8-Day Marangu Route – Classic “Coca-Cola” Trail to Uhuru Peak

Hut comfort • Historic pathway • Perfect for first-time high-altitude trekkers

Lone hiker traversing the vast landscape of Mount Kilimanjaro under a clear sky.

8-Day Marangu Route – “Coca-Cola” Trail to the Roof of Africa

Day 1 | Touchdown in Tanzania

A smiling Jacana Serengeti Safaris driver greets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Glide past coffee estates to your cozy Moshi lodge, meet the guide team over sundowners, and run a relaxed gear check. Tomorrow the adventure begins.

Day 2 | Rain-Forest Immersion

Marangu Gate 1 870 m → Mandara Hut 2 700 m

  • Hike: 4–6 hrs | Distance: 8 km

  • Eco-zone: Lush montane forest

Register at the famed Marangu Gate, then step into a world of giant tree ferns, moss-draped figs and chatter­ing colobus monkeys. The gently rising path delivers you to Mandara Hut—snug A-frame cabins with solar lighting and flush toilets. Hot dinner, early night.

Day 3 | Moorland Marvels

Mandara Hut → Horombo Hut 3 720 m

  • Hike: 6–8 hrs | Distance: 11.5 km

  • Eco-zone: Open moorland

A brief forest stroll leads to Maundi Crater; scramble its rim for your first jaw-dropping view of Kibo’s snowcaps. The trail rolls into heather plains dotted with towering senecios and lobelias. Arrive at bustling Horombo Hut for hot wash-water, hearty stew and sweeping sunset views.

Day 4 | Acclimatisation & Zebra Rocks

Horombo Hut – acclimatisation loop (optional)

  • Hike: ≈ 4½ hrs round-trip

Sleep-in breakfast, then an easy, optional hike past the striped lava fins of Zebra Rocks toward the foot of Mawenzi. Extra altitude time sharpens your summit odds. Afternoon naps, journal writing, starlit dinner.

Day 5 | Crossing the Saddle

Horombo Hut → Kibo Hut 4 700 m

  • Hike: 5–7 hrs | Distance: 10 km

  • Eco-zone: Alpine desert

Choose the gentler lower trail across the broad, lunar Saddle that links Mawenzi and Kibo. Gray volcanic dust crunches beneath your boots; the summit feels close enough to touch. At Kibo Hut your team reviews summit strategy, fills water thermoses and tucks you into a bunk by 19:00.

Day 6 | Summit Push—Roof of Africa!

Kibo Hut → Uhuru Peak 5 895 m → back to Horombo Hut 3 720 m

  • Ascent: 6–8 hrs | Descent: 5–8 hrs

  • Total distance: ≈ 20.5 km

Wake at 23:30 for ginger tea, then set off by headlamp. Snowflakes sparkle as you zig-zag past Hans Meyer Cave to Gillman’s Point on the crater rim. Dawn ignites the horizon as you shuffle past Stella Point to Uhuru Peak—Africa’s highest place. Photos, hugs, deep breaths, then descend to Kibo for brunch and onward to the warmer comforts of Horombo.

Day 7 | Victory March to the Gate

Horombo Hut → Marangu Gate 1 870 m

  • Hike: 6–8 hrs | Distance: 20 km

A celebratory downhill through moorland and rain-forest brings you back to the gate, where gold (Uhuru) or green (Gillman’s) certificates await. Your driver whisks you to the lodge for cold drinks, hot showers and a well-earned feast.

Day 8 | Farewell—or Safari Extension

Linger over breakfast, swap summit stories, then enjoy a private transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport—or keep the adventure rolling with a Serengeti safari or Zanzibar beach escape.

Ready to Hike the Mountain’s Most Historic Route?

Contact Jacana Serengeti Safaris for your personal quote, lock in those hut reservations, and start counting the sleeps to summit day.

Kilimanjaro is calling—let’s answer together.