Marangu Route 6 Days Itinerary, Prices & Hiking Dates

Marangu Route 6 Days Itinerary, Prices & Hiking Dates. The Marangu Route 6 Days Itinerary, sometimes known as the “Coca-Cola route,” is a well-traveled and historic ascent of Kilimanjaro. If you choose the Marangu route, you will be able to replicate Hans Meyer’s 1889 feat—the first successful ascent of Kilimanjaro. The trail spans the mountain’s whole climatic range, from tropical forest to alpine desert, and is located inside Kilimanjaro National Park. Surprisingly, there are no other routes that provide overnight accommodations in dormitory-style huts.

Is the Marangu Route being considered? During the rainy seasons—mid-March to late May and late October to late December—the huts provide a pleasant and dry place to climb Kilimanjaro. You can choose between a 5-or 6-day Marangu tour, with the latter being much easier.

Detailed Marangu Route 6 Days Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival

Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), a representative from The Kilimanjaro Trekking Services Company will be waiting to shuttle you to your hotel at no extra cost. All the necessities for a pleasant stay will be provided by the hotel: warm rooms, running water, friendly personnel, a pool, and Internet connection. You will be briefed by our management in the evening, and they will also ensure that you are prepared to start the ascent.

Transfers from and to the airport are part of most private trip packages. Adding more than one person to a transfer will incur additional fees. Get everyone in your company to agree on the same arrival and departure hours to save money.

Day 2: Trekking From Marangu Gate To Mandara Hut

Your climbing guide and a climbing support team will greet you at your accommodation for a quick briefing, then you will drive to Kilimanjaro Park’s Eastern Gate: Marangu, which stands at 1,970 m /6,462 f.

After finishing the climbing permits registration with the rescue and search services, you will be ready to start your ascent to Mandara Hut (2,720 m /8,922 f).

We highly recommend carrying a raincoat, as the trail runs through a tropical rainforest that has a high likelihood of rain.

Upon arriving at Mandara Hut, you will find lunch prepared and be assigned your hut for the night.

PLEASE NOTE: You should pay close attention to the following instructions from now on because this is your first day at this altitude:

Throughout the day, slowly yet steadily consume more than four liters of bottled water;

You might want to think about taking a high-altitude assistance medication as a preventative step in case you have symptoms of altitude sickness. Before setting out on their climb, many mountaineers take these medications to alleviate the symptoms of altitude sickness. Along with your vacation plans, our managers will give you additional particular information. We advise that you address any possible allergies or health issues with your doctor before the trip.

Since your body gets less oxygen at night compared to during the day, you may experience discomfort due to acclimatization. Common symptoms include feeling sick to your stomach and having a pounding headache. Notify your guide in the event that you encounter any symptoms.

Day 3: Trekking From Mandara Hut To Horombo Hut

Before leaving Mandara Hut, your group will have breakfast in the morning. On this day, you will moderately ascend to Horombo Hut, the second high-altitude camp at 3,720 m /12204 f. Views of both Kibo and Mawenzi, the two volcanoes in Tanzania, will greet you as you arrive at the camp.

Acclimatization hiking towards Kibo Hut, an ascent of 200 m/656 f, will be required of you a few hours after lunch. After that, you’ll have to make your way back down to Horombo Hut, where your dinner is waiting.

PLEASE NOTE: In order to hasten the process of acclimatization, the acclimatization hike is a leisurely walk that involves a small ascent in elevation. The ascents to acclimate should be a top priority for you. They mitigate the effects of altitude sickness and improve your odds of reaching the peak of Kilimanjaro.

Acclimatization hike:
Change in Elevation: Horombo Hut (3,720 m /12,204 f)
Destination point en route to Kibo Hut (3,920 m /12,861 f)
Hiking distance: 2.5 km
Hiking time: 1-2 hours
Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Distance: 10 km

Day 4: Acclimatization Day at Horombo Hut

Your acclimatization hike to Kibo Hut and back to camp will begin after breakfast.

Following lunch, you are free to explore the region, photograph Mawenzi Volcano, or simply get some rest before the hike to Kibo Hut. You will spend the night at the same altitude at Horombo Hut camp, which will help with your acclimatization transition.

Acclimatization hike:
Change in Elevation: Horombo Hut (3,720 m /12,205 f)
Destination point en route to Kibo Hut (4,500 m /14,763 f)
Hiking distance: 5-8 km
Hiking time: 3-4 hours

Day 5: Trekking from Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut

Today, the party will set out on foot to reach the Kibo Hut (4,720 m /15,482 f) immediately following breakfast. Just keep to a reasonable speed so you can save your energy for the final ascent to Kilimanjaro’s peak; the actual trekking itself isn’t too challenging. After lunch when you get to camp, we suggest you get plenty of rest, not do anything too intense, and drink enough of water.

Trekking time: 4-8 hours
Distance: 10 km

Day 6: Ascent to Uhuru Peak and Descent to Horombo Hut

The nighttime ascent to Uhuru Peak, the top of Kilimanjaro, begins at Kibo Hut (4,720 m /15,482 f). Though technically not challenging, the high altitude makes even light physical exertion feel like a struggle over this section of the Marangu Route.

We pair up two climbers with a single guide for the last summit hike; the guide will keep an eye on how they’re feeling and will also give them words of encouragement and motivation.

Once you’ve reached the peak of Uhuru, you’re free to go down to the glacier if you so want. Following a two-hour rest, you will make your way back to Kibo Camp. From there, you will descend to Horombo Hut, which is located at 3,720 m /12,202 f.

PLEASE NOTE: Tragic incidents, such as amputations, account for 90% of mountain accidents that occur during descent. But if you watch your footing, you can easily avoid them.

Trekking time: 9-12 hours
Distance: 16 km

Day 7: Descent from Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate

After a hearty breakfast, we’ll make our way to the Marangu Gate, the exit of Kilimanjaro National Park (1,970 m /6,462 f). Everyone will be there to congratulate you once you descend, and then you can write your thoughts about the trip in the guestbook. Finally, we’ll give you your commemorative certificates and take you back to your hotel.

Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Distance: 18 km

Day 8: Departure

Rest in the hotel and transfer to the airport.

PLEASE NOTE: Time to check out of the hotel is 11:00 AM. You can choose to prolong your hotel stay for an additional cost if you require a late check-out due to an evening flight.

End of the Marangu Route 6 Days Itinerary

Marangu Route – Summit Success Rate

In the ten years that we have been running Kilimanjaro climbs, we have amassed a mountain of data on the summit success rates for each route. We take such figures at face value. The percentage of our Marangu route excursions that managed to reach the summit is displayed below:

Marangu 5-day itinerary – 83.8% at Uhuru Peak, 88.0% at the Crater Rim

Marangu 6-day itinerary – 86.6% of the time spent at Uhuru Peak and 93.14% at the Crater Rim

Please be informed that the 6-day itinerary of the Marangu route yields a better summit success rate compared to its 5-day variant. The overall summit success rate of Marangu route itineraries is lower than that of other 7-day routes like Lemosho and Machame. The steeper acclimatization profile is to blame for this. The 6-day version of Marangu is ideal for beginners who are relatively athletic, but the 5-day version is strictly for experienced hikers or those who have adequately acclimated to high altitudes.

You should know that the Marangu route we showed you has a higher summit success rate than the majority of operators. We credit our exceptionally qualified Kilimanjaro guides, fully-stocked expeditions, and meticulous plans for addressing the symptoms of altitude sickness—the primary reason why hikers may not make it to the mountain on summit night—for this remarkable achievement. Every trek with The Kilimanjaro Trekking Services Company includes a fully-stocked medical kit, twice daily thorough medical checks, and the region’s largest inventory of oxygen tanks. Those are the conditions that will give you the greatest shot of adjusting to the high altitude and making it to the peak of Uhuru.