We've been guiding trekkers to the summit of Kilimanjaro for over 20 years, and we're proud of our 95% summit success rate. Over that time we've gained an indepth knowledge of this incredible mountain. This guide for climbing Kilimanjaro covers everything we believe you need to know before you set foot on the trail.

We'll be honest with you: climbing Kilimanjaro is a genuine challenge. The summit sits in an atmosphere starved of ocygen, and the trek itself involves up to 9 hours of walking per day, with a midnight start on the summit push. But here's the encouraging truth — it is not a technical climb. There are no glaciers to navigate with ice axes, no sheer rock faces to scramble up.

The real challenge is altitude. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) affects a significant proportion of climbers, and it doesn't discriminate between fit athletes and casual hikers. Managing your ascent rate — and choosing an itinerary with built-in acclimatisation days — is the single most important factor in your success.

If you are a fit and active hiker with experience of multi-day walking and you follow a properly structured itinerary, climbing mount Kilimanjaro is a very realistic goal.

Kilimanjaro has several established routes to the summit, each with a different character, duration, and success rate. After more than 20 years on this mountain, we've carefully selected the routes we believe offer the best possible experience — and the best chance of reaching the top.

Lemosho Route (8 days on the mountain)

Our most popular choice, and for good reason. We consider the Lemosho Route the most scenic path up the mountain, taking you through lush rainforest, across the sweeping Shira Plateau, and into the surreal alpine desert before summit night. Crucially, the extra days built into our itinerary allow for excellent acclimatisation, giving you the best possible chance of reaching Uhuru Peak.

Rongai Route (7 days on the mountain)

Approaching from the quieter northern side of the mountain, the Rongai Route is a great option if time is a factor. It's generally considered the gentlest in terms of gradient, and the descent via the Marangu Route adds variety to the experience. Ideal for those who want a reliable, well-managed climb without committing to a longer itinerary.

Northern Circuit (9 days on the mountain)

Our most ambitious itinerary, and the route we're especially proud of — it's the one taken by the Comic Relief team in 2019, when all nine celebrities reached the summit together. With nine full days on the mountain, our Northern Circuit offers unrivalled acclimatisation and takes you through parts of Kilimanjaro that very few trekkers ever see. If time and budget allow, we think this is the ultimate Kilimanjaro experience.

Mount Kenya and Meru options

fancy bagging more than one peak? We offer two perfect itineries for those seeking to summit more than one african mountain. Above the summit success, climbing Mount Kenya or Mount Meru before Kilimanjaro helps acclimitisation reducing time on Kili and increases the chance of summit success on Kilimanjaro.

Kilimanjaro can be climbed year-round, but two dry seasons offer the most favourable conditions.

December to mid-March — clear skies, cold temperatures, and generally less crowded than the summer season.

Whatever the season, temperatures near the summit will be cold — sometimes as low as -20°C on summit night — so preparation is key regardless of when you travel.

You don't need to be an elite athlete, but climbing mount Kilimanjaro rewards those who arrive well prepared. Days on the mountain typically involve 5 to 9 hours of walking, often at altitude and with a loaded day pack. By the time you reach summit night, your body will already have been working hard for several days.

A solid training programme should begin at least 3 to 4 months before your departure. Focus on:

• Long hill walks of 4–6 hours, ideally on consecutive days to build endurance
• Cardiovascular fitness — running, cycling, or swimming several times a week
• Leg and core strength training to handle long descents
• Overnight or multi-day hiking trips to get used to carrying a pack and sleeping in a tent

Previous trekking experience — particularly at altitude — is genuinely valuable. If you can incorporate a weekend in the hills at 800m+ before your trip, all the better.

Altitude sickness (Acute Mountain Sickness, or AMS) is the most common reason climbers turn back before the summit. As you ascend above 3,000m, the air becomes thinner and your body needs time to adapt to lower oxygen levels. Symptoms can include headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and disrupted sleep — none of which are pleasant at 4,500 metres in the middle of the night.

The good news: AMS is largely manageable if the itinerary is designed correctly. That's why we never compromise on time on the mountain — we require a minimum of six nights on the mountain across all our Kilimanjaro trips, and our slower ascent profiles are built around your body's ability to adapt, not around cutting costs.

Our guides are trained to monitor every trekker daily for signs of AMS and carry emergency PAC/Gamow bags and supplemental oxygen on every departure. The rule on Kilimanjaro — as on every high mountain we operate on — is simple: if symptoms worsen, you descend.

Kilimanjaro takes you through five distinct climatic zones — from tropical rainforest to arctic summit — so layering is everything. Here are a few things we recommend everybody packs:

Clothing

• Base layers (thermal top and bottom) — merino wool or synthetic
• Mid-layer fleece or down jacket
• Waterproof and windproof outer shell (jacket and trousers)
• Insulated summit jacket — this is non-negotiable for summit night
• Trekking trousers (zip-off are useful in the lower zones)
• Warm hat and balaclava
• Gloves — liner gloves plus thick outer mitts
• Gaiters for the dusty scree above 4,000m
• Thermal socks — several pairs

Footwear

• Well broken-in, waterproof trekking boots with ankle support
• Camp shoes or sandals for the evenings
• Trekking poles — highly recommended, especially for the descent

Equipment

• Sleeping bag rated to at least -15°C
• Headtorch with spare batteries (essential for summit night)
• Daypack (20–30 litres) for carrying water, snacks, and layers
• Reusable water bottles or a hydration bladder (3 litres capacity minimum)
• Sun protection — SPF 50+ sunscreen, UV-protection sunglasses, and a sun hat
• Trekking poles
• Personal first aid kit including blister treatment and pain relief

Note: Your porters will carry your kit bag (up to 15kg), but your day pack is yours for the trail. Keep it light but never skip the warm layers — conditions can change rapidly above 4,000m.

Tanzanian regulations require all climbers on Kilimanjaro to be accompanied by a licensed guide. But we've always believed a truly great guide team is so much more than a regulatory requirement — they are often the difference between a summit and a turnaround.

We maintain a 1:2 guide-to-client ratio on all our Kilimanjaro hikes. Our mountain leaders have guided hundreds of ascents and are adept at reading the early warning signs of altitude sickness, maintaining group morale during the long push to the summit, and making the all-important call to push on or turn back safely.

Our porter teams carry camp equipment, cook your meals, and keep the whole operation running with extraordinary efficiency and, frankly, remarkable good humour at altitude. They are the backbone of any Kilimanjaro expedition. We ensure that all our porters are paid fairly, treated with respect, and equipped with proper gear — a standard we're proud of.

Depending on the route and itinerary you choose, our Kilimanjaro treks range from 9 to 15 days in total. This includes your travel days, time in Arusha or Moshi before and after the climb, the days on the mountain, and a well-earned recovery day following your descent.

For those who want to make the most of their time in East Africa, we also offer combined itineraries that include acclimatisation ascents of neighbouring peaks. We particularly love the Mount Meru pairing — climbing Meru (4,566m) before Kilimanjaro is one of the most effective ways to prepare your body for the altitude, and Meru is a strikingly beautiful mountain in its own right.

Nothing quite prepares you for summit night on Kilimanjaro. We say that not to frighten you, but because we think it's important to go in with honest expectations — and because, when you've been through it, you'll understand exactly why so many of our trekkers call it the most memorable night of their lives.

The ascent begins around midnight. Your guide will wake you after a few hours of broken, altitude-affected sleep — the kind where your body hasn't fully rested but your mind knows exactly what's coming. You'll pull on every layer you packed, check your headtorch, fill your water bottles, and step out into the dark.

The cold hits immediately. Temperatures near the summit can plunge to -20°C on a still night, and the wind at the crater rim is almost always fierce. This is why we're so insistent about the quality of your insulation layers and gloves — not as a suggestion, but as a genuine safety requirement.

The pace is slow. Deliberately, almost frustratingly slow. Our guides will set a rhythm — 'pole pole', as the Swahili saying goes, meaning 'slowly slowly' — and they'll hold you to it even when you feel like you could go faster. This is the discipline that gets people to the summit. The urge to push ahead is real, and it's almost always counterproductive at altitude.

For around 6 to 8 hours, you'll climb through darkness. The path is steep in places, dusty in others, with loose scree that shifts underfoot. Conversation tends to drop away. Most people retreat inward, finding a rhythm with their poles and their breath. Our guides check in regularly — asking how you're feeling, watching for signs of AMS, keeping the group together.

Then the sky begins to change. The first pale light appears on the eastern horizon long before sunrise, and as you approach Stella Point on the crater rim, the world starts to reveal itself. The Furtwangler Glacier catches the light. The shadow of Kilimanjaro stretches out across the plains below, thousands of metres beneath you.

And then Uhuru Peak. The famous wooden sign. The roof of Africa. We've watched hundreds of trekkers arrive at that sign, and the reaction is always the same — tears, laughter, long embraces, and a silence that words don't really cover. Whatever you feel in that moment, it will stay with you.

We'll make sure you have time to take it in before the long descent begins. Coming down is faster than you'd expect — the scree that slowed you on the way up becomes your friend — and by afternoon, you'll be back at camp, sun-warmed and exhausted in the best possible way.

Our advice: Don't read too many summit night accounts before your climb. Go in prepared but open. Every person's experience is different, and yours will be entirely your own.

Last but not least, the number 1 (no pun intended) question people want to ask is the toilet situation. Along the busier paths there are compost toilets, but in our camps we carry a chemical toilet within a dedicated toilet tent. It's worth tipping the poor porter who carries this toilet a little extra!