Overview
Kilimanjaro rises alone above the plains, and you can climb it without technical skills. Lower slopes offer waterfall walks, coffee farms and the Shira Plateau day hike for those not going to the top.
Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain and the world’s highest free-standing mountain. Climbers pass through five climate zones: farmland, rainforest, heath and moorland, alpine desert and the arctic summit zone.
You do not have to climb to the top to enjoy it. A day hike into the rainforest, for example to the first camp on the Marangu Route, is a good way to see the mountain and its colobus monkeys.
Highlights
- Uhuru Peak, the Roof of Africa
- Six climbing routes
- Materuni waterfall and coffee farms
- Shira Plateau day hike
Things to do here
Wildlife to look for
- Blue monkey
- Colobus monkey
- Bushbuck
- Turaco
- Raven
Good to know
Best time to visit
Jan – mid-Mar, Jun – Oct
Getting there
Gates are 1–2 hours from Moshi and Arusha; Kilimanjaro Airport is close by.
Where to stay
Hotels in Moshi or Arusha before and after a climb; mountain camps or huts on the route.
How long to stay
6–8 days to climb
Key facts
- UNESCO
- World Heritage Site since 1987
- Summit
- Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m
- Climate zones
- Cultivation, rainforest, heath and moorland, alpine desert, arctic summit
- Routes
- Machame, Lemosho, Marangu, Rongai, Shira, Umbwe
Seasons
Main climbing seasons
January – mid-March and June – October, the driest months.
Rainy months
April, May and November are wetter; the Rongai Route is usually the driest choice.
Practical tips
- Choose a route with at least seven days to give your body time to acclimatise.
- Bring warm layers: summit night is well below freezing.
Questions about Kilimanjaro National Park
Jan – mid-Mar, Jun – Oct.
Itineraries visiting Kilimanjaro National Park
More places nearby
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