The Marangu Route follows an established trail with permanent mountain huts, from the rainforest through open moorland and across the alpine desert towards Kibo Peak. From your first evening in Moshi to the celebration after the climb, our team guides you through every stage at a steady pace.
The Janel Safaris team welcomes you at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and transfers you privately to Ameg Lodge in Moshi.
After settling in, meet your mountain team for a welcome dinner and trek briefing. We go through the route, equipment, altitude awareness and the practical details of the days ahead.
Your guide checks your essential trekking equipment and answers any final questions, so you start the climb knowing who is looking after you and what lies ahead.
After breakfast, drive to Marangu Gate for park registration. The trek begins in the montane rainforest, where tall trees and ferns keep the trail cool and shaded.
Walk at a comfortable pace with your guide and look out for birds and other wildlife. The first day is about settling into the rhythm of the mountain.
At Mandara Hut, our team helps you settle into the shared accommodation. After dinner, rest before the climb into the moorland.
Leave the rainforest behind and continue through heath and moorland. The landscape opens up, and on clear days Kibo and Mawenzi peaks come into view.
It is a longer walk, so your guide keeps a steady pace with plenty of breaks. Drink regularly, eat well and tell your guide how you feel as you gain height.
Arrive at Horombo Hut, where you will also stay on the way down after the summit. Enjoy dinner and the mountain atmosphere.
After breakfast, cross the broad, open Saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo peaks.
Vegetation thins out and the landscape becomes alpine desert. The trail is exposed in places, and the altitude makes a slow, steady pace especially important.
At Kibo Hut, settle in and eat. Your guides explain the summit-night plan: start time, clothing layers, headlamp, pacing and safety.
Spend the rest of the day drinking, eating and resting to save energy for the night ahead.
Start late at night, climbing slowly by headlamp up the steep upper slopes to Gilman's Point on the crater rim.
The ascent takes patience and determination. Your guides monitor your wellbeing and help you make safe decisions throughout.
If your condition and the weather allow, continue along the rim to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m, the highest point in Africa.
Reaching the summit is never guaranteed, and your safety comes first. If your guide decides you should descend, that decision must be respected.
After the summit attempt, descend to Kibo Hut for a short rest, then continue to Horombo Hut, where a hot meal and a well-earned rest are waiting.
After breakfast, descend through the moorland and back into the rainforest, where the air grows warmer and the vegetation greener.
At Marangu Gate, complete the park exit formalities. Eligible climbers receive their Kilimanjaro certificates.
Transfer back to Ameg Lodge for a hot shower, a comfortable bed and a celebration dinner with the Janel Safaris team, and a chance to thank the guides, porters, cooks and crew who supported your climb.
Enjoy breakfast at the lodge before your private transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport, timed around your flight.
If you would like to keep exploring Tanzania, we can arrange a safari, a cultural experience or a coastal extension.
Asante sana for choosing Janel Safaris.
Must cover high-altitude trekking to 6,000 m, medical treatment and emergency evacuation.
Sleeping bag, hiking boots, waterproof clothing and similar.
Lodge · Moshi
Shared dormitory huts · Marangu Route
We follow KPAP's published porter-treatment guidelines and Responsible Travel standards. Company loads are no more than 15 kg per porter, excluding the porter's personal kit. Every crew member earns at least the legal minimum wage, paid within two days of the descent, and gets three adequate meals a day, proper shelter, sleeping equipment and the right gear for the weather. Sick or injured porters receive proper care.
We explain the tipping procedure before the climb and name the exact number of crew, so no extra people appear at the tipping ceremony.
We create work for qualified Tanzanian guides, porters, cooks and drivers, support fair working conditions and staff welfare, and buy food, supplies and services locally where practical. We are building partnerships with credible local organisations for education and livelihood projects, manage waste responsibly and follow park regulations. We are working towards an annual record of contributions that we can share with partners and guests.
Migration timing, off-season finds, and dispatches from our guides. About one note a month.
Tailor-made safaris, mountain expeditions and Indian Ocean escapes, designed and led from Arusha, Tanzania since 2025.
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Tanzania · visits by appointment
