Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing Tours

The Kilimanjaro Experience

Dominating the landscape like no other mountain, iconic and instantly recognisable, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the highest peak in Africa and the world's tallest freestanding mountain at 5895 metres. To climb Kilimanjaro is a great challenge and entirely feasible for the active traveller or keen walker looking for something new. In a matter of days you’ll climb Kilimanjaro from the hot plains of Africa through grasslands, tropical rain forest, alpine meadows, moorlands and desert uplands onto snow and ice.

As one of the premier Mount Kilimanjaro tour operators, we have regular climbs on four of the main routes:

• Trekking Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame route in 7 days is our preferred route as it offers excellent acclimatisation and views.
• The Lemosho route, is the same as the Machame route after the second camp (Shira Plateau), but gives an extra day on the mountain.
• Or there is the Rongai route, which approaches from the north of the mountain and is a less travelled option. It's also good during the rainy season as it's more sheltered.
• Or for those who have a bit of time we also have climbs via the 9 day Northern Circuit route.

We also organise lots of climbs for charities, walking clubs and groups too. Contact us for your Private Kilimanjaro Trek or join one of the open trips to meet like minded individuals. On the route pages below you will find alongside itineraries, altitude profiles, kit lists and pictures, as well as a host of information pages to help you decide and prepare. Call the office and chat to people who have been up the mountain many times and can offer proper advice.

 Kilimanjaro Route Map

Click the image above to explore Kilimanjaro in Google Earth

Experienced Kilimanjaro Tour Operator

We’re a company run by mountaineers so you’ll find safe itineraries, safety measures and training for all our staff. Our office crew are outdoors people with a wealth of experience on Kilimanjaro, and they also remember what it’s like to dream of a climb to the roof of Africa! They can answer your questions and help put the whole trip into perspective. So don’t be afraid to call us for a chat or drop us an email with any questions.

We've been running trips to Kilimanjaro since 1991 when company founder Gavin was living in Nairobi and guiding on this mountain and Mount Kenya, and using the proceeds to fund his fledgling charity Moving Mountains. After some time he employed his friend and local guide Castro to start our own company in Moshi called Adventure Alternative Tanzania and three decades later we still work together.

Our local guides are really lovely people who are qualified and very experienced. For many years we've been taking groups from all over the world up Kilimanjaro, including Irish and UK walking clubs, schools and universities and even record breakers to the summit. We have to date had five clients propose to their loved one on reaching the summit, taken the youngest British person to the summit and our Kilimanjaro acclimatisation programme has given us an average 95% success rate to reach the highest point in Africa. 

Facts about Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro translates to “mountain of the springs” and its unique position just below the equator offers an opportunity to experience five different habitats from bottom to top, which makes an ascent of the mountain undeniably special. In a matter of days you’ll climb Kilimanjaro from the equator to what feels like the Arctic, moving through grasslands, tropical rainforest, alpine meadows, moorlands and desert uplands to snow and ice.

One of the most commonly asked questions we get is What to Wear on Kilimanjaro? It's really important that you look at our Kilimanjaro Kit List but be assured that you don't need to spend a fortune on kit when you can rent sleeping bags, trekking poles and many other items from us. In the more information section on this site you will also find details on Kilimanjaro Trip Preparation.

Fitness and Altitude Sickness on Kilimanjaro

No doubt the trek is challenging and you are going to extreme altitude, however, the pace is slow due to going to altitude, which often surprises people, but it's essential for a safe and successful ascent. We have a page on training for Kilimanjaro but generally we would recommend practising by hiking on the hills with a backpack on for at least several months prior to the trip.

When you start to look at altitude and altitude sickness and what it can do to your body, people do get concerned, however our policy of taking a minimum of seven days allows you to acclimatise well. There are also info pages about health and altitudes effects on your body and acclimatising safely, plus details about whether you should use the altitude drug Diamox on Kilimanjaro.

Sunrise on summit day looking down from the edge of the main crater rim, to the lower summit of Mawenzi Peak

 Best time to Climb Kilimanjaro?

The main seasons are traditionally December to March and June to October with temperatures in Moshi averaging 22 degrees C and summit temperatures around - 7 degrees C. The rains are in April, May and November but nowadays climate change has changed this pattern so sometimes the rains come earlier or later. During the rains we run our Rongai climbs as the northern side of the mountain is more sheltered. 

A full moon climb of Kilimanjaro, or indeed a new moon climb, is often a popular time to climb. Summit night can be spent walking under the light of a full silvery moon so that you don't even need a headtorch; or, since Kilimanjaro is situated on the equator, under a full sky of both north and south constellations. In fact from high up on the peak you can see the North Star and the Southern Cross in the same sky. If you want to avoid the busier nights on a full moon then we recommend that you offset your summit night. There can be no doubt that on certain nights the summit route can be very busy with a lot of people leaving camp at the same time and initially creating a bottleneck. These groups spread out fairly quickly though. 

Other notable dates:
Valentines Day Summit: Arrive Tanzania on the 7th Feb 
New Years Eve / Day Summit: Arrive Tanzania on the 25th Dec

Check out our more detailed guide on the best time to climb Mount Kilimanjaro here.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Weather like on Kilimanjaro?

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.

Why choose us as your Kilimanjaro Tour Operator?

We're now in third decade guiding on Kilimanjaro and run our own company in Tanzania which is based in Moshi at the foot of Kilimanjaro called Adventure Alternative Tanzania and our dedicated team provide an excellent service.

• We are a mountain company run by mountaineers, established since 2001
• We take safety on Kilimanjaro seriously and our staff are trained to deal properly with emergencies
• We have a 95% success rate to the summit because of a seven day minimum policy which assists proper acclimatisation
• All our guides are personally trained by Gavin Bate, company director and IML with over twenty years of experience guiding trips to the Greater Ranges. He has guided Kilimanjaro 59 times and still counting.
• We do not outsource our trips, we invest in our staff directly.
• All the staff in our UK office have climbed Kilimanjaro so you can chat to people who understand what it is like to go up for the first time, before you go. We spend time on the phone and we are happy to make personal visits to meet groups or individuals where possible. We provide all the Kilimanjaro facts, under the gloss!
• We are passionate about responsible tourism and our company supports sustainable development in Tanzania and Kenya in a real way. We have won the World Responsible Tourism Awards twice now.
• Our guides carry oxygen bottles and masks, a portable stretcher, altitude first aid a mountain shelter on every trip and they are qualified to UK outdoor first aid certification.
• We provide in depth information during the trip on altitude acclimatisation, diet, descent procedures and using altitude drugs. These documents are put on the table every day for common use.

Kilimanjaro Camps

Lemosho Route Camps

View our Lemosho Route trek here.

Machame Route Camps

View our Machame Route trek here.

Rongai Route Camps

View our Rongai Route trek here.

Kilimanjaro Books and Maps

Kilimanjaro Region Guides

Maps

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