Dominating the landscape like no other mountain, iconic and instantly recognisable, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the highest peak in Africa and the world’s tallest freestanding mountain at 5895 metres. To climb Kilimanjaro is a great challenge and entirely feasible for the active traveller or keen walker looking for something new. In a matter of days you’ll climb Kilimanjaro from the hot plains of Africa through grasslands, tropical rain forest, alpine meadows, moorlands and desert uplands onto snow and ice.
As one of the premier Mount Kilimanjaro tour operators, we have regular climbs on four of the main routes:
- Trekking Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame route in 7 days is our preferred route as it offers excellent acclimatisation and views.
- The Lemosho route, is the same as the Machame route after the second camp (Shira Plateau), but gives an extra day on the mountain.
- Or there is the Rongai route, which approaches from the north of the mountain and is a less travelled option. It’s also good during the rainy season as it’s more sheltered.
- Or for those who have a bit of time we also have climbs via the 9 day Northern Circuit route.
We also organise lots of climbs for charities, walking clubs and groups too. Contact us for your Private Kilimanjaro Trek or join one of the open trips to meet like minded individuals. On the route pages below you will find alongside itineraries, altitude profiles, kit lists and pictures, as well as a host of information pages to help you decide and prepare. Call the office and chat to people who have been up the mountain many times and can offer proper advice.
FACTS ABOUT KILIMANJARO
One of the most commonly asked questions we get is What to Wear on Kilimanjaro? It’s really important that you look at our Kilimanjaro Kit List but be assured that you don’t need to spend a fortune on kit and you can rent sleeping bags, trekking poles and other items from us! In the more information section on this and all the different Kilimanjaro route pages, you’ll find details about Trekking boots amongst other Kilimanjaro Trip Preparation tips like Travel Insurance and of course Training For Kilimanjaro. The second most commonly asked question is what are the Toilets like on Kilimanjaro and after a quick google you may be concerned, but don’t be as they’ve improved a lot over recent years or we can bring up a private toilet for you!
FITNESS AND ALTITUDE SICKNESS ON KILIMANJARO
No doubt the trek is challenging and you are going to extreme altitude, however, the pace is slow due to going to altitude, which often surprises people, but it’s essential for a safe and successful ascent. You’ll find lot’s of fitness info and tips in the training for Kilimanjaro section but you don’t need to be super fit! The number of hours hiking each day differs depending on day and route; full details are on the different route pages.
When you start to look at altitude and altitude sickness and what it can do to your body, people do get concerned, however our policy of taking a minimum of seven days allows you to acclimatise well. There are also info pages about health and altitudes effects on your body and acclimatising safely, plus details about whether you should use the altitude drug Diamox on Kilimanjaro.Sunrise on summit day looking down from the edge of the main crater rim, to the lower summit of Mawenzi Peak
BEST TIME TO CLIMB KILIMANJARO?
The main seasons are traditionally December to March and June to October with temperatures in Moshi averaging 22 degrees C and summit temperatures around – 7 degrees C. The rains are in April, May and November but nowadays climate change has changed this pattern so sometimes the rains come earlier or later. During the rains we run our Rongai climbs as the northern side of the mountain is more sheltered.
A full moon climb of Kilimanjaro, or indeed a new moon climb, is often a popular time to climb. Summit night can be spent walking under the light of a full silvery moon so that you don’t even need a headtorch; or, since Kilimanjaro is situated on the equator, under a full sky of both north and south constellations. In fact from high up on the peak you can see the North Star and the Southern Cross in the same sky. If you want to avoid the busier nights on a full moon then we recommend that you offset your summit night. There can be no doubt that on certain nights the summit route can be very busy with a lot of people leaving camp at the same time and initially creating a bottleneck. These groups spread out fairly quickly though.
Month | 2020 New Moon | 2020 Full Moon | 2019 New Moon | 2019 Full Moon |
Jan | 25 | 10 | 6 | 21 Super Full Moon |
Feb | 23 | 9 | 5 | 19 Super Full Moon |
March | 24 | 9 | 6 | 21 |
April | 23 | 8 | 5 | 19 |
May | 22 | 7 | 5 | 19 |
June | 21 | 5 | 3 | 17 |
July | 20 | 5 | 2 | 17 Partial Lunar Eclipse |
Aug | 19 | 3 | 1 & 30 | 15 |
Sept | 17 | 2 | 28 | 14 |
Oct | 16 | 2 & 31 | 28 | 14 |
Nov | 15 | 30 | 26 | 12 |
Dec | 14 | 30 | 26 | 12 |
Other notable dates:
Valentines Day Summit: Arrive Tanzania on the 7th Feb New Years Eve / Day Summit: Arrive Tanzania on the 25th Dec