5 days · Trek 5-Day Marangu Route Kilimanjaro Climb
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania · extreme
5 day Marangu Route Kilimanjaro climb on the Coca-Cola Route. Hut accommodation, expert guides and all fees.
From, per person
$1,250
Planning
Best time to climb Kilimanjaro
Months, not a single week.
Photo: Squirrel_photos / Pixabay
Climbs run through the year. Drier months are busier. Open the month pages and the route packages before you pick a date.
There is no single best week
Kilimanjaro is climbed in every month. The mountain has two wetter periods, roughly March to May and around November, and drier stretches between them. Rain is more common in the forest. The summit night is cold in every month.
Drier months are busier on the popular routes. A quieter month can mean more mud on the lower trail and the same altitude above the forest. The day list does not change with the calendar. The weather does.
Pick the trip, then the date
Choose the route and the number of days first. Then look at the departures on that package. A month page on this site only points you back to those trips.
Safari timing is a separate question. The migration moves between the Serengeti and Kenya. A climb date and a safari date do not have to be the same month. Book them as the products they are.
Read more on this
Guide · 2 min
Kilimanjaro in January vs July: Which Month Gives You the Best Summit Chance
When is the best time to climb Kilimanjaro? January vs July, peak vs low season, success rates by month. Complete seasonal guide with price tips.
Guide · 3 min
How Much Does It Cost to Climb Kilimanjaro in 2026: Complete Price Breakdown
What does climbing Kilimanjaro actually cost in 2026? Real park fees, guide/porter wages and operator margins: the honest price breakdown.
Guide · 3 min
Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro: The Definitive Itinerary, Trail Guide and Why It's the Best Route
Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro guide: itinerary options, Shira Plateau, the 7 vs 8-day choice and a comparison with Machame.
Questions that come next
- Many people reach the top in their forties, fifties and sixties, and plenty are not athletes. What decides it is time and preparation, not youth: choose a long route (seven or eight days), train with hills and long loaded walks for at least two or three months, and walk slowly on the mountain. If you have a heart, lung or blood-pressure condition, see your doctor before you book.
- Climbers who write trip reports often say the eighth day made summit night feel more manageable, because you spend an extra night near 4,000 m. If you are nervous about altitude, are older, or have spare days, take the eight. If you are fit, have recent altitude experience and are short of time, seven works.
- It helps. Around a full moon the trail is visible without a head torch for much of the climb, and it feels less lonely and less cold. It also means more people choose those dates, so book earlier. Check the moon calendar for your month; you can still summit on a dark night with a good head torch.
- Tips are a normal and important part of crew income. Guides, cooks and porters are tipped in a pooled way at the end of the climb, in local or US currency, with the group present. Ask your operator for their written tipping guideline before you go, so you can budget; see our tipping guide.
- You cannot walk the mountain without a licensed guide, but you can book as one person and still have a full crew. Whether you join a group depends on whether other climbers are going on your dates; ask us and we confirm before you pay. See group climbs.
Plan with us
Tell us your dates, we reply with a plan
Open a trip
5 days · Trek 
6 days · Trek 6-Day Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro Climb
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania · extreme
6 day Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro climb via Shira Plateau, Lava Tower and Barranco Wall to Uhuru Peak.
From, per person
$1,700
6 days · Trek 6-Day Machame Route Kilimanjaro Climb
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania · extreme
6 day Machame Route Kilimanjaro climb via the classic Whiskey Route. Full camping, expert guides and park fees.
From, per person
$1,600
6 days · Trek 6-Day Umbwe Route Kilimanjaro Climb
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania · extreme
Umbwe Route Kilimanjaro: the steepest, most direct 6-day climb for fit, experienced trekkers. Honest difficulty rating before you book.
From, per person
$1,600
