Climb Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro stands alone in north-eastern Tanzania, close to the town of Moshi and not far from the Kenyan border. It is a volcano with three cones: Kibo, the high one with the crater and the summit; Mawenzi, the jagged second peak; and Shira, the collapsed plateau on the west. Uhuru Peak, on the rim of Kibo, is 5,895 m above sea level and the highest point in Africa.

The mountain sits inside Kilimanjaro National Park, which was created in 1973 and added to UNESCO's World Heritage list in 1987. It covers roughly 1,688 km² and includes the whole mountain above the tree line, plus a belt of montane forest around it. The park is run by Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), which sets the rules and the fees.

The reason people say you walk through every climate from the equator to the Arctic is the height. As you climb, vegetation and weather change in steps. The figures below are the commonly published bands; they shift with the slope and the season.

It is not technical. On the standard routes you walk; you do not use ropes, ice axes or crampons. What makes it hard is altitude and the long summit night, not the terrain. A healthy walker who trains for a few months and takes enough days has a good chance of reaching Uhuru Peak. A fit person who rushes, or ignores a headache, has a much worse chance.

So can a beginner do it? Yes, if beginner means no mountaineering experience. If it means no fitness, no. Walking six to eight hours a day for a week, carrying a small pack, is the honest benchmark.

There are seven recognised routes. In practice most people choose from five. They differ by direction of approach, number of days, sleeping style and crowds, and they all share the same summit night. Think of them in three groups: the classic, Marangu, the only hut route; the southern camping routes, Machame, Lemosho, Umbwe and Shira; and the northern routes, Rongai and the Northern Circuit.

There is no single best route; there is a best route for your time, your nerves and your season. Start with how many days you have. Fewer than six, and your options are Marangu or a short Machame, and the odds of feeling good on summit night are lower. Seven or more opens up Machame, Lemosho and Rongai.

Then think about sleep. If you want a bed, Marangu is the only choice. If you can tolerate tents, everything opens up. Then crowds and season: the busiest times are July to October and the Christmas to February window.

If you cannot decide: seven-day Machame is the sensible default for most fit walkers; Lemosho at seven or eight days is the better-paced option if you have the time; Rongai is the pick for the rains. For a longer discussion, read Machame or Lemosho and six days or seven.

For a first climb, choose time over speed. Seven-day Lemosho and seven-day Machame are the usual beginner routes, because the pace is gradual and you gain a night of rest before the push. Rongai is a good quiet choice if camps full of people put you off. Marangu suits people who want a bed, but take the six-day version.

Families should check the park's minimum age before booking, then plan around the child, not the route. Children get altitude sickness too and may not tell you. A shorter trek on the lower slopes, such as a Machame day or overnight hike, is often a better first taste than a summit attempt. Tell us ages and experience when you enquire.

There are two dry windows: about June to October, and late December to early March. The long rains arrive around March to May and a shorter wet spell comes in November. In the rains trails are muddy and the top can be icy, though the mountain is much quieter.

January and February are warm and clear but busy. June to October is cold at night and dry, and the busiest of all in July and August. See best time to climb for the month by month view.

The summit is higher than any ground most visitors have stood on. Air pressure there is roughly half of sea level. The body can adapt, but only slowly, and most of the difficulty on Kilimanjaro is that people climb faster than they adapt.

Mild symptoms are common: a headache, poor sleep, loss of appetite. They are a signal to slow down and drink water. Worsening symptoms, such as a severe headache that does not ease, vomiting, loss of balance, or confusion, are a signal to go down, whatever the plan was. Your guide will check you every day and the decision to descend is theirs.

You will see summit success rates quoted online, often as flattering percentages. We do not quote one, because the figures depend on who counts and how, and no honest operator can promise you the top. What we can say is what moves the odds: more days, a slow pace, enough water and food, good sleep where possible, and telling your guide the truth. Medication to help with altitude exists; speak to your doctor well before you travel. Read more in altitude on Kilimanjaro.

You cannot climb alone. The park requires a licensed guide, and in practice a crew of guides, cooks and porters comes with every group. Routes are fixed; you cannot create your own.

A private climb means your party sets the dates and pace. If you are travelling solo and would like company, ask whether a group is leaving on your dates; we confirm before you pay. More on group climbs.

There are limits on what porters can carry and on how they must be treated. Ask any operator how they pay and equip their crew. A fair operator will answer straight away.

Park fees are paid to TANAPA per person per day and make up a large share of what any climb costs, which is why very cheap offers should make you ask questions. The rest covers the crew, food, camping gear or hut fees, transfers, the operator's margin and safety kit. Luxury, budget and mid-range climbs differ mainly in crew size, equipment quality and comfort, not in the mountain.

Every package on this site shows its starting price per person, and the cost page explains what changes it. See also park fees.

Kilimanjaro rewards fitness but not extreme fitness. What matters most is being able to walk for six to eight hours a day, several days in a row, carrying a small pack. Start training at least two or three months out. Hills, long walks with a loaded bag, and stairs are all good.

Break in your boots, practise with your poles and sleep out in your bag at home if you can. Do a long walk the weekend before you fly to check nothing rubs.

It starts around midnight, in the dark, usually below freezing. You walk slowly up a steep scree path by head torch. At the crater rim you reach Stella Point or Gillman's Point, depending on the route, and the sun usually rises around then. The highest point, Uhuru Peak, is a further walk along the rim.

Most people find it the hardest physical thing they have done. Keep your water from freezing, eat something sweet, move at the pace of the slowest person, and do not stay long at the top. Then you go all the way down.

Boots, a good waterproof jacket, a warm layer for camp, a hat and gloves for summit night, a head torch and a sleeping bag rated well below zero are non-negotiable. Our list is in packing for Kilimanjaro. Gear can often be hired in Moshi; ask when you book.

Many people climb first and then rest. Climb first, safari second is the usual order, so your legs recover in a vehicle. A beach week on Zanzibar after a summit is the classic reward. Mount Meru, near Arusha, is a good warm-up before the big mountain; see Mount Meru. The combination trips page shows sample sequences.