Trek the highest mountain in Africa on a route much less crowded than the Marangu and Machame trails
With a gentle gradient and sense of untouched wilderness, the Rongai Route approaches Kilimanjaro from the north and is less crowded than the most popular trails. We trek through farmlands, forest and alpine moorlands as we approach the beautiful summit cone. This route allows an extra day for acclimatisation under the imposing spires of Mawenzi before the arduous final ascent. The last climb begins in darkness but our reward is an incomparable dawn vista over the sweeping East African plains.
Highlights
Stand on top of a continent for an unforgettable experience
Rongai is less crowded than other routes on the mountain
Enjoy a carefully paced, six-day trek in remote wilderness
An extra acclimatisation day increasing the chances of summit success
We use one guide for every two clients
Exodus has one of the highest summit success rates of any operator on Kilimanjaro
Full moon, new moon and female crew departures available (see Dates & Prices)
Zanzibar and safari extensions available
Exodus is a member of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP)
Countries visited: Tanzania
What's Included
All breakfasts, six lunches, five dinners
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Kilimanjaro Park fee
What's Not Included
Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request includes single tent)
Visas or vaccinations
6Days of Walking & Trekking
Pace:
Approximately 7.4mi (12km) walking per day
Terrain:
High altitude; including steep, rocky terrain
Day 2
7 km / 4.3 miles
Day 3
15 km / 9.3 miles
Day 4
8 km / 5 miles
Day 5
10 km / 6.2 miles
Day 6
10 km / 6.2 miles
Day 7
22 km / 13.7 miles
Sustainability and Impact
At Exodus, we thrive on travel, and we firmly believe our adventures should help destinations thrive too.
As a certified B Corp, we aim to take a ‘nature positive’ approach across our adventures, including carbon and waste reduction, animal welfare and support for rewilding and conservation. We also seek to contribute to local communities, providing economic opportunity and empowerment.
Depart London with brief stopover in Nairobi or Addis Ababa.
Day
1
Start Marangu
The adventure starts at our hotel in Marangu. There will be a trip briefing this afternoon/evening. Please bring your passport, insurance and air ticket details. The briefing will cover all aspects of your trip and will include the distribution of any equipment you have booked.
Accommodation: Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort or similar
Arrive Kilimanjaro airport and transfer to Marangu
There will be a trip briefing this afternoon/evening. Please bring your passport, insurance details and air ticket details. The briefing will cover all aspects of your trip and will include the distribution of any hired equipment you have booked.
Accommodation: Comfortable hotel
Day
2
Begin ascent through Rongai Forest
After completing the necessary registration formalities, we transfer by road to Nale Moru (6,400ft/1,950m) to begin our climb on this seemingly untouched wilderness route. We start with a half-day walk on a small path that winds through farmland and pine plantations. It is a consistent but gentle climb through forest that shelters a variety of wildlife. We reach our first overnight stop by late afternoon at the edge of the moorland zone (8,530ft/2,600m).
Accommodation: Full-service camping
Distance covered: 4mi (7km)
Activity hours: 3-4
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day
3
Climb to Kikelewa moorland
The morning walk is a steady ascent up to Second Cave (11,320ft/3,450m) with superb views of the eastern icefields on the rim of Kibo, the youngest and highest of the three volcanoes that form the entire mountain. After lunch, we leave the main trail and strike out across the moorland on a smaller path towards the jagged peaks of Mawenzi, the second of Kilimanjaro’s volcanoes. Our campsite, which we reach in late afternoon, is in a sheltered valley near Kikelewa Caves (11,810ft/3,600m).
A steep climb up grassy slopes is rewarded by superb panoramas of the Kenyan plains to the north. We leave vegetation behind close to Mawenzi Tarn (14,200ft/4,330m), spectacularly situated in a cirque beneath the towering cliffs of Mawenzi. The afternoon will be free to rest or to explore the area as an aid to acclimatisation.
Accommodation: Full-service camping
Distance covered: 5mi (8km)
Activity hours: 3-4
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day
5
Cross lunar desert of the Saddle to Kibo, at the bottom of summit cone
We leave our attractive campsite to cross the lunar desert of the Saddle between Mawenzi and Kibo to reach Kibo campsite (15,420ft/4,700m) at the bottom of the Kibo crater wall by early afternoon. The remainder of the day is spent resting in preparation for the final ascent before a very early night.
Accommodation: Full-service camping
Distance covered: 6mi (10km)
Activity hours: 5-6
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day
6
Early start to reach Gillman's Point in time for sunrise over the crater rim; on to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. Descend to Horombo
We start the final (and by far the steepest and most demanding) part of the climb by torchlight at around midnight. It will be extremely cold as we walk very slowly in darkness on a switchback trail through loose volcanic scree to reach the crater rim at Gillman’s Point (18,650ft/5,685m). We rest for a short time to enjoy the spectacular sunrise over Mawenzi. Those who are still feeling strong can make the three-hour round trip along the snow-covered rim to the true summit of Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak (19,340ft/5,895m), passing close to the spectacular glaciers and ice cliffs that still occupy most of the summit area. The descent to Kibo Hut (15,420ft/4,700m) is surprisingly fast and, after refreshments and rest, we continue descending to reach our final campsite at Horombo (12,200ft/3,720m). This is an extremely long and hard day with between 11 and 15 hours of walking at high altitude.
Accommodation: Full-service camping
Distance covered: 6mi (10km)
Activity hours: 11-15
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day
7
Continue descent to Mandara and Marangu
A sustained descent with wide views across the moorland takes us into the lovely forest around Mandara (8,860ft/2,700m), the first stopping place on the Marangu route. The trail continues through semi-tropical vegetation to the national park gate at Marangu (6,000ft/1,830m). We leave the local staff to return to our hotel in Marangu by mid-afternoon for a well-earned, shower and beer.
Accommodation: Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort or similar
Distance covered: 14mi (22km)
Activity hours: 5-6
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Day
8
End Marangu
Depending on the time of your return flight, the day can be spent resting at the hotel or exploring the village for souvenirs. If you’d like the adventure to continue, speak to your sales representative about joining our safari extension, which takes in three national parks over three days, or a chilled post-climb escape to Zanzibar.
Depending on the time of your return flight, the day can be spent resting at the hotel or exploring the village for souvenirs. Those on the group flights will be taken to the airport in time for their flight home.
Meals included: Breakfast
Arrive London.
Extend Your Trip
Safari Extension
This extension is the perfect introduction to the wildlife of Africa, taking in three unique national parks over three days. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is as breath-taking for its landscapes as it is attractive for its animals. The walls of the crater provide a home for an abundance of animals, acting like a giant enclosure. As a result, only a few of the vast numbers of animals actually migrate out of the crater. Tarangire National Park has the largest number of elephants in the northern part of Tanzania and is dotted with baobab trees. Finally, Lake Manyara National Park is small but supports a high density of mammals including tree-climbing lions. The detailed itinerary can be found here.
Please ask your sales representative for more details.
Code: XYW
Price per person: £ 200
Mandatory Single Supplement: £ 560
Zanzibar
If you are keen to end your trip on a (very) relaxed note, Zanzibar is a place to walk on the beach, explore the colourful offshore reef, or simply soak up the sun. You can choose to add as many extra nights to your trip as you wish; your time on the island will be at leisure. We transfer to Nairobi Airport and fly to Zanzibar; on arrival we transfer to the southwest coast of the island. The accommodation used, Fumba Beach Lodge, is far from other developments, the peace is all encompassing and there is a long strip of private beach, pool, spa, diving centre and spacious rooms. Please note, on Zanzibar you will be met and transferred between the airport and hotel but you are not escorted or guided. If you choose to take advantage of this opportunity then we can arrange flights for you to Zanzibar and book the hotel on half board and include all the transfers needed. We can provide you with a price once we know your requirements.
We can also book other hotels for you on the island including Kichanga Lodge and Tembo Hotel.
Please contact your sales representative for details.
Essential Info
Is this trip for you?
This trip is rated Activity Level 6 (Challenging & Tough). For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.
The summit day is graded Activity Level 7 (Tough) because of the high altitude and the level of physical effort needed. Please be aware many people find this day on Kilimanjaro the toughest physical challenge of their life. The rest of the trek is graded Activity Level 5 (Challenging), more as a consequence of the high altitude and extended wilderness camping than the difficulty of walking; hence the overall grading of this trek as Activity Level 6 (Challenging/Tough).
Walking conditions: This is a hard trek, which reaches an altitude of 19,340ft (5,895m). Even if you consider yourself fit, you might still find the climb very hard, depending on how well your body acclimatises to high altitude. There is no scientific way to determine how easily you acclimatise and the acclimatisation process can differ from climb to climb. Please note, walking hours stated are given as approximates only. Timings stated in the itinerary include lunch and photo stops and will vary depending on the pace of your group.
Route: We avoid the more crowded Marangu and Machame routes, preferring to approach the mountain from the north by the Rongai (Nale Moru) Route, which is considered to be an easier ascent than the main trails. We also add an extra day to the standard five-day itinerary to ensure maximum acclimatisation and to give ourselves the best possible chance of enjoying the magnificent scenery. Recent statistics indicate that the chance of reaching the summit increases by at least 20 percent if an extra day is spent acclimatising.
Last year, our groups on the Rongai Route demonstrated that this is the best six-day route on Kilimanjaro for reaching the summit. During that time, 88 percent of our clients reached Gilman’s Point and 79 percent reached Uhuru Peak, the true summit of Kilimanjaro.
Trails: Most are well defined and good quality but some forest sections can be slippery and moorland paths can become very wet in poor weather conditions. The final ascent to Uhuru Peak is almost exclusively on scree and loose rock without permanent footpaths but no technical skills are required.
Conditions: We spend time at both high and low altitude, experiencing extremely cold and quite hot conditions. You should be prepared for an early start every day on Kilimanjaro.
Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.
Joining Instructions
Key information
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today, check-in is typically from 3pm. There will be a welcome briefing in the afternoon/evening, but if you miss it the leader will update you separately Airport: Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO)
Getting to the start hotel
Your options for this journey are:
Take an Exodus transfer
Exodus provides one group arrival transfer from the airport, which is timed to coincide with the arrival of a chosen flight from London, UK. You may join this transfer at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the group arrival transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.
Make your own way
You can reach the start hotel relatively easily using taxis or public transport. A cab from the airport costs approximately US$100. On arrival at the hotel please make the reception staff aware that you are part of an Exodus group and they will have more details on meeting with your leader and group
If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.
Catching your return flight
There’s a group departure transfer to the airport for customers who Exodus booked onto a chosen flight to London, UK. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.
Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.
Location start: Marangu Location end: Marangu
Vaccinations and Health
Tanzania
There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, rabies, tuberculosis and yellow fever. Protection against malaria is essential. Please seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic on the best course of action for all the above. Additionally, dengue fever, a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes, is a known risk. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so we recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
You may also be required to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate (or an exemption certificate) if you’re coming from (or transiting for more than 12 hours through) a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. If you’re visiting Zanzibar from mainland Tanzania, border officials have been known to demand proof of yellow fever vaccination or an exemption certificate.
Visa
Tanzania
Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally need a visa to enter Tanzania. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.
Please note, it is possible to get the visa online (from US$50), but this can take between 10 days and three weeks. For more information and to apply for the visa, please visit www.visa.immigration.go.tz. If you are flying into Kilimanjaro Airport, we recommend arranging the visa in advance as the visa-on-arrival process has become more complicated and can now take longer.
Food & Drink
All breakfasts, six lunches and five dinners are included. All meals during the climb are included. Please allow about 153,500 Tanzanian shillings (US$65) for the meals not included.
On trek, the emphasis is on a varied and well-balanced diet with a greater amount of fresh fruit and soup to maximise the daily intake of fluids.
Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests. Please note that in Tanzania the availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets (eg gluten-free or dairy-free) is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring these specialised dietary items from home.
The menu has a high liquid and carbohydrate content; the two important elements for successful climbing. At higher altitudes, stimulants (such as coffee) and less digestible foods (such as meat) are not recommended. Our evening meal at the highest camp on Kilimanjaro is a meatless stew as our experience shows this to be the ideal preparation for the summit day. At mealtimes a selection of hot drinks is available. Soup is served twice daily.
Daily meals
Bed tea: Tea or coffee served in your tent.
Breakfast: Seasonal fresh fruit (mango/banana/watermelon), porridge, cooked eggs, sausage, bacon and toast.
Energy snacks, such as bananas and chocolate bars, are provided for the daily walk.
Lunch: Either a packed lunch on longer days or, more usually, a hot lunch served in camp by a small team who have raced ahead of the group. A hot lunch typically consists of soup, bread or pancakes, cheese, tuna, jam, peanut butter, pasta salad and cake.
Afternoon tea: Served in late afternoon. It is an opportunity to drink lots of hot drinks and snack on peanuts or popcorn.
Dinner: The main meal of the day and always three courses: soup and bread; followed by the main dish, which could be rice, potatoes or pasta with fish, meat or vegetables; and dessert, often of fruit.
Summit snacks: While we provide enough food for the climb, we recommend you bring some of your favourite snacks and keep them for the summit day. This is because the summit day is a long and tough climb and having your favourite snacks can give you a very welcome boost.
Water
While the water we provide on Kilimanjaro is suitable for drinking, you may wish to be extra safe and treat it with your own water purification tablets.
Weather
Kilimanjaro can be climbed at any time of the year but it is usually very wet in the rainforest in April and May. January and February are the warmest months. Above the cloud line the days are warm and pleasant, with temperatures in sunlight often above 20C (68F), but the nights can get very cold. It is possible for temperatures to drop as low as -20C (-4F) at Kibo campsite, our highest overnight stop. The daily weather pattern on the mountain tends to be clear mornings with an afternoon cloud build-up that often clears before sunset. In the European summer, the weather is usually cloudy at lower altitudes and often sunny above 11,480ft (3,500m). Please note, mountain weather conditions are never totally predictable and we may meet wet and snowy conditions at any time.
Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort and Kilimanjaro camps
On this adventure, we spend five nights camping in three-person tents and two nights in a hotel.
Marangu: Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort (nights 1 and 7)
Before and after the trek, we stay at the Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort. Close to Kilimanjaro National Park, it is tucked deep in the banana and coffee plantations of Kyalla village. It has two restaurants, plus a bar serving the refreshing Kilimanjaro Lager and banana wine. There is also a swimming pool to enjoy when you return from Kilimanjaro.
Kilimanjaro: Full-service camping (nights 2-6)
Although conditions are basic on the mountain, the camping we experience is one of the best available on the Rongai Route. We sleep in Vango Halo Pro 300 tents regardless of whether you have made a twin-share or single supplement booking. These are spacious three-person tents that are ideal for the conditions on Kilimanjaro. Our camp life is about as comfortable as it gets on Kili, with a communal mess tent, where we gather as a group and eat breakfast and dinner, and a private toilet tent. We also ensure there is a bowl of hot washing water for you in the morning and again after the walk at an agreed time in the afternoon. The only exception is the highest camp where there is no water source.
Worth knowing
The campsites on Kilimanjaro are designated by the national park and are mainly stone/dirt. They are not all level and can be crowded in peak season.
We always ensure there is a bowl of hot washing water for you in the morning and again after the walk at an agreed time in the afternoon. The only exception is the highest camp where there is no water source.
Handwashing water, treated with Dettol, is available along with soap before all meals, and everyone is strongly advised to make use of it.
The toilet tent has toilet paper within it, but we recommend you bring your own toilet paper and wet wipes.
All camping equipment is provided except for sleeping bags, sleeping mats and pillows.
The trip was much tougher than any of our Group had expected. It was colder than the seasonal norm but the trip to base camp was really attritional; by the time we got there we (and it was a fit Group) were exhausted. The journey did not only impact on the guests: of the 4 guides, 2 retired sick and neither of the summit porters reached the summit (one through sickness; one through helping a guest back down the mountain). My reflection was that the accumulative challenge was not reflected in the meeting notes.
The hotel in Zanzibar (Zumba Beach) was in an idyllic location and the GM was a strong leader and led her staff well. Again the trip notes should perhaps have been clearer that expectations needed to be calibrated a little lower than in the developed world. Our room was burgled while we were sleeping and items stolen from within 1 foot of our heads. The thieves cut their way in and so were carrying knives; a sobering experience. I don’t think crime there is uncommon and maybe prospective guests should be alerted to it?
Most Inspirational Moment
Reaching the peak on the Summit but feeling of relief more than inspiration!
Thoughts on Group Leader
It was her first trip leading and her Summit staff were virtually eradicated before reaching the top. The weather was poor and I fear she was traumatised.....but very full marks for getting most of us to the top and all down safely.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The climb was really difficult. It was less the final climb from base camp but the deconditioning that occurred before....and the weather is unpredictable.
There is crime in Zanzibar and important to be forewarned.
Reply from Exodus
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, James, although we were sorry to read that you were disappointed with some aspects of your tour. As I am sure you appreciate, activity levels are inherently subjective, but we do endeavour to describe each trip as accurately as possible, and we are always open to suggestions to amend our guidance should we be made aware of clients feeling a particular trip’s activity level should be changed. This is one of our longest running trips and we therefore receive a large volume of feedback regarding our clients’ views on the tour. Whilst this trip generally scores highly for trip note accuracy, we are aware that your group experienced unusually cold temperatures, which may have increased the difficulty of some of the treks and caused more cases of sickness than expected. Whilst our product manager, John Penge, and tour leaders remain of the view that the current grading for our Kilimanjaro Climb Rongai Route trip is accurate, I would like to assure you that they will take your comments into account when discussing potential changes to the activity level of this tour. Addressing your second point, we take the health and safety of our clients extremely seriously and we were, therefore, very concerned to receive your comments about a theft at Fumba Beach Lodge. This property has been operating for twenty years and, whilst we are aware of petty crimes in the past, incidents of this nature are not common in this area, mainly due to the heavy police presence on the beach. Nevertheless, we would not wish to downplay your experience, which sounds particularly worrying, and we would like to assure you that the security presence at the lodge has been increased and the mosquito netting has been reinforced to hopefully prevent any repeat of this situation. We recognise that this cannot change your experience, for which we are incredibly regretful, but we do hope it demonstrates that we have acted on it.
Paul Garrod
Reviewed October 2019
Kilimanjaro
I was part of a group of 6 teamed up with a further 10 individuals. We bonded well from the beginning and throughout this amazing adventure and from this experience I would have no hesitation in travelling alone. The Exodus team were superb from start to finish and The African Walking Company who were locally based were the guys on the ground and their knowledge of Kilimanjaro was superb and with 50+ porters/guides our group of 16 were well catered for and out ‘leader ‘JT’ was excellent. This was a challenging trek, particularly the final two days and should not be taken lightly. One gripe is it needs to be made clearer on summit night how best to keep water from freezing, as many of us were very de-hydrated on the way down having summited in atrocious conditions. But I would highly recommend the experience and Exodus and we have made friends for life.
Most Inspirational Moment
Helping, being helped, supporting and summiting as a team.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent
Advice for Potential Travellers
Train well and research anti-altitude sickness tablets as these I'm sure helped me, though others did still suffer
Allan Gordon
Reviewed September 2019
Kilimanjaro - Go For It with Exodus
Very well organised, everyone very helpful and friendly. Guides brilliant and supportive. 13 out of our Group of 14 made it to the very top ,Uhuru Summit.
What a team and great experience.
Most Inspirational Moment
Sunrise from Uhuru summit.
Thoughts on Group Leader
John Seka was excellent. Very competent, caring and humourous.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Down sleeping bag as the 2 nights above 4,500m were very cold
Take Diamox 125mg twice daily
Wear very comfy boots as you will be wearing them for 6 days.
Glen B
Reviewed January 2019
Epic
What a fantastic adventure summiting Africa’s highest peak with the most amazing and supportive group of people, ever!!!!
Easily The most difficult thing I have ever done.
The trek was a well oiled machine. Porters were amazing. Tents were were dry and set up by the time we entered each camp. The food was fantastic.
The toilet was a godsend.
The guides were amazing, supportive, present and empathetic. I never would have summited without the excellent pacing and patience of Seraphine. I never would have made it die without the quick thinking, preparedness and assistance of Seraphine, King Janes, Abraham and others.
Of our group of 11 trekkers, 10 made it to Gilman’s point, and 8 of made it to Uhuru Peak!!!
I highly recommend Exodus and the African Walking Company (AWC)
Most Inspirational Moment
The comaraderie of the trekkers. We were so supportive and respectful of each other. The best examples of man’s humanity to their fellow man.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Abraham was amazing!!!! I cannot say enough positive things about that guy!!!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Keep a positive mental attitude. Bring 5 pairs of pants, sox and tops - dry clothing is the ultimate luxury. Keep them ina plastic bag.
Bring and use Diamox. Don’t be a hero, the trek is uncomfortable enough without doing it with a headache. It really works.
Wear sunscreen. My face is peeling because I forgot to wear it on the summit run. I’m ten shades darker and my entire face is peeling. Looks like I have a skin disease.
Wet wipes. Bring way more than you think you need.
Bring candy.
Get the warmest sleeping bag you can find!!
And mother most important thing to remember: walk slooooooooowly. Speed kills.
Nicola Buchanan
Reviewed January 2019
Amazing!
What a hard, rewarding experience… although Kili is not the prettiest of mountains it is certainly a mighty challenge… and withholds its beauty till summit day sunrise. The porters enabled summiting to be possible with their tireless support and encouragement.
Most Inspirational Moment
Reaching the summit after 8 1/2 hrs of climbing...
Thoughts on Group Leader
Abraham was brilliant, quite guenounely we could not have done it without the support and care of the porters. I know Abraham has done this many times but he rejoiced in our success.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Respect the impact of altitude and weather... I have done many treks and knew this would be tough. When nothing else was left it was a mental strength that’s got us up.
Vicky Waller
Reviewed November 2018
Kilimanjaro Rongai Route - October 2018
Exodus Travels were an excellent company to deal with whilst arranging my recent trip to Kilimanjaro. I felt like I had my own personal travel agent to help me every step of the way. They answered every question and query I had knowledgably and efficiently. Everything about the trip ran smoothly and to plan. I would definitely use Exodus again for a future trip!
Most Inspirational Moment
The people of Africa were the most inspirational for me on this trip. Everyone was so nice and friendly.
Thoughts on Group Leader
I had 100% faith in the guides we had on the trip. They were knowledgably and made you feel at ease.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I would definitely recommend that you extend your trip by 1 day at the beginning of the trip as the flights are long and its a good idea to have a rest day at the hotel the day before you walk.
Lauren McCabe
Reviewed November 2018
Do it, and do it with Exodus!
Made memories for life on this trip. Summit day was torture but our guides made getting to Gilmans Point (before getting to Uhuru Peak) an incredible moment. The team of guides and porters are exceptional. This is our second trip with Exodus and will use them again for future ones because we trust their ability to take care of us, from booking to the itinerary and guides
Most Inspirational Moment
Coming up to the last ten minutes before reaching Gilmans Point, we’d been hiking for seven hours in the cold and dark uphill so we’re exhausted. The sun was rising so we had a spectacular view and out of nowhere the guides all start singing. It made reaching that point honestly one of the best experiences of my life!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Makeke was fantastic, he took such good care of each and every one of us
Advice for Potential Travellers
Expect summit day to be tough, be prepared to dig deep to get to the top, it’s worth it! Take ear plugs for sleeping! Be prepared to donate some clothes to the porters at the end of the trek. The clothes they wear are all donated.
Phillip Dixon
Reviewed October 2018
Kilimanjaro Rongai Route 21/09
Second time of climbing Kilimanjaro and it didn’t disappoint. Glorious starscapes at night, changing scenery from jungle to lunar landscapes and then the snow encrusted peak.
This is a challenging hike on summit day but within most people’s abilities if you are reasonably fit.
Due to airline problems my luggage didn’t arrive, but luckily I had ultra essentials and warm kit in my daysack. Day before the summit a porter brought my luggage up to the camp so had an incredible surprise.
You may think you will lose weight on this trek, but the food is incredible and plentiful – but you will still eat lots of snacks on your trek too. You will use the energy
Most Inspirational Moment
Summit day reaching Uhuru Peak and seeing the joy in all the other members of the group. People found a new energy when reaching that small wooden sign
Thoughts on Group Leader
Makeke was great, naturally funny, always there with a joke or inspirational word when people were flagging and able to sort problems while reassuring everyone. He dealt with my missing luggage taking all the pressure off and also arranging extra waterbottles for some group members who only had camelbaks which might freeze.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Pack enough kit for summit day and extras in your daysack in case of airline problems and wear your boots to the airport.
Take lots of snacks like cereal bars to eat on the trek, sharing a snack with your trekmates is a mainstay of the trip and handing one to someone looking tired can give them a boost.
Wear layers over one or two bulky items, you can always remove a layer or add one.
Most importantly put in a few mountain hikes before you go as you will enjoy it more with legs that aren't aching and shortness of breath. It is really about going slow and sustained pace.
Morag Smith
Reviewed September 2018
Fantastic trip
If you have ever harboured thoughts of climbing Kilimanjaro, go for it!This is a brilliant trip with excellent friendly and knowledgeable guides. There is so much more to this trip than simply reaching Uhuru point or not. We saw baboons and blue monkeys, beautiful landscapes and met many amazing people.. Do not underestimate the physical and mental impact of summit day though. This involves a trek to Kibo camp, followed by some rest, then around 11 hours or so of solid walking to the summit and returning to Kibo camp, a short rest.and then a further 3-4 hours walking before reaching Horombo camp and falling completely exhausted into your sleeping bag. None of our group were elite athletes but we all exercised regularly. We ranged in age from 21 to 66 years and both the youngest and the oldest achieved the summit. Not to be missed!
Most Inspirational Moment
Funnily enough, on our way to the airport we saw Kilimanjaro rising high above the clouds like Jacks beanstalk in the fairy tale and there was a sense of wonder that we could and indeed had reached its summit. I will carry that memory with me forever as it was only then that the scale of our achieve,net really hit hom.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Brilliant. Make ke is funny, slight lions winded but warm, friendly helpful and knowledgeable.
Advice for Potential Travellers
You should take some plastic bags for keeping your litter in and also for taking any used toilet paper away. Kili is a special place and we must ensure we leave it as we find it. Unfortunately, not everyone does this and there is a lot of litter. Tour companies must push this more.
Re trip notes, I don't think summit day notes are wholly accurate. It's a lot more than 6 Kim walking that day.
Morag Smith
Reviewed September 2018
Fantastic trip
If you have ever harboured thoughts of climbing Kilimanjaro, go for it!This is a brilliant trip with excellent friendly and knowledgeable guides. There is so much more to this trip than simply reaching Uhuru point or not. We saw baboons and blue monkeys, beautiful landscapes and met many amazing people.. Do not underestimate the physical and mental impact of summit day though. This involves a trek to Kibo camp, followed by some rest, then around 11 hours or so of solid walking to the summit and returning to Kibo camp, a short rest.and then a further 3-4 hours walking before reaching Horombo camp and falling completely exhausted into your sleeping bag. None of our group were elite athletes but we all exercised regularly. We ranged in age from 21 to 66 years and both the youngest and the oldest achieved the summit. Not to be missed!
Most Inspirational Moment
Funnily enough, on our way to the airport we saw Kilimanjaro rising high above the clouds like Jacks beanstalk in the fairy tale and there was a sense of wonder that we could and indeed had reached its summit. I will carry that memory with me forever as it was only then that the scale of our achieve,net really hit hom.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Brilliant. Make ke is funny, slight lions winded but warm, friendly helpful and knowledgeable.
Advice for Potential Travellers
You should take some plastic bags for keeping your litter in and also for taking any used toilet paper away. Kili is a special place and we must ensure we leave it as we find it. Unfortunately, not everyone does this and there is a lot of litter. Tour companies must push this more.
Re trip notes, I don't think summit day notes are wholly accurate. It's a lot more than 6 Kim walking that day.
Land Only Trip Price£ 2999£ 2999
Book with £ 749 deposit
Book with £ 749 deposit
Optional Single Supplement+£ 345
Date included in HNY2025 offer
Date included in HNY2025 offer
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
Land Only Trip Price£ 2999£ 2999
Book with £ 749 deposit
Book with £ 749 deposit
Optional Single Supplement+£ 345
Date included in HNY2025 offer/New moon departure
Date included in HNY2025 offer/New moon departure
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
Land Only Trip Price£ 2999£ 2999
Book with £ 749 deposit
Book with £ 749 deposit
Optional Single Supplement+£ 345
Date included in HNY2025 offer/New moon departure
Date included in HNY2025 offer/New moon departure
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
Land Only Trip Price£ 2999£ 2999
Book with £ 749 deposit
Book with £ 749 deposit
Optional Single Supplement+£ 345
Date included in HNY2025 offer/Female crew departure
Date included in HNY2025 offer/Female crew departure
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
Land Only Trip Price£ 3299£ 3299
Book with £ 824 deposit
Book with £ 824 deposit
Optional Single Supplement+£ 380
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
Land Only Trip Price£ 3299£ 3299
Book with £ 824 deposit
Book with £ 824 deposit
Optional Single Supplement+£ 380
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
Land Only Trip Price£ 3299£ 3299
Book with £ 824 deposit
Book with £ 824 deposit
Optional Single Supplement+£ 380
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
Land Only Trip Price£ 3299£ 3299
Book with £ 824 deposit
Book with £ 824 deposit
Optional Single Supplement+£ 380
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings, and will be guaranteed to go ahead once it reaches minimum numbers. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
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