro climb are not technically difficult, the altitude has hit hard and taken its toll on climbers annually thereby bringing the success rate down to 65%. Different operators have different success rates based on numerous factors and Vi Glaciers has an impressive success rate of over 85% on its Kilimanjaro trips.
Climbing a mountain 5,895 m (19,341 ft.) high is definitely a dangerous thing to do. An estimated 50,000 people climb Kilimanjaro every year from which around 1,000 people are evacuated from the mountain and approximately 10 fatalities are reported. It means that the chance of death on the mountain is only 0.0002% which is practically zero. In other words, there is just one death per 5,000 climbers and the main cause of death is altitude sickness.
Yes and no! You may want to climb Kilimanjaro alone without other hikers or crowd – it is possible. But even then, you will be assisted by guides and porters. Although you will be the only trekker, you will not be alone in the truest sense as the Tanzanian Tourism Board does not permit trekking without a guide, porter and other crew members. The ratio of trekkers to support crew is 1:4 meaning that if you are the only climber, you will be assisted by 4 other members of your trekking company.
When you look at the difference between Kilimanjaro Climb and Everest Base Camp Trek, you are going to higher altitude much quicker on Kilimanjaro than Everest base camp. From Moshi (2,932 ft.) to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft.) it takes 4 to 6 days depending on the route, which is more than 16,000 ft. gain in altitude. From Kathmandu (4,600 ft.) to the base camp of Everest (17,599 ft.) it takes 8 to 9 days, which is almost 13,000 ft. gain in altitude but trekkers need to walk longer daily distance on the Everest Base Camp trek. In the Everest region, trekkers will sleep at teahouses or luxury lodges throughout the entire trip whereas on Kilimanjaro, except for the Marangu route, trekkers will have to sleep inside tents. While there are lots of ups and downs on the Everest trekking route, the summit night on Kilimanjaro is harder than anything on the entire Everest trail. The overall summit success rate on Kilimanjaro, as per the statistics is 65% while the success rate of Everest Base Camp is over 90%. So, Kilimanjaro climb is harder than Everest Base Camp trek especially because of the quick ascent and rapid altitude gain on Kilimanjaro.
The summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, also known as Uhuru Point, lies in the glacial zone with an average temperature hovering around -6°C (21°F) during day time. However, all summiting attempts begin around midnight in order to reach the Uhuru peak at dawn. So, you will be trekking during the night time when the temperatures range between -7 to -29°C (19 to -20°F).
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