Marangu route
The 5-day Marangu route starts at Marangu Gate and finishes at Marangu Gate. It covers about 70 km (43 mi), reaches Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) via Gilman's Point, and costs $1,500 per person.
Huts, not tents
On the Marangu route you sleep in mountain huts, not in tents.
The oldest route, and the only one where you sleep in huts with bunk beds instead of tents. Gentle gradients, up and down the same path, summiting via Gilman's Point. [NEEDS JOSEPH'S OK]
Key facts
- Duration
- 5 days
- 4 nights on the mountain
- Total distance
- 70 km
- 43 mi, the daily distances added up
- Highest point
- 5,895 m
- 19,340 ft, Uhuru Peak
- Summit via
- Gilman's Point
- Sleeping in
- Huts
- Price per person
- $1,500
5-day Marangu route
$1,500
per person
Prices can change for larger groups. Message me for your final price.
Book on WhatsAppOff the mountain I reply within a couple of hours. I'm on the mountain a lot, though, and on a climb I may only have signal once a day or every few days.
5 or 6 days?
The 6-day version adds a rest day at Horombo Hut (3,700 m) with an optional walk towards Mawenzi. Without it you go from 3,700 m to the summit in two days. More days give you a better chance of reaching the summit. In the end it is your choice, but if you are at all concerned, or not a very fit or experienced hiker, I recommend the 6 days.
What does the price include?
- Park fees and hut fees
- All meals on the mountain
- Crew wages
- Hut accommodation
- Sleeping mattress [confirm for huts]
- Dining arrangements [confirm for huts]
- Transport from your hotel to the gate and back
Not included: Tips for your crew, travel insurance, gear (you can rent it from me), hotel nights before and after the climb, and any transport other than to and from the start and finish gates, such as airport transfers.
How high does the Marangu route climb?
| Day | Stage | Start | Highest point | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut | 1,860 m | 2,700 m | |
| 2 | Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut | 2,700 m | 3,700 m | |
| 3 | Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut | 3,700 m | 4,720 m | |
| 4 | Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak to Horombo Hut | 4,720 m | 5,895 m | 3,700 m |
| 5 | Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate to your hotel | 3,700 m | 1,860 m |
[ROUTE MAP: Marangu Gate, Mandara Hut, Horombo Hut, Kibo Hut, Uhuru Peak, Horombo Hut, Marangu Gate]
What happens each day on the 5-day Marangu route?
Day 1: Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut
After breakfast and a briefing, we drive about 1 hour to the park gate at Marangu, register and start walking. The trail climbs through rainforest to Mandara Hut. Look out for towering eucalyptus trees, birdlife and colobus monkeys.
A short side trip to Maundi Crater gives views over northern Tanzania and Kenya.
- Altitude
- 1,860 to 2,700 m
- 6,100 to 8,875 ft
- Distance
- 8 km / 5 mi
- Hiking time
- 3–4 hours
- Habitat
- Montane forest
- Meals
- Lunch, dinner
Day 2: Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut
We leave the rainforest and climb through open moorland to Horombo Hut, with great views of Mawenzi and Kibo. Look out for giant lobelias and groundsels. This is where you may start to feel the altitude.
- Altitude
- 2,700 to 3,700 m
- 8,875 to 12,200 ft
- Distance
- 12 km / 7.5 mi
- Hiking time
- 5–6 hours
- Habitat
- Heathland
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3: Horombo Hut to Kibo Hut
We pass the last water point and walk onto the Saddle between Kibo and Mawenzi. The upper heathland gives way to a bare moonscape. Dinner, rest, and preparation for the summit.
- Altitude
- 3,700 to 4,720 m
- 12,200 to 15,500 ft
- Distance
- 9 km / 5.5 mi
- Hiking time
- 5–6 hours
- Habitat
- Alpine desert
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Summit day
Day 4: Kibo Hut to Uhuru Peak to Horombo Hut
We start between midnight and 2 am, climbing steep, heavy scree (sometimes snow) with many switchbacks to Gilman's Point on the crater rim. It is dark and very cold until we start descending, so you need a headlamp and all your warm layers. This is by far the hardest part of the trek. Go pole pole, slowly, and stay positive.
From Gilman's Point we continue along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa, with incredible views on every side.
Then we descend, stopping for lunch and a rest at Kibo Hut, before continuing to Horombo Hut.
Joseph (right) at Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m. - Altitude
- 4,720 to 5,895 to 3,700 m
- 15,500 to 19,340 to 12,200 ft
- Distance
- 6 km up, 15 km down
- Hiking time
- 6–8 h up, 6–8 h down
- Habitat
- Alpine desert
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5: Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate to your hotel
A steady descent through the moorland to Mandara Hut, then through lush forest to the park gate at Marangu. Lower down it can be wet and muddy, so gaiters and poles help. Shorts and a T-shirt are usually enough, but keep rain gear and a warm layer handy.
A vehicle meets you at Marangu Gate to drive you back to your hotel in Moshi, about 1 hour.
- Altitude
- 3,700 to 1,860 m
- 12,200 to 6,100 ft
- Distance
- 20 km / 12.5 mi
- Hiking time
- 4–5 hours
- Habitat
- Forest
- Meals
- Breakfast