MOUNT KILIMANJARO TREK
5-Day Marangu Route
The Coca-Cola Route · Moshi to Uhuru Peak and Back
The Marangu Route, commonly known as the Coca-Cola Route, is more popular because it can be done in fewer days and has permanent sleep huts at the campsites. Summit night from Kibo Hut is steep and passes Gilman's Point on the way to Uhuru Peak. It's a shorter route with a steeper incline, and with less time for acclimatization it tends to have a lower summit success rate. It's also the only route where the ascent and descent share the same path, which means more traffic on the trail.
DURATION
5 or 6 Days
DIFFICULTY
Medium
SCENERY
Good
TRAFFIC
High
Trip At A Glance
Day 0
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 0
Welcome To Tanzania
Thank you for choosing Chagga Village, a local tour company in Moshi, Tanzania. Make yourself at home and enjoy your African adventure with us. Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, a Chagga Village representative will meet you and transfer you to your overnight accommodation at Chanya Lodge in Moshi (bed & breakfast). Your head guide will meet you for a briefing, a gear check, and to arrange any equipment you may need to hire.
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
ARRIVALArrival — Kilimanjaro Airport
Overnight at Chanya Lodge, Moshi (bed & breakfast).DAY 1Marangu Gate → Mandara Huts
Departing from Moshi, a 45-minute drive will take you through the village of Marangu to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate. You'll wait for your permits to be issued while watching the crews prepare for the journey ahead. Enjoy the beautiful rainforest scenery and winding trails while your guide tells you about the local plants, animals, and wildlife. At these lower elevations, the trail can be muddy and slippery — we recommend gaiters and trekking poles here.DISTANCE
7km / 4mi
DURATION
4–5 hrs
TERRAIN
Rainforest
ELEVATION
1,830m → 2,740m
DAY 2Mandara Huts → Horombo Huts
After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, you'll emerge from the rainforest and continue on an ascending path through heathland, keeping an eye out for giant lobelias and groundsels. You'll continue up into open moorland where small shrubs are the main vegetation. Stop halfway for lunch, with amazing views of Mawenzi. You'll arrive at the Horombo Huts in the late afternoon, beneath the spectacular Kibo summit viewpoint, as temperatures begin to drop.DISTANCE
11km / 6.8mi
DURATION
6–8 hrs
TERRAIN
Moorland
ELEVATION
2,740m → 3,690m
DAY 3Horombo Huts → Kibo Huts
After breakfast, you'll continue through the dwindling heathland that blends into a moonscape as you enter the wide saddle connecting Mawenzi and Kibo. While you stop here for lunch, and later as you cross this large saddle, you can look ahead at the summit climb up Kibo that you'll begin in just a few hours.DISTANCE
10km / 6mi
DURATION
6–8 hrs
TERRAIN
Semi-Desert
ELEVATION
3,690m → 4,695m
DAY 4Kibo Huts → Summit (Uhuru Peak) → Horombo Huts
Excitement builds as morning comes with an early start, between midnight and 2 a.m. — the most mentally and physically challenging part of the trek. You'll continue toward the summit in a switchback formation, staying warm and focused on the accomplishment ahead. Ascending through heavy scree and possibly snow, you'll reach Gilman's Point on the crater rim, where you'll be rewarded with a magnificent sunrise. From there, the remaining hour-long ascent to Uhuru Peak is likely to include snow. Congratulations — one step at a time, you'll reach Uhuru Peak, the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the entire continent of Africa. After photos and celebrations, you'll begin the steep descent back down to Horombo Huts, stopping at Kibo for lunch and a brief rest. We recommend gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel and volcanic ash on the way down. A well-deserved rest awaits for your last evening on the mountain.NOTEElevation: 4,695m → 5,895m, then descending to 3,690m. Overnight at Horombo Huts.ASCENT
4km / 2.5mi · 5–7 hrs
DESCENT
14km / 9mi · 5–6 hrs
TERRAIN
Glaciers, Snow-Capped Summit
SUMMIT ELEVATION
5,895m
DAY 5Horombo Huts → Marangu Gate → Moshi
After breakfast and a heartfelt ceremony of appreciation with your crew, it's time to say goodbye. You'll continue the descent, stopping at Mandara Huts for lunch — remember to tip your guides, cooks, and porters here, since you'll part ways with them at this point. You'll return to the Marangu Park Gate and receive your summit certificates. As the weather warms up, the terrain becomes wet, muddy, and steep, so we recommend gaiters and trekking poles. From the gate, a vehicle will meet you and drive you back to your hotel in Moshi (about 45 minutes) for a well-earned hot shower, dinner, and celebrations.NOTEOvernight at Chanya Lodge, Moshi (bed & breakfast), before your onward journey home, on safari, or to Zanzibar.DISTANCE
18km / 11mi
DURATION
6–7 hrs
TERRAIN
Rainforest
ELEVATION
3,690m → 1,830m
DEPARTUREDeparture
Today you'll be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight home.
What's Included / What's Not Included
What's Included
Crew
- ✓ Lead guide(s) and assistant guide(s) for groups of 2 or more
- ✓ English-speaking guides, trained as Wilderness First Responders
- ✓ Cook, porters, and equipment, including personal client luggage (15kg per client)
- ✓ A porter-to-client ratio of 3–4 to 1
Equipment
- ✓ 2-inch foam sleeping mat and pillow
- ✓ Walk-in dining tent, table, and backed chairs
- ✓ Wash basins with hot water each morning and evening
Food & Drink
- ✓ Three meals a day, plus an afternoon snack during the trek
- ✓ Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options on request
- ✓ Treated drinking water (minimum 3L per day while trekking, with more available at camp)
- ✓ Coffee and tea during the trek
Health & Safety
- ✓ Pulse oximeter and altitude sickness checklists
- ✓ First aid kit and emergency oxygen
Preparation & Fees
- ✓ Kilimanjaro National Park fees and VAT
- ✓ Camping/hut, rescue, conservation, and other taxes
- ✓ Fair and sustainable crew wages
- ✓ Pre-trek briefing with your guide
Accommodation & Transfers
- ✓ Round-trip airport transfer between Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and Moshi
- ✓ Round-trip transfer between Moshi and the park gate
- ✓ Hotel stays in Moshi before and after the trek (2 nights total, bed & breakfast)
What's Not Included
- ✗ Gratuities and tips
- ✗ Personal trekking gear, such as a sleeping bag and clothing
- ✗ Favorite beverages (soda and alcohol at hotels)
- ✗ Additional accommodation or meals resulting from an early descent
- ✗ Tanzania entry visa
- ✗ Travel insurance
- ✗ Domestic or international flights
- ✗ Personal expenses
- ✗ Personal hire gear, such as trekking poles or sleeping bags
- ✗ Personal spending money for souvenirs, etc.
Ethical Climbing
At Chagga Village, we believe the tourism industry has both an obligation and a real opportunity to protect the world's natural habitats, cultural heritage sites, and communities. We actively support environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
As a responsible travel company, we help raise public awareness around the fair treatment of porters on Kilimanjaro, and support fair salaries, proper equipment, food, clothing, and sleeping conditions for our crew.
Every climb is reviewed to make sure crew members receive fair salaries, tips, food, equipment, and sleeping conditions. We're proud of that, and our clients are too — check out our TripAdvisor page to see what people are saying about us.
Recommended Tipping Guide
Tipping is customary on Mount Kilimanjaro for all members of your mountain crew. Although they receive a fair wage, tips make up an important part of their total compensation. Industry recommendations are about $20 a day for the guide, $15 a day for the assistant guide, $12 a day for the cook, and $8 a day for each porter, shared among everyone on the trip.
NOTETo keep tipping fair and transparent, there's a tipping ceremony at the Chagga Village office after your descent, with envelopes provided for each crew member.
All quotations are based on double occupancy, both for pre- and post-trek accommodation and on the trek itself. A single supplement fee applies if you'd like a single room for your pre- and post-trek accommodation.
Know Before You Go
We're completely flexible and happy to customize your trip to suit your time, budget, and interests — just let us know what you have in mind.
