The Marangu Route is the easiest and shortest route to Kilimanjaro’s summit and is known as the “Coca Cola” or “tourist” route. This is the only route on Kilimanjaro with the comforts of solar-powered sleeping huts and comfortable beds at every camp. The huts are communal, and each bunk has a sponge mattress and pillow. Bathrooms and running water are available at the two lower huts. Basic men’s and ladies’ latrines are available. All climbing groups, often from several countries around the world, share dining in huts providing a jovial and energetic atmosphere. This route is usually done in 5 days, but we strongly encourage you to do it in 6 days for better acclimatization. Your extra day will be useful for resting at Horombo or climbing to a base camp below Kibo’s sub-peak Mawenzi
– you will appreciate it.

Arrival Day 0 -Welcome to Tanzania!
Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro Intl. airport, you will meet our representative with a sign reading CHARLES TOURS and your name on it. After a short introduction, you will have a short (1 hour) drive to our hotel for dinner and overnight. Our mountain guide will meet you at your hotel for a briefing and double-checking with your climbing gear – just to make sure you bring the most necessary gear.

Hike Day 1 – Activity: Marangu Gate (1,830 m) to Mandara Huts (2,740 m)

Hiking time: 4-5h.
After your well-prepared breakfast, you will meet our mountain crew team at this Korona Villa hotel then will have a quick briefing and introduction to all team then we will drive to Marangu Gate on the eastern side of Mt. Kilimanjaro. After a formal registration with the national park authorities, we expect to begin our hiking around 10:00 am.
In the rainforest, look for towering Eucalyptus trees, birdlife, and Colobus monkeys. At these lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy, so trekking poles will be helpful.
Shorts and t-shirts should be sufficient, but keep your rain gear and warmer clothing handy. Stop halfway for lunch, and reach the Mandara Huts at 2 or 3 PM. Unpack, rest, and have some tea or coffee and some snacks. A 15-minute side trip to Maundi Crater is a good way to see the surroundings including Northern Tanzania and Kenya. Enjoy your well-prepared hot dinner then overnight at Mandara Huts.

Hike Day 2 – Activity: Mandara Huts (2,740 m) to Horombo Huts (3,690 m) Hiking time: 6-8h

Wake up around 7:30 AM for well-prepared breakfast, and pack for your leisure hike to Kibo huts. Hike for an hour through rainforest glades, and then follow an ascending path through heathland where you can look for giant lobelias and groundsels. Continue up into open moorlands where small shrubs are the main vegetation. Stop halfway for lunch, where you can enjoy amazing views of Mawenzi.

Arrive at the Horombo Huts by 3 PM, where you can see Kibo’s summit. Rest, unpack, and prepare for dinner. You may start to feel the effects of altitude here and to aid your healthy hike we recommend spending our last two nights at Horombo huts.

Hike Day 3 – Rest / leisure hike for better acclimatization at Horombo – 3,690m
You can spend a full day and a second night at Horombo huts to increase your chances of summiting. On this day, you can either rest at the huts or take a stroll up to the Mawenzi base camp then return to the Horombo Huts. This extra day will help your acclimatization, and further your understanding of the mountain’s weather and altitude. After your pause, you will continue up to the Kibo Huts on your fourth day for your midnight start to the summit. Hike Day 4 – Activity: Horombo Huts (3,690 m) – Kibo Huts (4,695 m) Hiking time:
6-8h Wake up for a healthy breakfast as usual, but if you wake early you can get some great photos of the sunrise. The first part of the day’s hike climbs through the dwindling heath land that blends into a moonscape as you enter the sweeping saddle connecting Mawenzi and Kibo. When you stop for lunch, and later when you cross this surprisingly large saddle, you can examine the summit climb up Kibo that you will be starting in just a few hours. Be careful to notice any signs of altitude sickness. There is no running water at the Kibo Huts but your guide and porters will prepare water for you.

Hike Day 5 – Summit Day!
Kibo Huts (4,695 m) – Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) – Horombo Huts (3,690 m) Hiking time: 10-15h

Wake at midnight for a light breakfast, then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly after sunrise. Leave at
1 AM, switch back up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Gilman’s Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m between 5 and 7 AM. Here, views of the fabled crater and its icecaps greet you. Another 2 hours of hiking along the crater rim near the celebrated snows take you to Kilimanjaro’s true summit, Uhuru Peak, by 8 AM. This is Africa’s highest point, and you would have to travel 900 kilometers toward the Himalayas to find a higher peak! Be sure to have your picture taken at the summit to show your family and friends. After your summit stays, descend back to the Kibo Huts, have lunch, rest, collect your things, and recross the saddle to the Horombo Huts. Eat dinner and get some well-deserved sleep! You begin this climb in the dark with headlamps or flashlights. It will be very cold until you start descending, so you will need all of your warm layers. This is, by far, the most difficult part of the trek. Slowly slowly, or, “pole pole,” and an optimistic attitude will get you there under the comfort of our friendly, professional team.

Hike Day 6 – Horombo Huts (3,690 m) to Marangu Gate (1,830 m) Hiking time: 5-7h

Wake as usual, enjoy your breakfast, pack, and descend through the moorland to the Mandara Huts. Have lunch there then continue your triumphant recessional down through lush forest to the park gate, which you should reach around 2 or 3 PM. Our comfortable shuttle bus vehicle will take you back to your agreed hotel in Arusha, where it is definitely time for total celebration with all team! Later on say “kwa Kheri” / goodbye to mountain team.