Mount Kilimanjaro
Climbing Tours
Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing Tours
Speak to a Mount Kilimanjaro Expert
Gavin started Adventure Alternative in 1991 during a long period of travelling, working in a wide variety of jobs, climbing mountains and organising expeditions. A solo trek across the Sahara Desert aged twenty one was a benchmark experience after which travel and adventurous exploits became a way of life.
Born in Kent, Gavin left his home at aged fifteen to attend secondary school in Western Australia. He then moved to Northern Ireland to study English Literature at University and...
The Kilimanjaro Experience
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.
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.
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.
Month | 2022 New Moon | 2022 Full Moon | 2023 New Moon | 2023 Full Moon |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jan | 2 | 17 | 21 | 6 |
Feb | 1 | 16 | 20 | 5 |
March | 2 | 18 | 21 | 7 |
April | 1 & 30th | 16 | 19 | 5 |
May | 30 | 16 | 19 | 5 |
June | 29 | 14 | 17 | 3 |
July | 28 | 13 | 17 | 3 |
Aug | 27 | 12 | 16 | 1 & 30 |
Sept | 26 | 10 | 14 | 29 |
Oct | 25 | 9 | 14 | 28 |
Nov | 24 | 8 | 13 | 27 |
Dec | 23 | 7 | 12 | 26 |
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.
Kilimanjaro Books And Maps
Kilimanjaro Region Guides
Kilimanjaro Trekker’s Guide, Cicerone | ISBN-10: 1852844132, ISBN-13: 978-1852844134 |
Kilimanjaro, Trailblazer Publications | ISBN-10: 1905864248, ISBN-13: 978-1905864249 |
Kilimanjaro & East Africa: A Climbing and Trekking Guide | ISBN-10: 0898866049, ISBN-13: 978-0898866049 |
Kilimanjaro & East Africa: Climbing & Trekking Guide | ISBN-10: 190420743X, ISBN-13: 978-1904207436 |
Trekking in East Africa, Lonely Planet | ISBN-10: 1864502894, ISBN-13: 978-1864502893 |
The Rough Guide to Tanzania | ISBN-10: 1848360754, ISBN-13: 978-1848360754 |
Tanzania, Lonely Planet | ISBN-10: 174104555X, ISBN-13: 978-1741045550 |
The Shadow of Kilimanjaro, Ridgeway, Bloomsbury | ISBN-10: 074758575X, ISBN-13: 978-0747585756 |
The Snows Of Kilimanjaro, Hemingway, Vintage Classics | ISBN-10: 0099460920, ISBN-13: 978-0099460923 |
Seven Summits, Bass, Gramercy Books | ISBN-10: 0517227509, ISBN-13: 978-0517227503 |
Maps
Kilimanjaro, 1:62,500, ITMB Publishing | ISBN-10: 1553415507, ISBN-13: 978-1553415503 |
Kilimanjaro: Map and Guide, 1:75,000/1:30,000 | ISBN: 0906227666 |
Kilimanjaro, 1:80,000, Climbing Map | ISBN 13: 9783952329412 |
Kilimanjaro National Park, 1:125,000 | Maco Editions |
Key Kilimanjaro Information
Kilimanjaro Camps
Frequently Asked Questions
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We’re dedicated to helping you make the most of your next adventure trekking holiday. That’s why we’ve created our travel blog full of in-depth trekking guides, travel inspiration and other fantastic information. Having done all of these climbs many times already, we want to pass on our wealth of trekking wisdom to you.
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