Kilimanjaro: Rongai Route

Intrepid Travel Preferred
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: $ 3,304 $ 413 / 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 Moshi
End City Moshi

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 $ 3,304
Price Per Day: $ 413 per day
Checking price
Start DateFinish DateBase PriceAvailability 
Jun-04-2023Jun-11-2023$ 3,3048 spots left Reserve
Jul-02-2023Jul-09-2023$ 3,3048 spots left Reserve
Aug-06-2023Aug-13-2023$ 3,3685 spots left Reserve
Sep-10-2023Sep-17-2023$ 4,2504 spots left Reserve
Oct-22-2023Oct-29-2023$ 4,1308 spots left Reserve
Dec-03-2023Dec-10-2023$ 4,13012 spots left Reserve
Jan-28-2024Feb-04-2024$ 4,21012 spots left Reserve
Jun-02-2024Jun-09-2024$ 4,21012 spots left Reserve
Jun-30-2024Jul-07-2024$ 4,21012 spots left Reserve
Aug-04-2024Aug-11-2024$ 4,21012 spots left Reserve
Sep-08-2024Sep-15-2024$ 4,2109 spots left Reserve
Oct-20-2024Oct-27-2024$ 4,21012 spots left Reserve
Dec-01-2024Dec-08-2024$ 4,21012 spots left Reserve
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Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

4,235 Intrepid Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings

94%
4.6 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 3,193
Great 675
Average 134
Disappointing 68
Terrible 165
Value
4.6
Guide
4.6
Activities
4.6
Lodging
4.6
Transportation
4.6
Meals
4.6

Kilimanjaro: Rongai Route

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Company Reviews

intrepid charges more than 50% than the local companies for extras

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
This review is for the company Intrepid. first, don't pay for extra on your trip, they charge more than double of what the local cost, example, we paid 85 USdollars each for a hotel room, when we arrived the hotel was a 2 star hotel,with the cost for 40 USD, for more than 50% higher, no chance of getting that cost down. we paid for airport pickup, they forgot us, we called the contact and were hung up on. we were charged 250 usd more then if we had paid the actual company for a balloon ride, all in all we paid almost 600 usd more because we booked through intrepid travel. All hotel/camping grounds are subpar. Suggest that you not choose Intripid/ I'll not do this company in the future.
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Premium Vietnam

4.0
Details
Value4.0
Guide4.0
Activities4.0
Lodging4.0
Transportation4.0
Meals4.0
Fantastic! Would have been 5 star, but last hotel was mediocre (Ramada encore). All other hotels were great, everything well organised. Without doubt our guide Binh was the best thing of all. He never stopped working and nothing was too much trouble. He had a great knowledge and a good sense of humour.
Will definitely be booking with intrepid again.
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Cancelled tour, deception and poor customer service

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
Booked a 'trip of a lifetime' with Intrepid to NZ, having worked throughout Covid in a public facing role.
The booking was made a year in advance - during which we received information about the trip and Intrepid took our money.
Three weeks before the trip we were informed our trip had been cancelled. The explanation given by Intrepid was the NZ local operator (Haka tours) had failed to include us on their attendance list and the tour was now full. The blame was squarely placed with Haka tours.

We managed, with the assistance of our excellent travel agent, to book a self drive holiday. However the whole experience was extremely stressful.

When we arrived in NZ it soon became known to us that Intrepid actually own Haka tours - so the reason given for cancellation was a deliberate attempt to deceive us. Intrepid have done nothing of any use to assist us and I would strongly advise that you do NOT book with them. They are not to be trusted and clearly do not value their customers.
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total confidence

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
PREMIUM INDIA

great tour leader, excellent hotels and a varied itinerary. This all adds up to a wonderful experience where all we had to doing was sit back and enjoy the trip. Very confident in the planning and organisation...well done again intrepid
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Although Intrepid did not rectify the…

4.0
Details
Value4.0
Guide4.0
Activities4.0
Lodging4.0
Transportation4.0
Meals4.0
Although Intrepid did not rectify the problem during the trip, customer service was proactive and continued to communicate until the matter was resolved. I appreciated that.
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Intrepid just gets it right every time!

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Brilliant local tour leader with lots of knowledge and recommendations, local guides who share their great knowledge and insights when visiting a village/palace/temple/fort/etc, small group tours of often like-minded people so you connect very easily with your fellow travellers, authentic and fun experiences (for example street foodie tour by auto rickshaws or tuk-tuks), all the logistics of travelling is taking care of making it so much easier and efficient compared to when you would had to arrange it yourself.
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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

Alternate Finish point

  • For trips departing on the following dates, use this finish point.
  • 04 Jun 2023 (YKXR230604), 02 Jul 2023 (YKXR230702), 06 Aug 2023 (YKXR230806), 10 Sep 2023 (YKXR230910), 22 Oct 2023 (YKXR231022), 03 Dec 2023 (YKXR231203)
  • Chanya Lodge
  • Plot 298, Kiboriloni (off Arusha-Himo Road)
  • Moshi
  • 8176
  • TANZANIA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF
  • Phone: +255 (0) 768 128 686

Trip ID#:

intrepid-YKXR

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