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Pro
Great scenery all around you as you challenge yourself to conquer this daunting mountain!
Con
Expensive: at least about $650/6 days + tips
In a nutshell
Hakuna Matata! Take your time, heed the symtoms of altitude sickness and the mountain will take care of you!
hayward68 Says: It rained most of the night at Karanga Valley and the morning was wet and cold and not very clear. What I wasn't expecting when I climbed out of my tent was the vertigo I experienced from the height and the slant of the camping area. I climbed out, reeled and almost fell...
hayward68 Says: Day 5 started off with quite a bit of trepidation for me as I would be climbing Baranco Wall and, quite frankly, I was scared. I have a fear of heights and knew that I'd have a hard time on this extremely vertical part of the route. I can only be glad that it was sunny and I...
hayward68 Says: Luckily on day 8 I woke up and my knees were feeling fine. My guide told me it was about 2 hours to descend to Mweka Gate where the trek would end. We set off and I started feeling like I wanted to just get off the mountain. It was still pretty steep at the start but...
hayward68 Says: Day 7 didn't go as it was planned. I woke up and was completely exhausted with no energy whatsoever. My guide thought it would take me 6 hours to reach the summit and I was pretty sure I wouldn't make it at all. We were supposed to spend the night at Crater Camp after...
hayward68 Says: Day 4 did not go well for my friend. He had been extremely thirsty through the night and had to get our guide up for more water during the wee hours. In the morning he was feeling awful, he'd been sick the night before and his breathing wasn't sounding good but he thought he...
hayward68 Says: Day 3 started off so much better after a full night's sleep. I felt absolutely fine and was raring to go. We were off to Shira 2 camp for the night and it's a quicker day than day 2 and a much easier trek, not as much steep climbing, probably my favourite day of the climb in...
hayward68 Says: Day 2 did not start off well for me as I hadn't slept that night, mainly because the airline pillow that I'd planned on using had developed a leak on the flight to Nairobi, rendering it useless to me. I'd hoped that piling clothes beneath my head would help but they didn't....
hayward68 Says: The route that we chose to do was a 9 day Lemosho trek which would include a night at Crater Camp. It's considered one of the most gentle routes and is quite scenic. You begin your trek by signing in at Londorossi Gate (your guide will make sure you're signed in at the...
hayward68 Says: There are several routes to choose from when deciding to climb Mt Kilimanjaro. The most popular are Marangu and Machame, Marangu being the so-called Coca Cola route which has huts available but has the lowest percentage of summit success and Machame being harder with more...
fishandchips Says: The amount of work done by your team to help get you to the top will warrant a tip at the end. The porters do unseen work to help you get to the top and often carry some rather heavy weight on their shoulders/head.Current thinking on the tip is 10% of your fee (not including...
fishandchips Says: At the end of your trek you'll be keen for a hot shower and potentially a beer. A great way to show your appreciation to your team of porters is to buy them a beer. I understand that this doesn't happen that much so, like my group, show your appreciation with a couple of...
fishandchips Says: There are a lot of operators offering to climb Kili. Some of these are not very reputable and sometimes they fall into the scam category. Many of the 'cheap deals' can be found in Arusha and are to be avoided. My advice is to do your own research on what cost you should...
hayward68 Says: This next tip might be a little gross but I'll give it anyway. In regards to the toilet huts it is best to remove your gaiters from your boots before entering the huts. This is because the gaiters usually have a strap that runs under the boot and the toilet huts are not...
fishandchips Says: You will need two bags - one main pack (carried by a porter) and a day bag big enough to hold your wet weather gear, camera, nibbles and water. I had a 22 litre day bag and this was fine. Remember, the bigger the bag the more gear you may end up stuffing in it! Starting...
fishandchips Says: Your day bag will be what gets the most use up Kili so it pays to get a good one. I had an Osprey 22 litre bag with plenty of pockets which worked really well. Don't go overboard and buy a bag that's too big. It's too easy to fill it up and carry a lot more weight than you...
hayward68 Says: Plastic bags to wrap your clothes in inside your bag as if it rains and your bag gets wet, so do your clothes. I had plastic travel cubes which kept my clothes sorted and dry. Leg gaiters to keep the dirt and rocks out of your hiking boots. A balaclava to keep your face...
Prepare well for kili doesent matter which route!
glacianah Says: I have done this route twice the issue of the worst success to the top is that this route has less oxygen as someone elevates to the high altitudesso one need to aclimatize properly not just a matter of pay and go!thank you!gla
fishandchips Says: The crater is a quick side trek near Mandara Hut and takes about 1 hour. Views toward the Kenyan border can be seen from one side of the crater. You start in the direction you will take the next day if you are still on your way up. The walk takes you out of the rain forest...
fishandchips Says: It's a curious thing that many of the people that you meet on Kili have done little preparation given that many decide on the spur of the moment to 'have a go'. My advice is to do a bit of preparation as there is quite a bit of walking to be done. Summit day alone can be 12...
fishandchips Says: From Kibo hut the Marangu track gets rather steep - near Gilman's point it's very steep! It's both a scary and exciting feeling looking up at the last leg of your journey. Not too far to go but the track looks very challenging - how will we do it? Basically it's several...
Plan a Kilimanjaro National Park vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Kilimanjaro National Park locals
"Pole-Pole" means slowly-slowly! This is the most popular word in Swahili after "Jambo" that you will hear at Kili. The main task of you guides will be to stop...
3 members live in Kilimanjaro National Park
Q: Hi! Am planning a trip to Kilimanjaro soon, and am looking at the different routes and guiding companies. I still haven't...
A: Hi, Sure there are companies offering options on the routes for the ascent/descent! You can select two different routes - the only concern is the time you have, as some...
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Elevation: 19340', 5895m Range: East African Volcano, part of the Great Rift Valley Country: Tanzania Nearest Towns: Marangu, Moshi & Arusha Ownership: Kilimanjaro National Park Latitude: 3°04'...
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I'm not gonna do it, I told myself before I left. It's too expensive, can hike 2 months in Nepal for the same amount of money. But when the bus approached Moshi and I stared up at Kili, I knew I...
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Kilimanjaro towers above the Great Rift Valley, possible birthplace of humankind and is visible from many miles away on a clear day. Kilimanjaro is the home of the Chagga Tribe and is the highest...
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Day by day on Mount Kilimanjaro
We chose the 6 day Machame Route trek through Tanganyika Tours. The company seemed very pleasant, but in retrospect I feel they could have done more to ensure a successful climb for the whole group....
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In September 2003 I had the pleasure of going to Tanzania to hike on the highest mountain in Africa: Kilimanjaro. We used Marangu hotel as our tour guide and we went for the Machame route. On these......
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