A climb up Kilimanjaro is often compared to walking from the equator to the Arctic in a week. As you gain height, temperatures drop and rainfall changes, creating five distinct zones, each with its own plants and wildlife.
The five zones
| Zone | Altitude | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Cultivated land | 800–1,800 m | Farms, coffee and banana plants, villages |
| Rainforest | 1,800–2,800 m | Tall trees, ferns, moss, monkeys |
| Heath and moorland | 2,800–4,000 m | Giant heathers, giant groundsels, lobelias |
| Alpine desert | 4,000–5,000 m | Rock, gravel, sparse lichens |
| Arctic summit | Above 5,000 m | Ice, glaciers, snow, almost no life |
Cultivated slopes
The lower slopes are fertile volcanic soil, farmed by the Chagga people for generations. Coffee, bananas and maize grow around villages such as Machame, Marangu and Materuni.
Rainforest
This is the wettest zone. Camphor, podocarpus and fig trees are hung with moss and old man’s beard lichen. Look for black-and-white colobus and blue monkeys, and listen for turacos. Trails can be muddy.
Heath and moorland
The forest gives way to open country with tall giant heathers. Higher up are the plants Kilimanjaro is known for: giant groundsels (Dendrosenecio kilimanjari) and giant lobelias, which grow only on East Africa’s high mountains. Nights here are often near freezing.
Alpine desert
Above about 4,000 metres there is little water and strong sun by day, with frost at night. Few plants survive. This is the landscape of Lava Tower, the Saddle and Barafu Camp.
The arctic summit
On the crater rim, temperatures are below freezing most nights. Kilimanjaro’s remaining glaciers and ice cliffs lie here. Read more in Kilimanjaro facts.
What it means for packing
You need clothes for warm, wet forest and freezing summit nights in the same week. Layering is the answer. See the Kilimanjaro packing list. The Lemosho Route passes through every zone, with the longest time in the forest.
Frequently asked questions
Five: cultivated land, rainforest, heath and moorland, alpine desert and the arctic summit.
The giant groundsel Dendrosenecio kilimanjari is found only on Kilimanjaro. Giant lobelias also grow there.
Mostly in the forest: black-and-white colobus, blue monkeys, bushbuck, duikers and many birds. Larger animals are rarely seen.
