Marangu Route 5 Days Itinerary, Prices, Hiking Dates

The Marangu Route 5 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 5 Days Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival

Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), a representative from The Kilimanjaro Trekking Services Company will be waiting to take you to your hotel. During your stay, the hotel will ensure that you have all the necessary amenities, including clean rooms, hot water, friendly staff, a pool, and Internet access. In the evening, you will have a briefing with our managers, who will also prepare you for the climb the following day. Please note that private tour packages include shared airport transfers for your group. Additional individual transfers will incur extra charges. To avoid these costs, make sure that your group’s arrival and departure times are coordinated.

Day 2: Trekking from Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut

A guide and a mountain support crew will arrive at the hotel in the morning in order to meet you and do a quick briefing, after which you will proceed by car to Kilimanjaro National Park’s eastern entrance: Marangu Gate (1,860m/6102f). After the fast formality of getting climbing permits and registering with the search and rescue agency, the group will start trekking up to Mandara Hut (2,720 m /8,922 f). The trekking path includes transit through the rainforest (where tropical showers are quite expected), therefore we urge you take not just spare clothes but also your raincoats. Our mountain support crew will see to the essentials and provide lunch when you get to camp.

You will be staying in designated huts for the duration of the Marangu route. For people who would rather not sleep in tents, they provide a wonderful substitute.

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.

Because your breathing pattern slows down at night, your body receives less oxygen than during the day, which might lead to pain as you acclimate to the high altitude. Because of the high altitude, you can feel nauseous and have a headache. If you experience any signs of altitude sickness, it is important to listen to your body and inform your guide immediately.

Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Distance: 11 km

Day 3: Trekking from Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut

The party will leave Mandara Hut first thing in the morning after a hearty breakfast. Horombo Hut, at 3,720 m /12,202 f, is the second high altitude camp reached on this hike. It is on this day that you will be able to see Kibo and Mawenzi, two volcanoes, from the comfort of your tent.

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: 6 hours
Distance: 11 km

Day 4: 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 5: Trekking 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). Technically, the trekking won’t be too difficult, but the high altitude will make even light exercise feel like a chore. A guide will accompany each climbing pair the whole way to the peak, keeping an eye on their energy and determination the whole way. If you so like, you can descend to the closest glacier once you’ve successfully ascended Uhuru Peak. Following a two-hour rest at Kibo Camp, you will continue your descent to Horombo Hut (3,720 m /12,202 f).

PLEASE NOTE: Keep in mind that the majority of injuries, including broken bones, happen on the way down. The danger of injuring your toenails is great, so be careful with your feet.

Trekking time: 9-12 hours
Distance: 16 km

Day 6: 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 will arrange for a transfer back to the hotel and hand you your commemorative certificates.

Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Distance: 18 km

Day 7: 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 5 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.