Rongai Route 6-Day Kilimanjaro Climbing Package Overview 2025
The Rongai Route offers a distinctive climbing experience, starting from the northern side of Mount Kilimanjaro. Unlike other routes, this path provides an unforgettable journey through **untouched wilderness**. Starting just 45 km from Moshi or 69 km from Arusha, the Rongai Route takes you on a 6-day adventure with incredible landscapes, diverse flora, and fauna. For those looking to maximize acclimatization, the route can also be extended to 7 days for a more comfortable climb.
As one of the easiest **Kilimanjaro routes**, the **Rongai Route** stands out for its scenic beauty and **high success rate**. Its journey through **varied landscapes**—from lush rainforests to alpine meadows and barren ridges—offers climbers a **refreshing and unique perspective** of the mountain. This route has gained popularity due to its quieter nature compared to other more frequently traveled paths, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a peaceful, nature-filled ascent.
Why Choose the Rongai Route for Your Kilimanjaro Climb?
- Less Crowded: The Rongai Route is one of the least traveled, providing a more private and serene experience on Mount Kilimanjaro.
- Scenic and Diverse: From towering rainforests to breathtaking alpine scenery, this route offers unparalleled beauty at every turn.
- Easy Access and High Success Rate: The Rongai Route is considered one of the easier routes up Kilimanjaro, with a higher success rate compared to more challenging routes.
- Comfortable Camping: Unlike the Marangu Route, where trekkers stay in huts, the Rongai Route offers a **tent-based camping experience**, with porters setting up your camp each night, ensuring a hassle-free climb.
- Merges with Marangu Route: The route merges with the Marangu Route near the summit, giving you the chance to experience both sides of the mountain, including amazing panoramic views of Kilimanjaro.
Whether you opt for the **6-day Rongai Route** for a swift ascent or the extended 7-day option to better acclimatize, this climb promises **memorable scenery**, a comfortable camping experience, and a great chance of summiting Mount Kilimanjaro. With its impressive views, relatively gentle trek, and quiet paths, it’s the perfect route for those looking for a unique **Kilimanjaro adventure**.
Number of nights: 5
📂 Rongai route 6 days itinerary
Day 1: Moshi to Rongai gate to Simba Camp
Elevation: 1387/915 m to 1950 m to 2750 m, Distance: 9 km, Hiking Time: 4 hours, Habitat: Montana Forest
You will have an early breakfast. Transfer by our vehicles through many villages and coffee and plantations for 2–3-hour drive to Rongai gate (1,950 m/6,398 ft). After signing in and preparing the porters, you will start hiking on a wide path winding through fields of maize and potatoes, and then enter into Montana forest. You will then start to climb gently but consistently through attractive forest that shelters a variety of wildlife. The forest begins to thin as you arrive at Simba Camp (2,600 m/8,530ft) with fantastic views over the Kenyan plains.
Day 2: Simba Camp to Kikelewa Camp
Elevation: 2750 m to 3600 m, Distance: 17 km, Hiking Time: 7 hours, Habitat: Moorland
After an early breakfast you will have a steady ascent to the second cave where you will stop for lunch. You leave the direct trail at this point and strike out across the moorland on a smaller path toward Mawenzi side peak to Kikelewa Camp in a sheltered valley. At the Kikelewa Camp you will settle for your dinner and overnight rest.
Day 3: Kikelewa camp to Mawenzi turn hut
Elevation: 3600m to 4330m, Distance: 7km, Hiking Time: 4 hours, Habitat: Semi-Desert
After breakfast you will face a short, steep climb up grassy slopes; rewarded by superb all-round views, immersed in the vast surrounding wilderness. Soon after, you leave the vegetation behind and arrive at the Mawenzi Tarn Camp, which is situated in a spectacular cirque directly beneath the towering spires of Mawenzi Peak. After this hike, you will reach to the Mawenzi turn hut camp where you will also see the amazing undried Lake with no inlet as well as outlet here you will have lunch and rest then dinner and overnight at this camp.
Day 4: Mawenzi Tarn hut to Kibo Huts camp
Elevation: 4330 m to 4695 m, Distance: 8km, Hiking Time: 5 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert
After an early breakfast you will cross the lunar desert of the saddle between Kibo peak and Mawenzi peak to Kibo Huts at the bottom of Kibo’s crater wall. You should spend the remainder of the day resting and preparing for your summit climb.
Day 5: Summit Day! Kibo Huts camp to Uhuru Peak to Horombo Huts camp
Elevation: 4695 m to 5895 m to 3690 m, Distance: 4 km up, 14 km down, Hiking Time: 10-15 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert.
Wake at midnight to a light breakfast and then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly before or after sunrise. Leave to the peak at 12; 00AM, switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Gilman’s Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft between 4 and 6 AM.
At this point, you will have views of the fabled crater and its icecaps facing you. Then after 2 hours of hiking along the Kibo crater rim near the celebrated snows takes you to Kilimanjaro true summit, Uhuru Peak here you will spend some times for taking photo’s but it will depend on how you feel. After your summit activities done, descend back to the Kibo Huts, have lunch, rest, collect your equipment, and continue on down, re-crossing the saddle to the Horombo Huts. Have dinner and overnight at Horombo camp.
Day 6: Horombo Huts camp to Marangu Gate to Moshi
Elevation: 3690 m to 1830 m to 1387 m, Distance: 18 km, Descending Time: 5-7 hours
After a long and enjoyable sleep, you will be awaked for breakfast and pack up, start descend through the moorland to Mandara Huts. Here you will have lunch then proceed with your triumphant recessional down through lush forest to Marangu park gate. Here you will sign out then after a vehicle will take you to back to the hotel where it is definitely time for certificate presentation and celebration!
Package price inclusions
- All Transports
- Tools and equipments
- Guides, cooks and porters
- All park fees and taxes
- Meals and accommodations
Package price exclusions
- Tips for guides, porters, and cooks
- Personal items
- International flights
- Laundry services
- Visa costs