8-Day Kilimanjaro Rongai Route Climb to Uhuru Peak

You will be picked up at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi town. There, you will meet your guide, who will brief you on your upcoming trek and carry out an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. Any missing gear can be rented on this day.

In the morning, we will drive you to Nale Moru, the village that marks the starting point of the Rongai route. The first stretch of the hike takes you through farmland and pine forest, where you may have the opportunity to see beautiful Colobus monkeys, or even elephants and buffalos if you are lucky. Your first camp will be Simba Campsite, located on the very edge of the moorland zone at 2625 m.

The morning hike will be a steady ascent to Second Cave Camp, which is located in the moorland zone. From here, you will have spectacular views of Kibo and the eastern ice fields resting on the crater rim. You will have lunch at the cave camp and then continue hiking through the moorland.

You will be able to see the breathtaking eastern ice fields on the rim of Kibo, the highest of the three volcanoes that form the mountain. You will then leave the main trail and branch into the moorland on a lesser trail leading to the spiked peaks of Mawenzi, the second-highest volcanic cone of Kilimanjaro. We will set up camp here in the secluded valley near Kikelewa Caves at 3630 m.

You will wake up to a short but steep hike up the grassy slopes, which lead to a rewarding view of the Kenyan plains to the north. Leaving the vegetation behind, you will arrive at Mawenzi Tarn Hut, the camp nestled directly below the high cliffs of Mawenzi. In the afternoon, you will have a chance to explore the surrounding areas, which will be very useful for your acclimatization.

You will leave the campsite and walk across the lunar desert of the 'saddle' that separates Mawenzi and Kibo. After a couple of hours of hiking, you will reach an area where the summit of Kilimanjaro stands majestically in the background, and your trail to the high camp unfolds clearly before you. Once you reach the camp, you will spend the rest of the day resting in preparation for the final ascent, followed by a very early night.

You will wake up at around 11:30 p.m. for a hot cup of tea or coffee and then get ready for your hike to the summit, which will begin at around 12:30 p.m. The temperature at this time is below freezing. The trail twists upward through heavy scree towards Gilman's Point.

Once you are at Gilman's Point, you will be served a hot cup of tea or coffee to warm you up as you enjoy the breathtaking view of the sunrise. The hike to Uhuru Peak will take about 1.5 hours over a gentle slope around the edge of the crater rim. Uhuru Peak is the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and in Africa.

Once at the top, you will spend a short time enjoying the view and photographing your success before beginning the steep walk back to Kibo Hut for lunch and some rest. After this, you will descend to Horombo Hut for dinner and a good night's rest.

After breakfast and a final celebration with the porters, you will begin your hike down to Marangu Gate, where you will have a hot lunch. A car will be waiting to take you back to your accommodation in Moshi.

Our packages include departure day services. Enjoy breakfast and morning sightseeing in the city, or join us for safaris. If you are returning home, our driver will bring you to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) to catch your flight home.