Mount Kilimanjaro Rongai Route 7 Days Hike – EquitorialStar

As one of the easiest routes with a 95% success rate, the Rongai route makes climbing Mount Kilimanjaro manageable and fun. This route approaches the mountain from the Northern side and is generally drier than other routes. So, you’ll be hiking through arid areas with a warm climate.

Trekking Mount Kilimanjaro through the wild trails of the Rongai route has its perks. Since the route is less crowded you’ll experience a peaceful and quiet hike. Expect to encounter a few climbers for hours or sometimes days.

Although the views are not as scenic or varied as, say Lemosho route, it still offers plenty to see while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. And since we’ll be descending via the Marangu route, expect to view some of the best scenery Mt. Kilimanjaro has to offer.

7-day Mount Kilimanjaro hike Via Rongai Route Itinerary

Day 1: Nairobi – Moshi

Our adventure begins with us picking you up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) Nairobi. We drive to Moshi town at the southern foot of the mountain. Since the town sits at 700m of altitude, it’s great for acclimatizing before embarking on our Mount Kilimanjaro trek.

We have dinner and an overnight stay at a hotel in Moshi.

Day 2: Mount Kilimanjaro Nale Moru - First Cave Camp

After breakfast, we drive from Moshi towards Nale Moru passing through the beautiful mountainside villages and coffee plantations. The 3-hour drive brings us to the starting point of our Mount Kilimanjaro hike. We can choose to have lunch after the drive or later while on the mountain.

We start climbing Mount Kilimanjaro through the rainforest which quickly transitions to heathland. Along the way, we’ll see different types of birds, a few species of monkeys, and if we’re lucky, some elephants and buffaloes.

Trekking Mount Kilimanjaro finally brings us to First Cave camp. We have dinner and an overnight stay at camp.

Day 3: First Cave Camp – Mount Kilimanjaro Kikelewa Camp

Today’s Mount Kilimanjaro hike will take us from First Cave camp through Second Cave camp all the way to Kikelwa camp.

Shortly after breakfast, we start trekking through rocky paths of the heathlands. The trail takes us through heathers and wildflowers as we enjoy the view of Kibo glaciers ahead. As we approach the Second Cave camp, we stop for Lunch at a scenic location.

We rejoin the main route and continue climbing Mount Kilimanjaro towards Kikelewa Caves camp. Along the way, we enjoy the stunning views of Mawenzi Peak and occasionally stop to rest and take in the sights.

We finally reach Kikelewa Caves camp, have dinner, and stay overnight at camp.

Day 4: Kikelewa Camp – Mawenzi Tarn Camp

After breakfast, we continue hiking Mount Kilimanjaro towards Mawenzi Tarn camp. The day’s hike consists of a short but steep climb. We make our way through a gentle slope that turns steep shortly after leaving camp.

Along the way, the vegetation zone ends and transitions to an alpine desert. We reach Mawenzi camp after 4 hours of trekking Mount Kilimanjaro. After lunch, we spend the rest of the day acclimatizing and exploring the area.

Mawenzi Tarn camp sits below Mawenzi Peak and offers grand views of both Mawenzi and Kibo peaks.

We have dinner and an overnight stay at Mawenzi Tarn camp.

Day 5: Mawenzi Tarn Camp - Kibo Camp

This is another day with a short trek. We continue climbing Mount Kilimanjaro after breakfast heading West to Kibo hut. We make our way through a dusty and rocky alpine desert known as ‘The Saddle’. On this lunar landscape, grass finds it hard to rise even a quarter of an inch from the ground.

Once we reach camp, we have lunch, and spend the rest of the day relaxing. Acclimatizing on this day will make trekking up Mount Kilimanjaro to the summit easier. In preparation for the summit, we ready our gear and warm clothes.

We have dinner at Kibo camp and rest early for the summiting day.

Note: Remember to keep your water in a thermos flask so it doesn’t freeze.

Day 6: Kibo Camp - Uhuru Peak (Mount Kilimanjaro summit) - Horombo Hut

Our Mount Kilimanjaro hike starts early on this day. A few minutes past midnight we make our way through a continuous steep slope to the summit.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro through the dark might seem tedious, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Thanks to this altitude’s minimal light pollution and, if we’re lucky, a cloudless sky you’ll find the hike fascinatingly amazing. Even without a moon, having our way lit by the stars of the Milky Way’s spiral arm is something else.

We continue to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to Gilman’s Point where we watch the sunrise. Seeing the African sunrise bathe the mountain and land below in warm golden light makes the hike worth it. You can choose to end the hike at Gilman’s Point but we recommend reaching the summit

The journey to hike Mount Kilimanjaro continues all the way to the peak. We reach the peak and enjoy the views from the highest point in Africa. We spend some time walking around the crater’s rim and having photo sessions.

We descend via the Marangu route heading towards Horombo hut. We have dinner and an overnight stay at Horombo camp.

Day 7: Horombo Hut - Marangu Gate - Moshi/Nairobi

The last day of our Mount Kilimanjaro hike consists of hiking to Marangu Gate. We trek through the rainforest enjoying views of the landscape and wildlife.

At the gate, we find a vehicle waiting for us.

You have 2 choices here; Continue to Moshi or Nairobi.

Note: Spending the night in Moshi adds an extra day to the itinerary.

Mt Kilimanjaro Rongai route 7 days charges upon request