The Marangu Route is the oldest and, once upon a time, was the most popular trail. It is also the one that comes closest (though not very) to the trail Hans Meyer took in making the first successful assault on the summit.
It is the only trail where camping is not necessary, indeed not allowed. Instead, trekkers sleep in dormitory huts along the way. From the Kibo Huts, trekkers climb up to the summit via Gillman’s Point.
In terms of duration, the trail is one of the shorter trails, taking just five days. Many people, however, opt to take an extra day to acclimatize at Horombo Huts, using that day to visit the Mawenzi Huts Campsite at 4538m. From a safety point of view this is entirely sensible. Aesthetically such a plan cannot be argued with either, for the views from Mawenzi across the Saddle to Kibo truly take the breath away.

MAP OF MARANGU ROUTE