Mount Kilimanjaro
Climbing Tours

We have a policy never to run trips less than seven days because it’s too dangerous to try and go to nearly 6000 metres in any less time. Of course, probability will always dictate that some people do, but on the whole those people suffer more and are putting their health at risk from potential altitude sickness. It’s better and far more fun to take a minimum seven days and enjoy the experience. Some trips are eight days which is even better.

But to climb Kilimanjaro is expensive nowadays, the cost per day for a permit is over USD$100.00 so there is an incentive to try and climb the mountain faster. Given the time you could acclimatise on Mount Meru or even Mount Kenya first, but the majority arrive into Moshi airport and go straight up Kilimanjaro. All of the major guiding organisations like the UIAA recommend no less than seven days. Over several decades our experience shows that the success rate is about 95% for a seven day trip.

If you add in a rest day at the beginning and travel days then the time to climb Kilimanjaro is ten days. Most people opt for a a short four day safari to Ngorongoro Crater and two other parks in order to end up with a two week holiday which can be spread over two weekends.

Expect warm early days to be 18 – 20 degrees Celsius, cooler days up higher around 14 degrees C and summit day to be as cold as minus 5 with a windchill of minus 15 degrees C. The mountain doesn’t experience a wide temperature range from season to season, so it’s much the same throughout the year. However, temperatures are determined by the altitude and the time of the day.

It can be wet and cold, hot and dry and sunny all in one day, and don’t forget the intensity of the sun at altitude means it’s important to protect your skin and eyes. The rainforest ( also known as cloud forest or montane at this altitude) around the base is warm and humid, the moorland and alpine desert is drier and cooler, while the arctic zone is of course very cold with snow and strong winds.

High mountains create their own micro-climates, which are areas in which the climate differs from the prevailing – or main – climate. On Kilimanjaro this is a common feature; it has several micro-climates from hot at the bottom to freezing arctic at the summit. The flow of air masses over Kilimanjaro influences these micro-climates which causes wet (or snowy) weather on one side and a dry, clear climate on the other. Machame is on the wetter side, while Rongai is on the drier side.

A full breakdown of Kilimanjaro trip inclusions and exclusions is on each route page but as an average the Machame route cost is around 1895.00 GBP for a fully guided trip. Other routes are a little more expensive because the transport to the gate is farther away.

Additionally you will need a flight to Kilimanjaro airport near Arusha in Tanzania, a visa which you can buy on arrival, travel insurance, and personal expenses like meals in Moshi, kit rental and tips.

You need to bring your own personal clothing and sleeping bag but we have a store with most items for rent. Sleeping bags, poles, waterproofs, flasks, duffle bags and so on are all available.

Tips generally come to 80.00GBP per visitor and this is given in local currency to Castro at the end of the climb.

In total a climb of Kilimanjaro will cost around 2650.00GBP.

The terrain on Kilimanjaro varies during a period of seven or eight days and the days vary in terms of hardness. You are traversing the mountain over about 38 miles, ascending from 2000m to 5895m and back down, passing through cultivated farmland, equatorial forest and alpine heath, across a lunar-like volcanic desert and up to a glaciated summit. It is not a technical climb and there are no precipitous drops along the way, no rock climbing or specialist equipment needed, but it is high! And the weather and temperature variance will make it tiring on your body.

The paths are in good condition and well trodden; some are steeper than others (in particular the Great Barranco Wall is an exciting scramble) but obviously they all get harder as you go higher. You will pant more easily, your muscles will feel more tired having had to work in an atmosphere with less oxygen, you will need more calories for the energy needed and a combination of the hot sun (and strong UV) and cold nights will drain you too. The trick is to eat well, drink lots, sleep well and go slowly. It sounds easy but people lose their appetite, forget to drink 3 litres a day, find they don’t sleep so deeply at altitude and often race ahead. A guide’s job is most commonly advising people continually on these four main tenets in order to give yourself the best chance of getting up and down safely.

On summit day the path is mostly scree and loose rock and dust and patches of ice and snow. In the early hours of the night the ground is hard so it’s quite easy, which is one of the reasons we climb at night, but as the sun comes up the terrain becomes loose and slippery, especially on the descent when your knees will probably suffer. Summit night is a long night, leaving at midnight to climb nearly 1300 metres to the top for dawn, and then all the way back down to the forest line in one day. Most people are really exhausted, but also elated by the experience and the magnitude of the challenge. If you have ascended in the cold and wind and snow then there’s no doubting that it’s a big challenging day. And at just under 6000 metres it is similar to the height of camp 1 on Mount Everest.

Kilimanjaro is non-technical but it does offer a full mountaineering experience. Experience in hill walking is a benefit but not absolutely necessary, since this is a supported climb. You will have however be outdoors constantly and living in tents so any sort of experience with camping will be useful and a good level of training is expected, especially on the thigh and calf muscles.

It is not necessary to have any experience of high altitude to climb Kilimanjaro, and there is nowhere in the United Kingdom or Ireland to possibly train for it. The important factor will be to go slowly and allow your metabolism to adapt to the lower air pressure and the thinner air, and be aware of altitude health at all times.

For most people the key moments on this trip are those hours on summit night in the dark when the hours seem to stretch ahead of you and the giant black bulk of the mountain never seems to get any smaller. This is really where character and teamwork come into play, and in this respect experience can take a back seat to just the fundamental will power and collective spirit to summit. Many people find this process quite transformative, it is inevitably a very personal experience to dig deep within yourself at over 5000 metres and push onwards and upwards. These are moments in Life which are life changing.

The staff will carry your main bag plus all the tents, kitchen equipment, food, fuel, tables and chairs. They will cater for all the group needs, providing excellent meals and putting up the tents. The guides will also brief you daily on the climb and they will assist you all the way to the summit and back down again. They have been working for us since 2001 and are fully trained and very experienced.

Castro Capelo is our operations manager in Moshi and Director of Adventure Alternative Tanzania. He organises all the staff, equipment, permits and hotel arrangements. He is the main link between you and the UK office. He talks to the guides every day on the mountain and can make arrangements while you are up high. You also have continued support from the main office in Northern Ireland. Should a problem arise of significant proportion then you only need to call us.