Kilimanjaro: Rongai Route

Intrepid Travel Premier
Has very high quality customer experiences and demonstrated commitment to responsible travel practices. read more
4.6 . Excellent
94%
Travel Style: Array Full on
Physical Level: Very Hard
Lodging Level: You'll stay in no-frills, but clean and comfortable, hotels or guesthouses. A 'Basic' trip might also involve a few nights of camping. Basic (2*)
8 days
From: $ 3,056 $ 382 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • The Rongai Route approaches from the north and offers a unique perspective on Kilimanjaro, as well as being the quietest of all the routes.
  • Experience the incredible African sunrise from Mt Kilimanjaro – the ultimate reward for conquering Africa's premier peak.
  • Hike through the dense greenery of Mt Kilimanjaro’s foothills, spotting native creatures and wildflowers along the way.
  • Witness the jagged beauty of the Mawenzi cirque during a hike through high-altitude desert, then camp by a lake that lies beneath the 5149-metre peaks.
  • We are an official partner of IMEC’s Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP), which means while your crew is looking out for you, we’re looking out for them.

Short Description

Tackle Mt Kilimanjaro via the quiet wilderness of the Rongai Route on this eight-day adventure. Approach the striking mountain from the north for the opportunity to see mountainside animals like monkeys and even the occasional elephant. Traverse through rich forests along the north-eastern side, then trek to the summit at dawn for a spectacular sunrise. With an expert crew of local porters, guides and cooks, you’re in capable hands for a hike that promises to be unforgettable.

Style Small group tour
Spend most of the time outdoors. Common trip themes and activities include cycling, hiking, kayaking, whitewater rafting.
Itinerary Focus Active
You'll stay in no-frills, but clean and comfortable, hotels or guesthouses. A 'Basic' trip might also involve a few nights of camping.
Lodging Level Basic (2*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal ground transport
Start City Marangu
End City Marangu

Destinations

Tanzania

Attractions & Cities Visited

Arusha Nairobi

Activities & Interests

Hiking Trekking

Age Requirement

15-99

No Single Supplement
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Itinerary

Day 1 Marangu

Jambo! Welcome to Tanzania. Your trip begins in the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro in Marangu. The hotel is a short walk from the village’s bustling market and some excellent coffee shops. It is also very close to some beautiful waterfalls and ancient Chagga caves. Please make sure you are at the hotel by early evening, as your trip starts with a full briefing and kit inspection by an experienced Kilimanjaro climber.

Day 2 Simba Camp

Enjoy some breakfast before meeting your guides and porters. Each person has a personal porter and there are extra porters for camping equipment and food. This morning you’ll transfer to the northern side of the mountain and the village of Nale Moru (1950 metres). On the way we stop into one of the clothes lending offices of Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Projects and learn how their program, supported by the Intrepid Foundation, is assisting porters. As you walk up from the gate you’ll wind through cultivated farmland and pine forest plantations before entering lush forests. As you go along, keep your eyes peeled – many species of bird hide in the trees, and you might be lucky enough to see monkeys and signs of larger game. Your first mountain camp is on the edge of the moorland zone with great views back down to the plains and into Kenya.

Day 3 Kikelewa Caves

Rise early for a hot drink and a hearty breakfast. Your walk commences with a steady uphill ascent which will bring you to the second cave (3450 metres). Look above and see the glorious Kibo peak of Kilimanjaro looming – the eastern ice fields cling to the mountain's crater rim. Down below, the slope sweeps away down into the forests. The third cave is our goal for today, so we will head further up the mountain and reach the camp in the afternoon.

Day 4 Mawenzi Tarn

This morning you have a steady but steep ascent under the jagged peaks of Mawenzi. Leave the grassy slopes and vegetation zone behind as you enter the high-altitude desert. Make the journey to the Mawenzi Tarn, the location of tonight’s camp. This is the only permanent lake on Kilimanjaro. You'll see the 5149-metre peak towering above you as you complete your hike. Enjoy free time this afternoon – take the opportunity to relax. It's important to pace yourself – this is part of the acclimatisation process.

Day 5 Kibo Camp/Uhuru Peak

Head out into the lunar landscape of 'The Saddle', a broad tundra desert between the two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo. From here you can take in fantastic views of the upper reaches of the mountain. Continue to Kibo Camp (4703 metres), which that has limited facilities. Tonight, prepare for tomorrow’s final ascent. Take the opportunity to re-pack your bag and leave any non-essential items with the porters – you'll need all your energy for the summit. It's important to retire early tonight and get as good a sleep as you can, as there will be a midnight start in order to reach the summit in the morning before the cloud cover settles and have time to get back down.

Day 6 Uhuru Peak/Horombo Camp

Prepare for a demanding but rewarding day. The guides will wake you before midnight. Starting your walk in darkness, you will zig-zag up a long scree slope by the light of your head torch. At this time of day the scree is still frozen, which makes it easier to walk on. After roughly 2 hours we should reach Hans Meyer's Cave, which is named after the German geologist who made the first successful ascent in 1889. The gradient will get steeper, and 3 hours on (this is the hardest stretch of the ascent) we should reach the crater rim at Johanne’s Notch. From here it's a short scramble to Gillman's Point (5680 metres) in time for dawn. The reward is the dramatic spectacle of the sun rising over the ice fields and craggy peaks of Mawenzi – the profusion of colours and shapes make all the exertion seem worthwhile. Those with some drive left can take another couple of hours to hike along the crater rim to Uhuru (Freedom) Peak (5895 metres). Your descent retraces the route to Kibo Camp. Here you can get some food and recharge a little before continuing down to Horombo Camp for a well-deserved rest.

Day 7 Marangu

The descent from Horombo to Mandara Camp takes around 3 hours, and the final part of the descent through the forest to Marangu Gate takes another 2 hours. Vehicles will be waiting at the gate to take you and your crew back to the hotel. Enjoy an invigorating hot shower – a real treat after the intense physical effort of the last few days. Over a celebratory meal you can relive and share your experiences of the past five days on the mountain.

Day 8 Marangu

Your trip comes to an end after breakfast. Transfers to Kilimanjaro Airport or a shuttle to Nairobi can be arranged locally. Please speak to your leader about this at the welcome meeting on Day 1.

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 3,056
Price Per Day: $ 382 per day
Checking price
Start DateFinish DateBase PriceAvailability 
Jun-16-2024Jun-23-2024$ 3,05612 spots left Reserve
Jul-14-2024Jul-21-2024$ 3,17612 spots left Reserve
Aug-11-2024Aug-18-2024$ 3,17610 spots left Reserve
Sep-08-2024Sep-15-2024$ 3,1769 spots left Reserve
Oct-13-2024Oct-20-2024$ 3,05611 spots left Reserve

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Kilimanjaro: Rongai Route

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Went on Highlights of Japan Tour, 8 days on19/11/23. Tour Leader was Yuki Saida, she was marvellous. Helpful, knowledgeable and patient.I suggest you keep her as she is an amazing asset to your Company. The group jelled together well but there is one point that needs examining. We travelled to the countryside a spent a night at a homestay on 21/11/23 at a stay called Voketto. The young man who owned it was charming but the place was a mess, cold, damp and basically a building site. He admitted he couldn't cook and he was right. i definitely advise a host course or a revamp of property if he is to remain on your books There was a trainee guide on the tour Junko she was very good too. Thank you Lesley Webb
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Many recent reviews are pointing to a sharp decline in quality and service with Intrepid. My recent experience echoes all that has been mentioned. They are appalling at responding to serious concerns. I have countless auto responses from its laughingly useless and lazy customer service department. Their financial management is a joke. They couldn't find my payment despite my twice providing traces from my bank. They are pathetic liars about not just the money. They lied about their failure to send me any information about my upcoming trip, how they omitted me from the group email circulation. They lied about anyone including a 'senior manager' trying to phone me.
Even the length of the trip is a con with first day being nothing more than a brief meeting at 1800. The last 'day' being breakfast at the hotel with not a sight or sound of the Rep.
Intrepid is a dishonest mess. They are now purely concerned with making money.
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This was my third trip with Intrepid, and I'll continue to plan future trips with them. I choose Intrepid to travel to parts of the world where I don't feel comfortable traveling alone, and the experience is always memorable. Intrepid provides experiences that would be difficult for a traveler to do on their own. The most recent trip I did was to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and it was a fantastic experience.
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Absolutely love travelling with Intrepid and I have done so many times. Perfect for solo travellers who don't wish to travel alone!

Details

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal ground transport Minibus

Group Size

Small Group - 24 max

Maximum Number of People in Group: 12

Accommodations

Camping (with toilet facilities) (5 nights),Hotel (2 nights)

Guides

KILIMANJARO CLIMB: This trip is led by experienced guides, with a minimum of 1 guide to every 2 climbers. Sufficient porters are employed to carry the group’s equipment.

Age Notes :

Min. Age: 15

Max Age: 99

Additional Information

Finish point

  • Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort
  • Marangu
  • Marangu
  • TANZANIA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF
  • Phone: +254 754999755

Trip ID#:

intrepid-YKXR

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