7-Day Kilimanjaro: Rongai Route

You are collected from your hotel in Arusha or Moshi and transferred by road to Rongai Gate (Nalemoru, 2,364 m/7,756 ft). After the registration formalities the trek begins through Nalemoru village, where the land is planted with sweet potatoes, maize, vegetables and other crops.

Beyond the farms you enter a pine forest, a good place to spot black-and-white colobus monkeys lounging with their long, brushy tails dangling, or swinging from branch to branch. Lunch is served along the way to Simba Camp (2,671 m/8,763 ft), where you enjoy your first dinner and night on the mountain.

Distance: 7 km (4.3 miles). Walking time: around 3–4 hours. Habitat: rainforest.

After a hearty breakfast you begin a long day's hike to Kikelewa Camp (3,600 m/11,811 ft), with a hot lunch along the way.

As you climb into the moorland you can enjoy the beautiful scenery and begin to grasp just how vast this magnificent mountain is. Dinner and overnight at Kikelewa Camp.

Distance: 16 km (9.94 miles). Walking time: around 6–7 hours. Habitat: moorland.

Keep your camera close today. The trail to Mawenzi Tarn (4,315 m/14,157 ft) offers wonderful photographs of the mountain, the wilderness around you and the jagged peak of Mawenzi.

The trail is very short but steep, so it is fairly energy-demanding – take it slowly and arrive in good time to rest and acclimatise. Dinner and overnight at Mawenzi Tarn.

Distance: 3 km (2 miles). Walking time: around 2–3 hours. Habitat: alpine desert.

After a hearty breakfast you hike across the lunar desert of the Saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo to Kibo Hut (4,720 m/15,486 ft).

You reach camp in the late afternoon and dinner is served early, giving you plenty of time to prepare for the final ascent, which begins around midnight. Your guides give you a detailed briefing – listen carefully and follow their advice for a successful summit – and then it is early to bed, well informed.

Distance: 9 km (5.6 miles). Walking time: around 5–6 hours. Habitat: alpine desert.

You wake at around 23:00 and at 23:30 enjoy hot tea or coffee with biscuits before heading into the darkness for the final ascent, passing Hans Meyer Cave on the way to Gilman's Point. A midnight start lets you reach the crater rim in time for a beautiful golden sunrise, and the frozen gravel makes the going significantly easier. Reaching Uhuru Peak (5,895 m/19,341 ft), the top of the African continent, is the moment you have worked for. Ascent – elevation gain: 1,175 m (3,855 ft). Distance: 6 km (3.7 miles). Time: 6–7 hours. Habitat: arctic.

The descent follows the same path down to Kibo Hut; by now the lava ash has thawed, allowing a faster descent. Most accidents happen on the way down, so use your walking poles and descend carefully.

At Kibo Hut you have a warm meal and a 1–1.5-hour rest, then continue down to Horombo Hut, arriving in the afternoon for dinner and the night. Descent – elevation loss: 2,175 m (7,136 ft). Distance: about 15 km (9.3 miles). Time: 6–7 hours. Habitat: moorland.

The final descent takes you from Horombo Hut down to Marangu Gate, with lunch at Mandara Hut (2,700 m) on the way. After a short break you continue through the forest to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate.

Your driver guide is waiting at the gate to transfer you to your hotel in Arusha for a hot shower and a well-deserved night's rest.

Distance: 19 km (12 miles). Walking time: around 6–7 hours. Habitat: moorland and montane forest.

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast at your hotel in Arusha – a well-earned, unhurried start after the mountain.

Depending on your flight schedule, your driver guide collects you and transfers you comfortably by road to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your onward international flight home. This marks the end of our services – kwaheri, and safe travels.