Kilimanjaro FAQs

You will require vaccinations for your trip. All travellers should visit either their personal physician or a travel health clinic about 3 months before departure. Ask your doctor about vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis. The following vaccinations are normally recommended for Tanzania: Yellow Fever, Hepatitis A, Tetanus, Typhoid, Rabies, Polio, Malaria (prophylaxis), and COVID-19.

Please check with the relevant Embassy in your country for up-to-date visa and passport information. Make sure your passport is not going to expire within six months of your trip (i.e., if your trip is in September, make sure your passport is valid until at least March of the following year) and that it has at least 3 clear pages. You can obtain your visa online at https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa/ or at the point of entry (airport/border/).

The time taken to clear immigration is roughly the same, regardless of whether you already have your visa. The cost of most tourist visas is U$D 50 per person and U$D 100 for American citizens, to be paid in cash.

No, you don’t need to be an athlete or have experience with technical mountaineering, but you do need to be active, committed to training, and ready for a challenge! The trails can be very steep at points.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro necessitates adequate physical preparation. Therefore, it is imperative to undertake a Kilimanjaro training program to ensure that you are well-prepared.

To fully enjoy your hiking and camping experience, it's important to prioritize physical fitness. Well-conditioned legs can make walking uphill and downhill for extended periods much easier, while a high level of aerobic fitness can help your body function more efficiently with less oxygen. Additionally, a well-toned body is better equipped to handle the stresses of consecutive days of hiking and camping. And don't forget about the power of positivity - maintaining a positive mental attitude can do wonders for you when you're faced with fatigue and doubts.

Yes, the main advantages of Climbing Kilimanjaro Solo are that you have total control over your route and walking pace and that there is no risk of having to abort a summit because a fellow hiker succumbs to altitude sickness or wants to turn back. The disadvantages are that the price per person will be relatively high since many of the logistical costs of putting together a Kilimanjaro climb are not significantly dependent on the size of the party. Bearing in mind that many guides and porters speak limited English, it might also be a rather lonely few days.

Going on a solo Kilimanjaro climb is possible, provided you have a guide and a few porters to assist you. However, you cannot climb Mount Kilimanjaro alone without any assistance as it is illegal to go up Mount Kilimanjaro alone.

We recommend arriving at least one day early to give your body time to adjust to any time difference and recuperate from the journey. It also gives you a buffer in case a flight is canceled or delayed or bags are lost or delayed.

This is one of the most general questions we get every day. On average, it takes five to nine days for a person with average fitness to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. At the same time, remember that the more days you spend on Kilimanjaro, the safer and more comfortable your Climbing experiences will be.

Climbing programs of 7/8/9-day duration via Lemosho, Machame, and Rongai routes are the best choice for everyone because of the following reasons:

Longer packages mean more time for your body to get accustomed to the abnormal altitudes of Kilimanjaro. Longer climbing packages feature the right profile for overnight camping - the camps are located at somewhat lower altitudes than your daily Kilimanjaro Climbing Routes. It is especially important for a smooth and successful acclimatization transition.

High, higher, Kilimanjaro height! Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. And while it’s ‘only’ 236th on the list of highest mountains in the world, there’s quite a lot to say when it comes to Mount Kilimanjaro’s height.

The highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing peak in the world, Mount Kilimanjaro soars to 5,895 m / 19,340 feet) above sea level. Towering over the plains, the mountain’s three peaks are covered with a variety of vegetation, from the rainforests of the lower slopes to the alpine vegetation that occurs just below the peaks of the glaciers.

Mt Kilimanjaro has four base camps or high camps

• Kibo Hut/Camp (4,700 meters/15,4196 feet): Kibo base camp is used by hikers on the Marangu and Rongai routes. It follows a slightly steeper and longer path up the slopes of Kibo to the sub-summit, Gilman’s Point (5,685 meters/18,651 feet).    

• Barafu Camp (4,670 meters/15,321 feet): Barafu base camp is used by hikers on the Machame, Lemosho, and Umbwe routes. It follows a zigzag route up the slopes of Kibo to the sub-summit, Stella Point (5,739 meters/ 18,829 feet).
• Arrow Glacier Camp (4,903 meters/16,086 feet):hikers use the Arrow base camp on the western breach routes. It follows a rock and steeper and shorter path up the slopes of Kibo’s volcanic crater to the sub-summit, Crater Camp (5,800 meters/19.029 feet).
• Crater camp (5,800 meters/19,029 feet): Crater base camp is the highest camp on Mount Kilimanjaro and is situated in Kibo’s volcanic crater. Due to its altitude, one needs to properly acclimatize before sleeping at crater camp.

The overall Kilimanjaro Routes Success Rate is 70-85%. But this hugely varies depending on the climbing route. Kilimanjaro Success Ratings – Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing offers a true Adventure Experience during Your Tanzania Tours. Around 30,000 – 40,000 Travelers Climb to the Summit Every Year, but it is not an easy task.

It makes sense to plan your climbing adventure with summit success rates in mind, but it is also important to understand what “Kilimanjaro Success Rate” means in the context of a mountain, especially Kilimanjaro.

The success rate is not the only factor to consider when choosing a route on Kilimanjaro, but it is a very important one! However, a success rate on a route should be considered alongside climbing experience, previous acclimatization, and fitness level of climbers, all of which Kilele climb discusses in this article.

You can rest assured that with all of our treks, the aim is to maximize your chances of making it to the top with great care. We will carefully monitor your hiking speed, provide sufficient food and rest, and keep a close eye on your physical health to increase your chances of success. In addition, we offer several different routes to maximize your chances of reaching the Roof of Africa.

That said, the ambition for all treks is to make sure that all trekkers fulfill their potential – which does not necessarily mean reaching the summit. We will not jeopardize the health of anybody just so that we can say that all trekkers who booked through us have reached the top. We want you to enjoy your trek, to have a fantastic experience, and to love the mountain almost as much as we do. And we want you to feel that you have done the best you can. But above all else, we want you to be safe. Everything else is of secondary importance. So, if it is felt that you are not fit or well enough to reach the summit, you will not be allowed to try.

So, you've decided to take on the challenge of tackling Africa's highest peak? Next, you need to think about the best time to climb Kilimanjaro in terms of weather, trekking conditions, and popularity.

Kilele Climb suggests climbing Kilimanjaro in January-February or August-September when warmer temperatures and clear skies are most likely. But these are also the most crowded months. Climbing in March or October, just before each of the two rainy seasons, is the best hedge to avoid both crowds and foul weather.

Mt Kilimanjaro has four base camps or high camps

• Kibo Hut/Camp (4,700 meters/15,4196 feet): Kibo base camp is used by hikers on the Marangu and Rongai routes. It follows a slightly steeper and longer path up the slopes of Kibo to the sub-summit, Gilman’s Point (5,685 meters/18,651 feet).    

• Barafu Camp (4,670 meters/15,321 feet): Barafu base camp is used by hikers on the Machame, Lemosho, and Umbwe routes. It follows a zigzag route up the slopes of Kibo to the sub-summit, Stella Point (5,739 meters/ 18,829 feet).
• Arrow Glacier Camp (4,903 meters/16,086 feet):hikers use the Arrow base camp on the western breach routes. It follows a rock and steeper and shorter path up the slopes of Kibo’s volcanic crater to the sub-summit, Crater Camp (5,800 meters/19.029 feet).
• Crater camp (5,800 meters/19,029 feet): Crater base camp is the highest camp on Mount Kilimanjaro and is situated in Kibo’s volcanic crater. Due to its altitude, one needs to properly acclimatize before sleeping at crater camp.