Kilimanjaro Climbs

Keen on conquering the 19,500ft snow-capped peaks of Kilimanjaro during your Tanzania safari holiday? We arrange private and group ascents and only work with climb operators who agree to our own porter policy.

There are few experiences quite like reaching the peak of a mountain and taking in the view, and the sense of satisfaction from the effort of getting yourself to the top is huge, especially when it is the highest mountain on the African continent.

Named ‘the roof of Africa’ the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in the world where it’s possible to summit without any technical mountaineering skills. This makes it a popular destination for trekkers and those who wish to tick it off their bucket list.

Yet climbing Kilimanjaro is still a challenging trek and not for the faint of heart. Nevertheless the rewards are worth it, with the ‘push’ to the summit giving the most breathtaking views overlooking the vastness of Africa as dawn breaks. The sense of achievement and memories of the trek will last a lifetime.

At Far & Wild Travel we use only the most reputable climbing companies who take their responsibilities towards client safety, environmental impact, and the working conditions of guides and porters very seriously.

Best time of year to climb Kilimanjaro?

Kilimanjaro can be climbed throughout the year, but the best times are January and February, and from July to October. The mountain has the same weather as the rest of northern Tanzania, which means short rains in November and long rains in April, May and early June.

Best routes for Kilimanjaro trekking?

There are a number of different routes that vary in difficulty and length. It is recommended that routes are no shorter than six days in order to minimise the significant dangers of altitude sickness, which affect even the fittest of people.

Marangu Route

This is the most popular route, and is sometimes called the 'tourist or Coca Cola route'. The Marangu Route is also the cheapest and depending on how many days you take to do the climb, generally regarded as the easiest. However, the final night walk to the summit is about an hour longer on this route. This trail is usually climbed over six days, but can be done in five. The climb is a total of 34 kilometres in each direction and hut accommodation is available at all the stops. Bottled water and soft drinks are available at each of the overnight stops. The main drawback of this route is the heavy volume of other climbers.

Machame Route

Rated by many as the most scenic trail, the Machame Route usually takes six days although many people choose to take a day longer to allow time to acclimatise. The majority of our private and group climbs are on this route. Sections of this trek are steeper and more physically challenging than the Marangu route, but this is compensated by longer periods for acclimatisation. Nights are usually spent in tent accommodation at set camping areas along the route. The downside of this route, and all other routes, is that it is more expensive when compared to the Marangu route.

Mweka Route

This route is the steepest and fastest route to the summit. We do not recommend the Mweka route for ascending the mountain, and apart from the demanding nature of the climb, the camps en route are very basic. It is however, often used as a descent by climbers who have ascended the Shira and Machame routes.

Shira Route

The Shira route is a popular longer climb, and scenically is superb. Although technically speaking it could be climbed in five nights, almost all trips are run with either six or seven nights on the mountain. The route requires access to the national park via the Londorossi Glades Park Gate on the western side of the mountain, and once you reach the Shira hut, the route taken is the same as the Machame route. The descent is usually by the Mweka route.

Umbwe Route

This is a much less utilized route. Those who know it argue this is the most beautiful route to ascend Kilimanjaro, however it is much shorter than the other routes, and much steeper meaning there can be less time to acclimatize. A variation of the Umbwe route can be taken to replicate the route taken by the IMAX team filming the mountain. This route is worth considering, but only with an itinerary that allows good acclimatisation time.

Rongai Route

The Rongai Route is fast gaining in popularity and is considered to be one of the easiest routes up the mountain. It is the only route starting from the north side of the mountain at Rongai, a small village close to the Kenya border. The climbing conditions are drier on the northern side of the mountain and there are spectacular sweeping views over the broad flat Maasai lands. Overnights are spent camping in tents. The summit is reached via the east side of Kibo and the descent is via the Marangu route.