The Marangu Route, also known as the “Coca Cola Route,” is the oldest and most established of all the Kilimanjaro routes. Unlike the others, climbers on the Marangu Route sleep in designated huts rather than tents, as this is the only route that provides hut accommodation (dormitory style). While it is the shortest route, this also makes it the most challenging in terms of acclimatization to high altitudes. Although it is popular for its gradual slope and direct path, it is essential not to underestimate its difficulty. Prior training is crucial for successfully reaching the summit via the Marangu Route.
Being the shortest route to the summit of Kilimanjaro, it is also the most affordable. However, this shorter duration means you will have less time to enjoy the scenic viewpoints along the way. If your main goal is to conquer the peak, this route is ideal. However, if you prefer a slower ascent to better acclimatize and savor the sights, consider one of the other routes.
Seasons:
Your Team: Per group you climb with a professional team, generally consisting of 1 or 2 English speaking guides, 1 cook and 3 porters per person. The exact number sometimes varies and depends on specific requirements of our guests.
Our guides will lead you to the summit and provide you with all the necessary information, tips & tricks & lift your spirits when in dire need, to maximise your chances of a successful climb. All of the guides know the mountain like the back of their hands, are specially trained and have years of climbing experience.
The porters will carry all your belongings, tents & food, so you can climb at ease with only your daypack. The cook will prepare 3 solid meals a day, so you can take on the mountain like a champion. Drinking water will be provided as well, which will be refilled with a water filter at various points on the mountain.
This trek includes
Not included
*International flights can be arranged via us if preferred.
Safety: Safety on the mountain is our first priority. Even though it doesn’t take a professional climber to summit Kilimanjaro, it’s still a tall mountain and the high altitude comes with risks.
Prior to each climb, our guests receive a comprehensive briefing that covers the route, safety procedures on the mountain and discuss potential health issues of each individual guest, to ensure that everyone can ascend the mountain fully prepared and in a safe manner.
Our guides receive annual training on the effects of altitude, providing medical assistance and administering oxygen. The team is equipped with a professional medical kit in case of Emergency. They are responsible for your safety and have the authority of discontinuing the trek if they think the conditions are unsafe. At high altitudes, your blood pressure is measured daily to monitor your health.
Acclimatisation: Climbing is done according to the ‘climb high, sleep low’ principle. This principle states that one should climb to a relatively higher elevation than the altitude of where one sleeps. This gives your body the chance to get used to the high altitudes when climbing high, and grants the opportunity to recover and rest at the lower elevations. Doing so, decreases your chance of altitude sickness and increases your chance of reaching the summit.
Fair treatment of our personnel: We are committed to the fair and ethical treatment of all porters and guides. We strictly adhere all rules set by KINAPA (Kilimanjaro National Park); ensuring that each porter has the proper gear to ascent the mountain, and that all carrying bags supplied by us are weighed, to ensure that they do not exceed the maximum of 20 kg.
Furthermore, we promote fair wages, accommodation, insurance & food for cooks, guides & porters as set by the KPO (Kilimanjaro porters association). This way, you can climb the mountain feeling confident about yourself ánd your team.
Leave only footprints: On all our climbs, we strive to reduce our environmental impact to a bare minimum. We make sure that any waste that has gone up the mountain, comes back down as well. By doing this, everybody can enjoy this magnificent mountain for many years to come.
*We also recommend that you bring your own water bottle to reduce plastic waste.
On the first day of the Kilimanjaro Marangu Route, we’ll drive from Moshi to the Marangu Gate of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, passing through the village of Marangu. The journey takes about 50 minutes. At the gate, we’ll finalize preparations, and you’ll see porters loading their packs with food, water, cooking gas, and your equipment. Be sure to have your daypack ready with essentials like drinking water, lunch, and extra clothing, as the porters ascend faster than hikers.
We’ll then ascend a cleared ridge trail to Mandara Hut through lush rainforest, often shrouded in mist and adorned with moss. This area is home to many unique animals and plants, so you may spot velvet monkeys, various birds like the turaco, and eye-catching flowers. We’ll spend the night in A-frame wooden huts at Mandara Hut.
From the Mandara Huts, the trail passes through a short stretch of forest, skirts the base of Maundi Crater, crosses a meadow and a wooded stream, and then emerges into grassland. Afterward, we can take a short detour to scramble up to the rim of Maundi Crater, where you will have an amazing view of Kibo and its crater. The trail then descends further through moorland.
Before reaching Horombo Hut, you will have the chance to see some of Kilimanjaro’s most spectacular plants—the endemic giant lobelia, which grows up to 3 m in height, and the giant groundsel (Senecio Kilimanjari), which can reach heights of 5 m! Once we reach a rocky valley, we will find ourselves at Horombo Hut, where we can eat, rest, and share stories of the climb.
Even though this day is ‘optional’, it is still strongly recommended. We climb according to the ‘climb high, sleep low’ principle, which gives your body the chance to get used to the high altitudes. This increases your chance of reaching the summit and is highly recommended for inexperienced climbers.
After breakfast, the guide will take you on a climb to either Zebra Rock at 4,100 meters or Saddle Point at 4,200 meters to enjoy the stunning scenery. After our visit, we will return to Horombo Hut at 3,720 meters to sleep low again. Once back at Horombo, we will have lunch, dinner, and sleep. Be sure to get a good night’s rest, as the following day will be challenging, and many climbers often start experiencing altitude-related issues.
Remember to take it very Pole Pole (Kiswahili for “slowly, slowly”)—one breath and one step at a time—and drink plenty of water.
Today’s trek will be quite exhausting, so remember to pace yourself and stay hydrated. After breakfast, we will ascend into the alpine desert. This vast, barren plateau connects Kilimanjaro’s two iconic peaks: Kibo and Mawenzi.
In the heart of this harsh Alpine Desert, lies Kibo Hut, a stone-built structure with bunk beds for 60 climbers. The summit is now just 1,195 meters above, and you will begin your final ascent later tonight.
Be sure to eat well and drink plenty—summit night is ahead!
In the early, early morning. Still shivering from our short and cold night, we will enjoy warm coffee or tea together to lift our spirits. Now we will hike in the dark, with flashlights towards the summit of Uhuru peak at 5895meters high.
The first section of the trail consists of a rocky path to the Hans Meyer Cave (5150m), also a good resting spot. The path then zigzags up to Gillman’s point (5681m), which is located on the crater rim. This section is very steep with a lot of stone scree, requiring a great physical and mental effort. This is probably the most demanding section of the entire route. From Gillmans Point you will normally encounter snow all the way to stella’s point and then to the peak. Once at the top, we will enjoy one of the world’s most incredible sunrises. Such moments make the climb well worthwhile. You’ve made it! Uhuru Peak is the highest point of Kilimanjaro ánd the whole of Africa. A place never to forget.
Make sure to bring two sets of clothing. The night will be bitterly cold, but after the sun rises over the peak of Kilimanjaro, the temperature will quickly rise. After the summit, we will make our descent straight down to the Kibo Hut, where we will have a quick rest. After, we shall head to Horombo Hut where we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and some well-earned sleep.
Hopefully well rested and not too soar from the long hike the other day, we will have breakfast. We continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. Today will be a long hike, but an easy one.
The car will be waiting for you at the Mweka Gate to take you back to hotel in Moshi for a hot shower.
On the Marangu Route we camp at the established Huts mentioned in our day-to-day. The advantage is that they’re a bit more comfortable and warmer than the usual tents. On the other hand it can be a bit more crowded as the Marangu Route is a popular route and you certainly won’t be the only one in the Huts. This can however be a great time to socialize and share stories.
There are 60 bunk beds each at Mandara and Kibo Huts, and 120 bunk beds at Horombo Hut. Guests are supplied with mattresses and pillows, but sleeping bags are still required. The huts have communal dining halls and basic washrooms, ranging from flushing toilets and running water at the lower huts to long drop toilets and buckets of water at Kibo Hut.
