Known as the “Coca-Cola” route, the Marangu route is a classic trek on Mount Kilimanjaro. It is the oldest, most well-established route. Many favour the Marangu route because it is considered to be the easiest path on the mountain, given its gradual slope. It is also the only route which offers sleeping huts in dormitory-style accommodations.
The minimum days required for this route is five, although the probability of successfully reaching the top in that time period is quite low. Spending an extra acclimatization day on the mountain is highly recommended when climbing Kilimanjaro using the Marangu route.
However, despite its immense popularity, we avoid leading climbs on the Marangu route. The route has the least scenic variety of all the routes because the ascent and descent are done on the same path and it is the most crowded route for that reason. Marangu is favoured only during the rainy season, where the hut accommodations are preferred, after this 6 days Kilimanjaro luxury hike via marangu route you can combine with a 3 days or 4 days Tanzania safari.
You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport by Toto Africa Adventures, team and transferred to your hotel in Arusha or Moshi town; you will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming kilimanjaro hike.
Meal: Dinner Only
Accommodation: Kilimanjaro Wonders Hotel
After breakfast, you will be collected from your lodge in Moshi and taken to the Marangu gate. Once the necessary paper work has been completed, your trek can begin and you will soon be hiking through the dense rainforest. Alongside the impressive vegetation, you will have the chance to catch a glimpse of some primates as you head to the Mandara Hut. After a well-earned rest, your guide can take you to the Maundi Crater where you can enjoy the wonderful view of the Kenyan interior.
Distance covered: 8.3km / 5.2mi
Approx. time taken: 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
The day begins with an early breakfast. Shortly after you have left Mandara Hut, you will reach the timberline and then enter the heath and moor zone. Approximately 4 – 6 hours later, the Horombo Hut will come into sight, standing at an altitude of 3700m. From the hut, you will have fantastic views overlooking Mawenzi, Kibo and the wide plain of the Masai steppe.
Distance covered: 12.5km / 7.8mi
Approx. time taken: 9 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Today serves as an acclimatization day. This should not be underestimated and greatly improves your chance of success in reaching the summit. After a relaxing breakfast, a 4 hour trek follows to the Zebra Rocks (4020m). The distinctive black and white stripes give the rock formation its name. On your return to Horombo Hut, a warm lunch will be waiting for you. You can relax in the afternoon and regain your strength for the hike the following day.
Distance covered: 5km / 3.1mi
Approx. time taken: 4 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Today’s stage is long and tough. The well-built trail passes the “Last Water point” which is followed by the so-called “saddle”. This nearly vegetation less plateau joins the main summit Kibo with Mawenzi. Today’s destination is the Kibo Hut that is usually reached in about 5 – 6 hours. Here, you will enjoy an early evening meal followed by an early night, as the night will be short.
Distance covered: 9.5km / 5.9mi
Approx. time taken: 7 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
Today is “The Big Day” – the summit stage. You will begin your final ascent around midnight which will be long and strenuous. Passing the Hans Meyer Cave at 5220m, the climb slowly but surely goes upwards. At sunrise, you will reach Gillman’s Point (5681m) – the crater rim of Kilimanjaro – where the sun will slowly start to warm up the land. You will have soon forgotten the cold of the night and after a further hike of 1 – 2 hours, you will reach Uhuru Peak at 5895m. On your return to Kibo Hut, a warm meal awaits you followed by a 1 – 2 hour break before proceeding back down to Horombo Hut.
Distance covered: 22km / 13.7mi
Approx. time taken: 12 – 15 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
The last stage passes through the heath and moor zone to the Mandara Hut (2700m) where a warm lunch is waiting for you. Soon, you will once again pass the tropical rainforest and after a total time of 6 hours trekking, you will be back at the Kilimanjaro National Park Gate (1860m). After saying goodbye to your mountain guides, a short transfer follows to take you back to your hotel in Moshi. Once there, you can take a warm and relaxing shower and celebrate your success in reaching the summit of the Kilimanjaro.
Distance covered: 20.8km / 12.9mi
Approx. time taken: 8 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included
The day is left free to wind down after the trek before your flight home. Depending on flight times you could go and explore Moshi town and grab some souvenirs before heading to the airport.
*Safari, Zanzibar and other add-ons are available if you wish to continue exploring Tanzania.
Meals: Breakfast Included
Many trekkers prefer this route as this is the most straightforward course on the mountain due to its gradual slope. In addition, it’s also the only track that offers sleeping huts in dormitory-style accommodations. Using this route will only take you five days to complete your climb.
However, the success rate of this route is pretty low due to acclimatization. Using a longer route will help your body acclimatize better to the mountain’s environmental conditions.
The route’s short time frame makes the acclimatization more difficult. This trail approaches from the southeast and is less picturesque compared to other tracks as it has the same ascent and descent route.
PROS IN USING THE MARANGU ROUTE
CONS IN USING THE MARANGU ROUTE
We are a premier company with Years of combined experience on the mountain, we specialize in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. We run our own trekking operations, staffed with expert mountain guides, and do not act as a booking agent for other companies. We will give you comprehensive advice on packing, fitness, expected weather and trail conditions, and be by your side every step of the way – all the way to the Summit of Kilimanjaro! We will also bring you to the airport after the adventure of a lifetime.
The best recommended time to climb Kilimanjaro are the dry months of December to mid-March and mid-June to the end of October, as these months are when the weather conditions are at their best. Clear skies, great views, little-to-no rain, and the sunshine.
However, there is always the possibility of weather changing dramatically, regardless of the season.
You can climb Kilimanjaro at any time of the year, but certain months are better than others. We recommend best to climb Mount Kilimanjaro during the driest months We avoid April and November as these are the main rainy seasons, making the trails more dangerous.
The following are the questions that we tend to get asked the most by our clients before deciding to book for a Kilimanjaro hike. If you have further questions after reading this, please do not hesitate contact us, our experts are ready to work with you to create the best holiday of your lifetime.
We recommend a minimum of 8-10 days from the USA, although some people may want more time for the trip. We can customize itineraries or routes to offer more days in the park. Some people may wish to climb nearby Mount Meru as well. If you have more than 10 days, you can choose any of the main routes on the mountain and still have time for a wildlife safari before or after your trip.
You can climb any month of the year. At lower elevations, April, May and November are quite wet while March and June are transition months. August and September are the coldest and driest months. January, February, July, August and September are all popular climbing months.
Around 80% of climbers choose the Marangu route (5 or 6 days), which is commonly referred to as the “Tourist” or “Coca cola” route because it is easy to climb compared to other routes. The rest usually goes for Machame route (6 or 7 days). The four routes (Umbwe, Rongai, Shira and Lemosho) are far less frequented. Please note that many of the routes meet on a mid-way point and there are only three routes to the summit.
Many texts state that Kilimanjaro is easily accessible. However, you should not underestimate this mountain. There are no technical mountaineering skills required, but general fitness is necessary. However, the biggest problem for climbers is the effects of high altitude, which seem to be unrelated to fitness, age or gender. It is a good idea to start some physical training prior to the trek, which might include aerobic cross training and hiking to familiarize your body with the rigors or the trek. The fitter you are, the easier the climb will be for you. Determination and will power are other important factors.
Yes of course, We arrange airport transfers for our clients. Normally, the drafted itineraries have included the transfers before and after safari. We however advise you to give prior information to our travel specialists before boarding your flight to Tanzania.
Yes of course, We arrange for accommodation when you book tours with us . Normally, the drafted itineraries have included the accommodations before the hike and after the hike, if you have recommendations let us know and we will make sure we give you the best options
We have been receiving reviews from our served clients and Toto Africa Adventures is rated 5/5 by customers. This honor is given to us by customers because we always remain committed to all our customers to do whatever is needed by them to make their safari fully satisfied.
EXCELLENTBased on 25 reviewsVerifiedEric Salley2024-04-15The Ultimate Luxury Family Travel Experience: Secure, Adaptable, Flexible, Affordable, with Helpful Staff and Beautiful Accommod We recently returned from a 10-day Luxury family safari with Toto Africa Adventures, and we had an amazing time. While organizing our vacation, we looked at several safari operators; in the end, when we contacted Toto Africa in our first correspondence with Chris Japheth, we were impressed by his promptness and adaptability in creating a personalized safari itinerary we decided on Toto Africa Adventures because they provided the best itinerary accommodations for our Family requirements and were the most professional and attentive. Our safari was made extremely enjoyable, safe, and enlightening by our driver guide, Benard. He made an effort to find out what we were most interested in seeing at the start of the trip, and we were able to see a lot more than that. He has an extensive understanding of Tanzania's ecosystems as well as its animal and wildlife populations. He provided comprehensive answers to all of our inquiries and offered insightful commentary on Tanzanian culture and daily life. He made us laugh every day, drove very safely and skillfully, and was always polite. We visited Tarangire Park which is a beautiful park filled with Baobabs and Acacias with a large variety of game such as zebras, buffalo, giraffes, and waterbuck. Of note during this time are the massed elephants along the Tarangire River a tremendous sight and the healthy pride of lions. From there, we head to the Ngorongoro. This is the largest intact crater in the world abundant with wild game including elephants, rhinos, cheetahs, lions, leopards, and hyenas. we also visit the Serengeti, Tanzania’s most famous and largest national park and one of the most spectacular parks in the world. And we spend 4 days in Zanzibar with Toto Africa Adventures. Our chef Alli always prepares super tasty, fresh, and delicious meals every day. They brought various kinds of meals including meat, vegetables, fish, and fruits. We also had special dietary requirements that were met without a problem. We thank the Toto Africa Adventures team for the wonderful 10-day Luxury family safari. Without a doubt, we will tell our friends about Toto Africa Adventures in the future.VerifiedDan S2024-04-13Amazing family safari in Tanzania. Miss Neema and Guide Mr. Ben of Toto Africa Adventures truly exceeded our expectations! Their personalized service and expertise made our journey through Tanzania unforgettable. Miss Neema's attention to detail ensured every aspect of our trip was seamless, while Guide Mr. Ben's extensive knowledge of the region's wildlife and culture enriched our experience beyond measure. Together, they created an atmosphere of warmth and hospitality that made us feel like family. We can't thank them enough for their dedication and professionalism, and we highly recommend Toto Africa Adventures to anyone looking for an authentic and rewarding African safari experience.VerifiedSpencer M2024-04-11Really great trip With the most amiable, knowledgeable, and compassionate local guide, Livingstone, my spouse and I enjoyed the most amazing nine-day customized vacation around Tanzania. Every activity, including game drives, boat safaris, trekking with gorillas and chimpanzees, really cozy hotels, and delectable cuisine, was well planned to let us to make the most of our time in the nation! I heartily suggest taking Toto Africa Adventures tour.VerifiedSienna H2024-04-09Excellent Adventure It was an amazing five days on safari with Toto. Director Japheth ensured a smooth planning process by creating a custom schedule that included exhilarating game drives and luxurious lodge accommodations. Because of guide Livingstone's knowledge and enthusiasm for animals, amazing encounters and fascinating tales resulted. Everything about the experience—from breathtaking animal sightings to opulent lodgings—surpassed expectations. A trip that will never be forgotten is ensured by Toto's commitment to providing individualized excursions in conjunction with professionals like Japheth and Livingstone. Toto is a great choice for anybody looking for a customized safari experience full of unique experiences.VerifiedRuth M2023-09-15All amazing ! Our safari experience was all that we could have wished . It was relaxed with fabulous close up respectful views of the animals . We were a family of five on a camping safari.. Ben our guide , was a magician in finding the animals and was very easy company .Japheth punctually made our arrangements and Brighton cooked delicious local and European food helped by Inno who taught us SwahiliVerifiedAnna B2023-09-15A trip of a lifetime! Toto Africa gave us a family holiday we will never forget! Our 6 day itinerary was the perfect combination of safari and culture that really showcased Tanzania. I can not recommend them highly enough for organising your perfect African adventure!VerifiedGareth2023-09-07Family Tanzania experience We heard about Toto Africa Adventures from a good friend who had travelled with them recently. As a family of 5, mum dad and three daughters in their 20s, we were not disappointed, and the trip represented good value for money. A great combination of safari camping, cultural experiences and hot spring swimming was wonderfully put together by Japheth, who answered our many questions quickly prior to arrival. Special mention to our safari guide Ben, and also to the wonderful food cooked beautifully. Thank you Japheth, we will be back to conquer kili with you! Do remember to ‘ go with the flow’ as this is an adventure, Toto Africa adventures is thoroughly recommended.VerifiedPippa Watts2023-08-18Affordable tailored holiday in Tanzania We had such an amazing two week holiday thanks to Chris Japheth and Toto Africa. He put together an itinerary that was exactly what we wanted and ensured we had some truly unforgettable experiences - seeing the Wildebeest crossing the Mara river in the Northern Serengeti, a wonderful picknick in the Serenget near the Kenyan border. A hot air balloon safari, stunning hiking in the Usambara Miuntains and a relaxing end to the holiday on the coast. The guides were wonderful. All in all a great experience. Would definitely recommend booking with Toto Africa.VerifiedTour418223234532023-08-11A superb experience! My spouse and I just finished an incredible 9-day journey through Tanzania to see the Great Migration and it was all thanks to Toto Africa and its owner, Chris Japeth. We shopped nearly half a dozen tour operators and this was the best value for our itinerary. We booked a 5-day safari and beach holiday opting for the mid range package (Note: We booked the all-inclusive resort in Zanzibar separately as that saved us a couple hundred dollars). During our initial emails with Chris, we were captured by not only his responsiveness but also his flexibility in crafting a custom Safari schedule to fit our unique travel needs - 9 days is super short for this type of trip. Whenever we had a request the answer was always “yes”. Chris put up with dozens of our emails/WhatsApp messages and responded quickly and made us feel at ease. He even took the time to message us early in the mornings to make sure we didn’t miss our flights. What a guy! Toto arranged everything from our tasty meals on the safari, beautiful accommodations, and last but not least, airport pickups and drop offs. Special shout-out to our Safari guide Ben with over 20 YEARS of experience who went above and beyond to make sure we saw the as many incredible animals as possible while patiently answering our endless questions about nature and the culture in this incredible country. When we were tired and wanted to give up, Ben kept pushing us to keep looking and it paid off. We saw a Leopard, Cheetah, nearly a dozen lions, and all the grazing animals as well. Most importantly, we were one of only 15-20 vehicles to see the largest wildebeest crossing the entire day in Northern Serengeti and this was all because of Ben. Ben was also very respectful of the animals and would keep appropriate distance while other younger and more inexperience drivers would get too close to the animals. It was evident the other Safari guides respect him a great deal. All in all everything was great and if we could do the trip again, we would make only a couple of changes. For example, we would break up our drive from Northern Serengeti to Arusha/Moshi into 2 days because it’s a very long 11 hour drive otherwise. I would spend extra time in the central Serengeti and skip Tarangire National Park since while beautiful, it has similar animals as the Serengeti and is almost 3 hours away from the Southern entrance to Serengeti National Park. Also, bring a mask and saline nasal spray since there’s lots of dust on the drive and you want to be able to keep the windows of the land cruiser open to keep cool. Mosquitos were surprisingly not a big issue on the Safari but at the resort in Zanzibar they came out in swarms. I wish someone had told us this stuff. Have a great journey with Toto Africa and tell them hi for us!VerifiedSelma Turki2023-01-08Perfect experience I did 7 days Kilimanjaro climb, 3 days safari and 4 days Zanzibar with Toto Africa Adventures. Japheth is the manager of the company. He was always available to respond to my questions and to reassure me about the process. I trusted him because of his availability months before coming. And I was totally right. He has a great team for Kilimanjaro and safari ( I did Tarangire Ngorongoro and lake manara) he also has good advice and he’s always present to help in case of a problem or a change of plans. He took care of every detail and every need that I felt. It’s the best trip that I never had thanks to his commitment and work !
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