Kilimanjaro is stunning year-round, but preparation is key. The dry season (mid-December to March and June to November) offers warm, dry weather. The rainy season (November to mid-December and March to mid-May) brings frequent rain on the mountain.

Having helped our clients over 8 years climb Kilimanjaro we know that for every one of them, the best route was the route which gave them the best chance to make to the summit. So there are just three (3) routes up Kilimanjaro that we recommend; The Machame route, Lemosho route and Rongai route

Machame Route | This is our favourate route for a short climb as it offer a high chance of sucess over just 7 days . It has interest approach through all of kilimanjaro diverse climate zones. one of disadvantage of this route is that, everybody likes it, so in high season it can be very busy.

Lemosho Route | It is a Longer route which allows you to acclimatize to the altitude and see the spectacular environment . It is also one of the more scenic routes up to Kilimanjaro.

Rongai Route | This route approaches Kilimanjaro from the north of the mountain close to Kenya border. It is a very quite route and is not normally our first choice as there is very little vegetation as it has much less rainfall. This means it is a good route to choose in the rainy season and it is always generally quite.

A map of this routes is bellow

Climbing Kilimanjaro is challenging but doable with determination. You'll walk for at least 6 days, averaging 6-8 hours daily, with one long day of up to 18 hours. You'll climb to nearly 20,000 feet, where air pressure and oxygen are about 60% of sea level, so move slowly to avoid altitude sickness. You'll camp for up to 8 nights in tough conditions, but a positive attitude helps overcome these challenges.

The shortest route Kilimanjaro Destinations operate is 5 days. Its possible to climb below 5 days but the shorter climbs have a much lower sucess rate. Remember it is a long way to travel and a lot of money to spend to not reach the summit. We recommed that you take at least 7 days to give yourself a really good chance to reaching the summit safely.

Sucess rate vary by route and by operator. Sucess reported by Park vary from below 50% on shorter routs like Marangu and up to 85% to 90% on 7 day and longer climbs. Our succes of 7 days or longer is 95% we get such hight sucess rate with better preperation, greater guides and plan and manages itineraries.

We've guided many first-time trekkers to Kilimanjaro's summit. You should be fit for "weekend walking" and able to walk 5-7 hours on consecutive days. Determination and self-care are crucial. Train by walking as much as possible before your climb. Most days will be comfortable, but summit night is challenging, with 8-10 hours of climbing and 6-8 hours of descending.

We always answer this question by advise you to do hill walking as much as you can . Nothing prepares your body better for climbing Kilimanjaro than some weekends long walk of 7 to 8 hours.

For more technical answer there are for aspects of fitness you need to work on.

~ First is pure cardio. As you ascend there is less and less oxygen in the air and this makes your system work very hard prepare for this with any intense cardio exercise.

~ Second is leg strength. Consecutive days climbing puts a lot of strain on the legs and specific leg excercise like squats work real well.

~ Third is stamina. On summit night you need to keep going and going . Try and do some longer exercises that require real stamina like a long ride or a real long hill walking.

~ And finally don`t forget your flexibility as lots of injuries are caused by lack of flexibility, so both before your climb and on the climb remember your stretches.

Kilimanjaro routes vary in duration and starting points. The shortest, Umbwe and Marangu, have lower success rates. Rongai and Machame take 6-7 days and offer better summit chances. Longer routes like Lemosho and Northern Circuit take 8-9 days. Marangu and Umbwe start from the south, Rongai from the north, and Machame and Lemosho circle from the south-east, offering great scenery and good acclimatization before heading north to the summit.

Our mountain cooks prepare delicious meals to keep you hydrated and energized. If you have special dietary needs or are vegetarian, let us know when you book so we can provide a suitable menu.

Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, Located in northeast Tanzania. It can be seen from far into Kenya, Amboseli Natinaonal Park.

Below are two Maps which show exactly where Mt Kilimanjaro is locate