Kilimanjaro
This legendary peak is located in the heart of Kilimanjaro National Park and awaits you from the height of its 5,985 meters.
Kilimanjaro is not only the African’s tallest mountain and one of the highest volcanoes (to be precise, a dormant stratovolcano) in the world. It’s world’s tallest free-standing mountain.
It offers an array of very diverse habitats ranging from cultivated fields of the farms, lush montane forests and an alpine desert to a magnificent lunar landscape that leads to the twin peaks of Kibo and Mawenzi. The third volcanic cone, the Shira, is located on the western side.
Kilimanjaro is also one of Seven Summits on the planet. Climbing them all is now considered an important accomplishment.
Kilimanjaro: trekking
The climb to Uhuru Peak ranges from 5 to 8-9 days depending on the chosen route. The options to get to the top are diverse and you can choose from the most popular routes such as the Machame or the Marangu to the least traveled ones such as the Lemosho Route.
Be aware that you don’t need to be a climber or an athlete to climb Kilimanjaro but you shall be in good physical shape. Additionally, resilience and endurance will be the keys if you wish to meet the daily 4-6 hours climbs and setting off in the very early hours to reach the top within 12-14 hours.
You will sleep in double tents with the exception of the Marangu Route which provides overnight stays in huts, just like the ones provided at Mount Meru.
Although thousands of hikers reach Uhuru Peak without major hurdles, many don’t succeed.
The most common causes are altitude sickness, cold and poor physical conditions.
The altitude plays a fundamental role in this climb and this is why all our programs. Compared to the “standard” ones, they are designed with an extra day of stay to allow the bodies to acclimatise to the altitude and, thus, significantly increase the chances of reaching the top.
When to go and what to bring
The best time for trekking is between the end of June and the middle of October and, although it is possible to climb Kilimanjaro all year round, we do not recommend doing it in the period from March to June due to the heavy rains that make the paths slippery, increasing the difficulty even more.
Since the weather is often cold and it rains frequently, it’s advised to bring warm, waterproof clothing and good equipment.
For any information you can check our guide.
Programs
All our programs include the pick up and drop off at the end at Kilimanjaro airport (or Arusha if you arrive with an internal flight for example from Zanzibar), overnight stay on the first and last night in a preselected lodge in Arusha or Moshi. Last but not least, all meals are included in the program so that you will enjoy home-made dishes by our chef as well as benefit from a team of porters and guides.
Kilimanjaro trekking is also possible in combination with a safari or a beach holiday. In this case, we recommend trekking first and then continuing to the parks of the North or the islands of the Zanzibar archipelago.
Marangu Route
Also known as the “Coca-Cola Route”, it is the most popular and well-known route to reach the top of Kilimanjaro. Additionally, it is also the only one that provides overnight stays in huts.
Machame Route
It is one of the most beautiful routes towards the top of Kilimanjaro. It includes sleeping at an altitude lower than the one reached during the day, thus increasing the chances of reaching the top.
Rongai Route
It is the only route that approaches Kilimanjaro from the north-eastern side which still experiences low crowds. The tour departs near the Kenya border and offers breathtaking and impressive views of the African savannah and rugged Mawenzi.
Lemosho Route
It approaches Kilimanjaro from the west. The first two days are spent trekking through the rain forest and from the third day you will follow the Machame route.
Northern Circuit Route
It is the longest but also one of the most scenic on Kilimanjaro offering a 360 degrees tour of splendid scenery including the most remote and least visited Northern slopes.
