MOUNT KILIMANJARO CLIMBING

Overview

At the height of 5,895 meters, Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, invites all adventure enthusiasts. Located in Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro National Park, its snow-capped summit dominates the landscape year-round.
Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing offers diverse beauty, from lush rainforests to the otherworldly Shira Plateau.
The good news? Technical skills aren’t required, but fitness is key. Local guides lead the way, maximizing your summit chances. Porters handle luggage, letting you focus on the experience.

Embrace the challenge. Kilimanjaro awaits.

Weather, Seasons & Timing

The best times to climb regarding to the weather (avoiding rain) is from January to early March, and June to mid-October. There’s a long, dry winter and a green season with two rainy periods at each end. December, January, February and March are the warmest months, with clear mornings and evenings, and clouds during the day that occlude the summit in the early afternoon hours.

The predictable patterns of weather make it a good time to climb. The main rain season lasts from beginning of April to early June. At this time, dense cloud formations are massed over the mountain reducing visibility, and you can expect frequent snowstorms on the summit and heavy rains on the lower slopes. The longest and driest season runs from mid-June to mid-October. During this time it can be very cold at night.

During Kilimanjaro’s “winter,” there is a persistent dripping belt of clouds girdling the whole mountain above the forests and the moorland contour. Leaving the summit a few other distant peaks poking through. Above the clouds it is usually clear and dry, and thus is one of the best times to plan the trek. In late October, it finally rains, and until the middle of December, the mountain is shrouded in heavy clouds, with persistent showers from the base to the summit.

The best months to ascend the mountain are January, February, March, June, July, August, September and early October. Avoid climbing during the heavy rain season between April and May, and November (the short rains) if you can.

Choosing a Kilimanjaro route

There are a few route choices to climb Kilimanjaro. The standard itineraries range from 5 days to 9 days. Of the routes, Marangu route is different from the others. There the overnights are spent in dormitory style huts with solar power. All other routes are camping routes. It is the least expensive and shortest route. It is not as scenic as the other routes though and does not offer very good acclimatization since it is a short climb. It is the only route where the ascent and descent follow the same path.

The most popular routes are Machame route and Lemosho route. A few years ago Lemosho was known as a little used route, now it is our most requested route. Both these routes offer great acclimatization and are scenic.

Umbwe route is the most difficult route and does not offer very good acclimatization but is sought after by some experienced climbers as the biggest challenge. It is not recommended for the average climber.

Rongai route is a lesser used route but quite scenic. Many people think of it as the easiest route on the mountain. It is a good route choice during wet months (March, April, May, November) since the north side of the mountain does not receive as much precipitation.

Northern Circuit route is not yet an official route but an excellent choice for a climb, it offers very good acclimatization.

The Mweka route is used for descent only. It is used by Machame, Lemosho, Umbwe and Northern Circuit for the descent. Rongai and Marangu routes descend along the Marangu route (note that although huts are present on the Marangu route, those descending from the Rongai route will still have overnights in tents.)