7 days / 6 nights on the mountain · Uhuru Peak 5,895 m

7-day Rongai route

The quiet northern route near the Kenyan border, with an acclimatization day at Mawenzi Tarn.

From $2,300per person, group of 6–10 · $2,450 each for 2–5

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SummitUhuru Peak via Gilman's Point

Sleep inHigh-quality tents

Extra dayAcclimatization at Mawenzi Tarn (4,315 m)

Best forBeginners, people who dislike crowds, photographers

Overview

The route at a glance

Rongai is the only route that starts on the north side of Kilimanjaro, close to the Kenyan border and Amboseli. It is one of the quietest routes, with far fewer people than Machame, and you walk through real wilderness where you may spot elephant and buffalo tracks.

We run the full 7-day Rongai with an acclimatization day at Mawenzi Tarn (4,315 m), which gives your body time to adjust before the summit.

Your trip starts at Kilimanjaro Airport with a night at a hotel in Moshi. Then you climb from dry farmland through pine forest to the wild Saddle desert between Mawenzi and Kibo, and descend on the Marangu side.

Day by day

Detailed itinerary

DAY0
Arrival in Moshi: karibu Tanzania
You land at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where your Wildecho Exped driver is waiting with your name. Transfer to a hotel in Moshi for a hot meal, the pool and a full briefing with your head guide. We check your gear; missing anything? We have rental gear in Moshi.
Overnight: Hotel in Moshi · dinner, bed & breakfast
DAY1
Rongai Gate to Simba Camp
After breakfast, drive about 3 hours through Moshi and the villages to remote Rongai Gate near the Kenyan border. After registration, walk through farmland and pine forest, an easy pole pole 3–4 hours. Look out for colobus monkeys.
Altitude1,950 → 2,600 mDistance8 kmTime3–4 hrsHabitatForest
Overnight: Simba Camp
DAY2
Simba Camp to Kikelewa Camp
A long but beautiful day across moorland and giant heather towards Mawenzi's jagged peaks, with real wilderness and no crowds. Lunch at Second Cave, then on to Kikelewa Camp in a sheltered valley of giant senecios.
Altitude2,600 → 3,600 mDistance10 kmTime5–6 hrsHabitatMoorland
Overnight: Kikelewa Camp
DAY3
Kikelewa Camp to Mawenzi Tarn Camp
A short but steep climb up grassy slopes to Mawenzi Tarn, one of the most beautiful camps on Kilimanjaro, beside a small lake below the Mawenzi cliffs. Hot lunch on arrival and a short acclimatization walk in the afternoon.
Altitude3,600 → 4,315 mDistance6 kmTime3–4 hrsHabitatAlpine desert
Overnight: Mawenzi Tarn Camp
DAY4
Acclimatization day at Mawenzi Tarn: the Wildecho advantage
Hike up towards Mawenzi (4,500 m+) and return to camp: climb high, sleep low. Then rest, drink plenty of water and prepare for Kibo. This day greatly reduces the risk of altitude sickness higher up.
Altitude4,315 → 4,500 → 4,315 mTime3–4 hrsHabitatAlpine desert
Overnight: Mawenzi Tarn Camp
DAY5
Mawenzi Tarn to Kibo Hut
Cross the famous Saddle, a wide, barren lunar desert between Mawenzi and Kibo, watching Kibo grow bigger and bigger. A gentle but long incline. Arrive early at Kibo Hut for dinner at 5 pm and bed at 6 pm.
Altitude4,315 → 4,720 mDistance8 kmTime5–6 hrsHabitatAlpine desert
Overnight: Kibo Hut
DAY6
Summit day: Uhuru Peak, then down to Horombo
Wake at 11:30 pm for tea, headlamp on. Climb steeply for about 6 hours to Gilman's Point (5,685 m) on the crater rim, then about 1.5 hours along the rim to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), with the sunrise over Kenya and Mawenzi below you. Then descend about 6 hours to Kibo for lunch and on to Horombo Hut. The longest day.
Altitude4,720 → 5,895 → 3,720 mDistance22 kmTime12–15 hrsHabitatArctic to heath
Overnight: Horombo Hut
DAY7
Horombo Hut to Marangu Gate: celebration
A final descent through moorland and rainforest. At Marangu Gate you receive your summit certificate (gold for Uhuru Peak, green for Gilman's Point). Drive to Moshi for a hot shower, hot lunch and a cold Kilimanjaro beer, followed by the tipping ceremony.
Altitude3,720 → 1,843 mDistance20 kmTime6–7 hrsHabitatRainforest