Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Cost and Complete Guide

Mount Kilimanjaro, known as ‘the roof of Africa’ in northern Tanzania is Africa’s highest mountain and thus the continent’s ‘7 summit mountain, Kili is also the world’s highest free-standing mountain and not a technical ascend. It is clear why this mountain is a major destination for mountaineers and trekkers from around the world. In this article we discuss the cost of climbing Kilimanjaro, different route options and recommendations, we give you the itinerary we followed and discuss important points around fitness, altitude sickness, tipping and climbing Kili as a responsible tourist.

Check out our detailed post on what to pack when Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro is often referred to as a long hike or a trek, true it is not technical requiring no special training or equipment and is thus not really a climb, but this is a very special trek. Climbing Kilimanjaro the aim is to climb to Uhuru Peak at 5895m the highest point on the crater rim of the dormant volcano, Kibo and the highest point on the African continent. Kilimanjaro is the ‘7 Summit’ climb in Africa. The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Climbing to the summit of all of them is a serious mountaineering challenge and was only achieved in 1985! We have climbed to both 7 Summits on our home continents, Mt Elbrus in Russia and Kilimanjaro in Africa.

Climbing this dormant volcano with its three cones takes you through five distinct climate zones due to the climate being influenced by the height of the mountain, there is a dramatic change in vegetation going with the change in climate zone which is awesome to witness. The trek starts off in Bushland up to 1800m above sea level taking you through farm lands and forest. The next 1000m elevation gain you walk through a rainforest zone that is really a beautiful tropical jungle up to 2800m above sea-level, from 1200m up to 4000m above sea-level is a stark contrast walking over sparsely vegetated moorland, ascending another 1000m from 4000m to 5000m you hike through the alpine desert zone with very little vegetation and large areas of volcanic rock, the arctic zone to the peak at 5895m above sea level will have you huffing and puffing mesmerized by awesome glaciers on top of this diminishing ice peak. 

How hard is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro?

My opinion is anybody with a relatively good fitness level can do it without special preparation. I was backpacking through Tanzania with no Kilimanjaro plans, with only beach clothes and flip flops I had to rent everything, My fitness level was not too bad and I did it without serious problem.  If you can walk about 20 km (12 miles) a day without any problems for 5 to 10 days in a row, the duration of the hike, you should be physically able to climb Kili. If not, train, the best training for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro will be hiking. The elevation makes it much tougher than walking the same distance at home and makes climbing this beast as much about mental toughness as your physical condition. My experience was that the whole trek was relatively easy until summit night, it is tough, this is proven by the fact that only 60 to 70% of trekkers make it to the summit every year. Everybody comes here motivated after spending a lot of time and money, one third goes home disappointed, it is not easy come prepared.

Summit night Kilimanjaro – all routes end at Kibo hut (4730M) the day before the summit your attempt to reach Uhuru Peak starts at 12am with headlamps. It is a hard 6 or 7 hours slowly climbing to reach the summit for sunrise fighting the exhausting effects of the increasing altitude, then a couple of hours back to your camp for the night.

Climbing Kilimanjaro cost

How much does it cost to climb Kilimanjaro? the average trek price is $2000 to $4000 with many variables, read on for some prices. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is an expensive venture. You can book the trek online or book it with a local company in Tanzania. The best place to look locally for an agency is  Arusha where many tours are sold by touters on the street, hotels and there are plenty of established local tour agencies, here you can ask to meet the crew and look at the gear when booking. Booking a trek online is obviously much easier, no hassles when you arrive, but you will pay more. Most international companies make use of local operators, the advantage is that they tend to use reliable operators and you can go and read reviews by many people that did the climb before.

Book Mt Kilimanjaro Trek in Arusha

Similar to booking online you will find local companies with tours for every style and price range. If you decide to go the local route check that the agency has an in date TALA trekking license and go and read TripAdvisor and Facebook reviews. Booking a trip when arriving in Arusha is probably your cheapest option, with tours starting at about $1400, this is for a 5 day trip on the Marangu route.

Extra trekking costs to keep in mind you should be able to add an acclimatization day for $200.  Gear rental, if you need most things it will be about another $100. Credit card fees are high in Tanzania, be prepared to pay about 5% credit card fees, we ended up paying cash, we had to do more than one withdraw transaction since the amount was large which ended up being almost 5%.

Book Mt Kilimanjaro Trek Online

Mt Kilimanjaro treks are offered online by several local and international companies. I have found treks that you can buy with local companies starting at about $1700. Reputable international companies G-Adventures and Intrepid travel offer several Kilimanjaro treks starting at about $2100 it is possible to combine the trek with their Africa overland truck tours. 

• G-Adventures Climb Kilimanjaro options

Kilimanjaro – responsible travel

Booking it through a company in Arusha the good thing is all the money goes back to the local community, this does not mean the porters or guides are getting paid a decent salary or even 3 meals a day while trekking. Support a company that is a KPAP (Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project) partner. This means that the crew is treated correctly and not exploited. This non-profit association fights  for a minimum wage, 3 meals a day for crew and more. Out of around 900 trekking companies only about 137 are partners meeting the KPAP guidelines for fair/ethical treatment of their crew.

Is your company on this list? Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project partners

Kilimanjaro Tipping 

Tipping is a part of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and you should accept it and work it into your budget, 10% is what is expected, so $200 on a $2000 trek. It is a usually a big crew on the Kilimajaro trek; with 2 porters per person carrying food, tents and your luggage, a cook and guides, we had a crew of 8 for 3 people trekking. The cheaper your trekking company obviously the smaller the pot to be distributed and the worst the pay for the crew.  These guys work hard and deserve to be compensated. 

Why is the tip not just included? Well tips are not taxed so more money for the porters and less for ‘the man’, it also makes the hike seem cheaper by not including the tip and climbing Kilimanjaro is a very competitive industry. In my experience, it would be better for transparency and for the staff on the mountain to rather include this 10% in the price.

There was a lot of drama and unhappiness after our trek, we were all backpackers traveling on a budget, the 2 ladies that did the trek with me just refused to tip, they said they paid enough, the one lady was unhappy since she did not reach the summit. I gave more than my expected 10%, but could not afford to pay 30%

Mount Kilimanjaro Routes

There are seven routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro – Marangu, Machame, Lemosho, Shira, Rongai, Northern Circuit and Umbwe. They all vary according to the price, scenery, difficulty, duration, popularity, success rate and accommodation options. The figure below shows how many trekkers successfully summit  on each route and reflects an average of stats given by several online resources since the official stat from the tourist office is not available. 

Marangu route 64km (40 miles) 5 or 6 days

• Accommodation – Huts
• Acclimatization profile – Not Great
• Success rate – Low about 65%
• Difficulty – relatively easy
• Known for – Camps with huts and toilets, same route up and down

The Marangu route also known as the ‘Coca Cola Route’ is historically the most popular and can get crowded. It is the only route with huts for accommodation. Many people think the Marangu route is the easiest way to go, it has by far the lowest success rate due to many people suffering from altitude sickness. This route can be completed in 5 days, which makes it cheaper, taking an extra day at Horombu hut greatly improves your chances of success if you climb this route. It is a fairly easy climb with gentle gradients to summit day. On the down side, if you trek 5 days you ascend very fast, more than 1000m on summit and the day before! Increasing your chance of altitude sickness.  The route is not circular, you go up and down the same way, the other routes all have different paths to the top, taking the Marangu route down, it is also known not to be as scenic as other routes. My experience of hiking the route was that the trekking was fairly easy everyday, but summit day which was tough. I thought the scenery was nice with a lot diversity passing through several climate zones during the climb.

• Marangu Route with G-Adventures

Machame route 49 km (30 miles) 6 or 7 days

• Accommodation – Tents
• Acclimatization Profile – very good
• Success rate – High 85%
• Difficulty – Medium
• Known for – probably most popular route, very beautiful, varied scenery

This route is also called the ‘whiskey route’ in reference to the ‘Coca-Cola’ route, it is insinuated to be the tougher of the two. The Machame is by many considered to have the most spectacular scenery. Accommodation is in tents. The incline is steeper  making it a tougher trek than the Marangu route, but due to a better acclimatization profile it has a higher success rate. Walking the Machame over 7 days has a great acclimatization profile, the day before the summit is short giving you some rest before the last push, this profile has a very high success rate.

• Machame Route G-Adventures

Rongai route 65km (40 miles) 6 or 7 days

• Accommodation – Tents
• Acclimatization profile – Good
• Success rate – High about 85%
• Difficulty – relatively easy
• Known for – Only route that approaches from the north, not crowded

The Rongai route is the only route starting on the North side of the mountain, the longer drive to the start is a double edged sword, this is the most isolated route with the least traffic, but it is also more expensive due to less demand and extra transport costs.  It has a gradual slope and is not a very difficult climb, the extra day also greatly improves the acclimatization profile. Known as an easy climb, away from the crowds with a good success rate.

• Rongai Route with G-Adventures

Lemosho route 56km (35 miles) 7 or 8 days

• Accommodation – Tents
• Acclimatization profile – Good
• Success rate – about 80%
• Difficulty – Medium
• Known for – Many say this is the most beautiful way to climb the mountain.

Famous for its beauty and variety you even have a fair chance to see wildlife on this route (no, no lions). Lemosho starts on the west of the mountain going through remote rainforest and joins the Machame route, sharing its well known views. Being remote, a longer route with more transport costs this route is one of the more expensive options.

Lemosho Route with G-Adventures

Shira route 56km (35 miles) 7 or 8 days

• Accommodation – Tents
• Acclimatization profile – Not Great taking a jeep to 3500m
• Success rate – Good
• Difficulty – Medium
• Known for – approach from the west, jeep track going high

The Shira route also comes from the west joining the Machame route, this route is known to have some beautiful scenery. It is the only route with a jeep track going up to 3500m. If you go high with the jeeps before starting to walk the fast ascend increases the chance of altitude sickness.

Umbwe route 37km (23 miles) 5 or 6 days

• Accommodation – Tents
• Acclimatization profile – Not Great
• Success rate – medium about 75%
• Difficulty – Steep, a tough route
• Known for – short, steep, tough route

The Umbwe route approaches from the south, it is the shortest and steepest route making it tough and it has a bad acclimatization profile, the success rate is thus low and mountain climbing experience is strongly recommended. Accommodation is camping. The forest is said to be very beautiful. The route can be dangerous due to the exposed ridge that you have to walk on and is not recommended if you have a fear of heights.

The Northern circuit 90km (56 miles) 9 days

• Accommodation – Tents
• Acclimatization profile – Excellent
• Success rate – Very high 95%
• Difficulty – Medium
• Known For – ‘The Grand Traverse’ Longest route known for great views of the whole mountain

Due to the long climb and slow ascend this route is excellent for acclimatization and has a very high success rate. With the same starting point as the Lemosho route the views are said to be excellent traversing the whole mountain. 

Marangu Route kilimanjaro itinerary

I trekked the Marangu route with the itinerary below and have since updated this article, when I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro I was not an experienced hiker, since then we have done many high altitude hikes and climbs around the world. 

I enjoyed the scenery on the Marangu route and found a lot of variation as we passed through different climate zones, with some nice views. 

We were a group of three, the lady that walked the fastest and seemed to be the most experienced got very bad altitude sickness on summit day and she did not reach Uhuru Peak. If I could choose any route today, I will trek the Northern route, we like longer hikes, it sounds beautiful, the ascend is slow and I like that it is not crowded, I would probably recommend a 7 day Machame route for most hikers.  Our crew was excellent, the food was good. We slept in small wooden huts with a handful of beds each night, each bed had a mattress. Toilets varied from flushing toilets at lower camps to a wooden shack with a hole in the ground at Kibo hut.

Day One – Kilimanjaro in the Jungle

• Marangu Gate (1860M) – Mandara Hut (2715M)
• Ascent 855m
• Hiking time: 4h 30min
• Distance:  8.1 km
• Habitat: Forest

Nice day walking through beautiful tropical forest, it was hot, humid and a gradual ascend most of the day, not too tough, remember to go slow from the start ‘pole, pole’. There was talk of monkeys, we did not see any animals (some birds).

Day Two – first views of the peaks

• Mandara Hut (2715M) – Horombo Hut (3705M)
• Ascend 990m
• Hiking time: 5h
• Distance: Approximately 12 km
• Habitat: Moorland

Started of in the forest and walked in to the moorland the temperature was lower than on the first day, but the sun got hot later in the day. Vegetation is very interesting with strange plants like the Giant Lobelias in the clearing. We saw the first views of Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. I started feeling the effects of altitude at night, feeling a bit nauseous and not sleeping well. Ascending 1000m a day at this altitude it can be expected.

Day Three- walking on the moon

• Horombo Hut (3705M) – Kibo Hut (4730M)
• Ascend 1025m
• Hiking time: 6h
• Distance: Approximately 10 km
• Habitat: Alpine desert

I was overruled by the ladies in wanting an extra day at Horombo Hut for acclimatization so we pushed onto Kibo hut on day 3.  This part of the hike was unique with lots of nothing, there was very little vegetation left, only some grassland here and there and patches of Giant Grounsel trees dendrosenecio kilimanjari these trees are huge and will always remind me of Kili. We walked over a desolate lunar landscape crossing the saddle to Kibo Hut. 

Day Four – this is tough!

• Kibo Hut (4730M) – Uhuru Peak (5895M) – Horombo Hut (3705M)
• Ascend: 1165m
• Hiking time: 7  hours 30 minutes to reach Uhuru Peak, 6  hours to descend to Horombo Hut 
• Distance: Approximately 6 km ascent and 16 km descent
• Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

Climbing Kilimanjaro – this was the big day and after having done many high altitude hikes and climbs I still rate this as one of the hardest days. We got up at about 23:30 to start climbing at 00:00. We walked up the mountain slowly, slowly or ‘pole pole’ as the locals say for about 5 hours to Gilman point (5,681 m/18,638 ft) with headlamps. One of the ladies in our group suffered from such bad altitude sickness that she was dehydrated from vomiting and had to turn around with a porter that walked along after 2 hours. The sun came up just after we past Stella Point (5,730m/18,800ft) after about 6 and a half hours of climbing. From there it was another 30 minutes to Uhuru Peak at 5895m, this last half an hour the scenery is fantastic with the sun coming up and glaciers all around you.

The lack of oxygen really starts breaking you down and at close to 6000m above sea level this is the time to dig deep and for pure will to carry you over the finish line. The fantastic thing when you reach the Uhuru Peak sign is how you immediately feel better, when reaching the summit. I remember thinking ‘how the hell am I ever going to get down from here?’, but super excited, fueled by adrenaline it was almost a jogging pace, skiing down the skree descending the volcano we just conquered, another 6 hours trekking to Horombo Hut. It is an amazing dinner after very little sleep, almost 14 hours of trekking with a 1000m climb!

Day Five – Goodluck Guys 🙂

• Horombo Hut (3705M) – Marangu Hut (1860M)
• Hiking time: 7h
• Distance: Approximately 19.7 km

The last day is an easy 20km ‘downhill’ to the gate, smiling, chatting and encouraging groups on the way up. Doing the Marangu route we covered the same route going up.

Best season for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

It is possible to trek Kilimanjaro all-year-round, however it is certainly easier and more pleasant to trek in nice weather conditions. The best time of the year to climb Kilimanjaro is January-March and June-October. It is colder January-March even snowing on the summit (I climbed in January), but June-October tends to be busy with summer holidays in Europe and N.America. March, April and November it rains and is not ideal for trekking. Snow and cold temperatures are common during December-May.

Toilets while climbing Kilimanjaro

There are toilets in the camps even sit down toilets on the Marangu route. You can ask for a private loo which is a portable toilet carried and cleaned by a porter. The toilet comes with a toilet tent and cost about $100 for the trek.

Altitude Sickness on Kilimanjaro

Altitude sickness also known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is caused by ascending to quickly, the pathological effect is due to less oxygen being available at higher altitude. Ascending to quickly symptoms of AMS normally start at about 3000m (10 000 ft) above sea level, for some people it starts lower. Some symptoms are Fatigue, Headaches, Nausea and Dizziness, Shortness of breath, difficulty to sleep and a Loss of appetite. Treatment for AMS is easy, just go down to a lower altitude. I have gone to a lower altitude with AMS on a different trek and continued climbing the next day and felt perfect, this is not possible climbing Kilimanjaro if you are in a group, so climb slowly!

Altitude sickness can be very serious it can escalate into High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) and High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE). These conditions require immediate medical attention and a couple of climbers have died on Kili.

Altitude sickness is very common while climbing Kilimanjaro, because you climb so quickly giving your body very little time to acclimatize. During other high altitude hikes such Everest Base Camp in Nepal, Ausangate in Peru and Torres del Paine in Patagonia we always followed the rule of not ascending more than 600m per day once we are over 3000m. With the Kilimanjaro trek you climb about 1000m per day! You can see this is not a very good acclimatization profile.

Altitude sickness can happen to anybody, irrespective of how old or fit you are or if you have previous trekking experience. It often happens that young, fit trekkers climb to fast suffering AMS.

How can you prevent altitude sickness?

• Pole Pole – you will hear this a lot on Kili, slowly slowly, go slow the whole way, stay behind your guide.
• Walk a route with a good acclimatization profile, not going up to fast and walking higher than sleeping lower.
• Go with a company with well trained and qualified guides and medical equipment.
• Be insured
• Diamox

Diamox (Acetazolamide) is medication commonly taken by trekkers to prevent AMS on high altitude hikes. At high altitude the air pressure is low and less oxygen available, Diamox prevents AMS by acting as a respiratory stimulant, it basically makes you breath faster by making your blood more acidic. Contraindications Diamox, a negative effect is that it is a diuretic so you constantly have to urinate, it is a pain to go to the toilet in the cold at night. Some people get needles and pins (paraesthesia) in hands in feet, Diamox is taken to prevent AMS, you need a prescription from your doctor, generic Acetazolamide will be cheaper and do the same job.

Insurance for the Kilimanjaro climb

It is always important to have travel insurance, even more so when doing high risk activities in a foreign country. Medical costs can be massive when getting injured abroad. .

Food on Kilimanjaro, eating on the mountain

Similar to other famous guided hikes like The Inca Trail, Kilimanjaro is known for the culinary skills of the cooks on the mountain. Cheaper trips will obviously have more basic food. If you need to obey certain dietary restrictions remember to check and confirm with the tour company ahead of time. I was on a budget trip, but was happy with our food. We were woken up with tea or coffee every morning, breakfast was oats, eggs and a fruit. Luch was packed in the morning, sandwiches, fruit and tea. We had afternoon tea everyday with biscuits. Dinner was the biggest meal, pasta or rice with vegetables and chicken or meat. I packed some chocolates and cookies for extra snacking. 

Combine Kilimanjaro with Serengeti and Zanzibar

I loved traveling in Tanzania, climbing Kilimanjaro, diving and chilling on the powder white sand of Zanzibar and seeing the big 5 while camping in the Serengeti is some of my best travel memories. I will definitely recommend combining your Kilimanjaro climb with Serengeti and Zanzibar Scratch around here for some more awesome Tanzania adventures!

Want to tick of a bucket list item? Make your Kilimanjaro summit part of a massive 55 day Africa Adventure! Spanning nine countries, this journey is full of diverse cultures, abundant wildlife, spectacular landscapes, stunning beaches, and loads of adventure. Track the “big five” across open savanna, explore the Okavango Delta in a dugout mokoro canoe, encounter gorillas deep in the Ugandan wilderness — do it all on this ultimate 55-day adventure and get a real feel for how large Africa truly is.

Accommodation in Arusha

Accommodation is available in Arusha in a variety of price ranges. To make searching easier for you we searched for well rated accommodation with many reviews close to the center.

Budget

• Mazzola Safari House & Backpacking
• Meru Inn
• Wakawaka Hostel

Mid Price Range

• The Researcher’s Rest
• Boulevard Inn Mt Meru
• Simeon Hotel Nr. 6 

Luxury

• Le Jacaranda Hotel
• Arusha Residence Boutique Hotel

Kilimanjaro Trekking what to Pack

See our detailed Kilimanjaro Packing Post for discussion on everything from cap to shoes, electronics, accessories and everything you might need for this awesome adventure.

We discuss layering in detail and suggest clothes to pack. Wearing a couple of layers of clothing makes it easy to adjust for temperatures. Multiple thin layers of breathable clothes will keep you warmer than a single thicker layer is because warm air is trapped between the layers insulating and keeping you warm.

To rent or to buy? Most operators have all equipment available for rental. Climbing Kili I had to rent everything, now I prefer to take my own gear with me, quality equipment that fits and keeps me comfortable, warm and dry, it just makes the trek so much more enjoyable. We have hiked thousand of kilometers on mountains all over the world, check our packing post for what we suggest to pack for climbing Kilimanjaro.

Suggested trekking clothes for women

Shell Rain jacket | Fleece | Running shirt | Running T-shirt | Hiking pants | Yoga pants | Rain poncho | Fleece vest |Thermal underwear|Sport bras|Gloves|Beany | Cap | Sunglasses | Socks | Ski Gloves

We love our Salomon X ULTRA 3 MID GTX Gortex boots. We have completed several treks in these waterproof, very light and breathable boots. Ladies model  Salomon X ULTRA 3 MID GTX Ladies

Suggested trekking clothes for men

| Rain jacket | Fleece | Fleece vest| Hiking shirts | Hiking pants | Rain poncho | Thermal underwear | Beany | Gloves | Buff | Hat |Sunglasses |Socks |

Recommended books and guidebooks

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