Climb Kilimanjaro, properly acclimatised.
Africa's highest mountain needs no ropes, just time. We run six routes from five to nine days, with our own guides, oxygen on every climb and porters paid at KPAP rates.
Six ways up. One summit.
Route choice decides how well you acclimatise, how many people you share camp with and what you see on the way. Prices are per person for a private climb of two.
Climb with a small group.
Fixed dates, maximum ten climbers, the same crew and kit as a private climb. Join alone or bring friends.
The routes side by side.
The biggest single factor in reaching the summit is time. Each extra day on the mountain lets your body adjust to thinner air, and summit rates rise sharply from six days to eight.
| Route | Length | Difficulty | Scenery | Traffic | Sleep | Summit rate* | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machame | 7 days | Hard | Outstanding | Busy | Tents | ~64% | $2,450 |
| Lemosho | 8 days | Moderate | Outstanding | Quiet | Tents | ~85% | $2,890 |
| Northern Circuit | 9 days | Moderate | Outstanding | Very quiet | Tents | ~88% | $3,290 |
| Rongai | 7 days | Moderate | Good | Quiet | Tents | ~64% | $2,390 |
| Marangu | 6 days | Moderate | Fair | Busy | Huts | ~44% | $2,150 |
| Umbwe | 6 days | Very hard | Great | Very quiet | Tents | ~44% | $2,290 |
* Typical park-wide summit rates for itineraries of this length, all operators. Not Janel's own figures.
Where each route goes.
Machame, Lemosho, Umbwe and the Northern Circuit join on the southern circuit or loop the north before the summit push. Rongai comes in from Kenya's side. All but Marangu descend by Mweka.
What are your odds of the summit?
A rough guide built on park-wide figures. It can't diagnose how your body handles altitude; nobody can before you go. It does show which choices move the number most.
The mountain, month by month.
Kilimanjaro is climbable all year, but the two dry seasons give the clearest summit mornings. January to early March is warmer and quieter; June to October is drier and busier.
JanDry, cold, clear
Quiet trails, snow on the summit.
FebDry and warm
Warmest summit nights of the year.
MarRains begin
Late March turns wet. Fewer climbers.
AprLong rains
Muddy forest, cloud. Rongai only.
MayLong rains
Wettest month. Many camps close.
JunDry, getting busy
Cold nights, clear mornings.
JulPeak season
Most reliable weather. Book early.
AugPeak season
Clear skies, busiest trails.
SepPeak season
Dry and settled, slightly quieter.
OctDry, quieter
Warmer, good value before the rains.
NovShort rains
Afternoon showers, quiet mountain.
DecFestive season
Mostly dry; Christmas dates fill fast.
Where your money goes.
Almost half of any honest Kilimanjaro price is park fees, which every operator pays at the same rate. A climb that costs far less than this is saving on crew wages, food or safety kit.
- Park fees & VATConservation, camping and rescue fees, set by KINAPA$1,060
- Crew wagesGuides, assistant guides, cook, porters at KPAP rates$520
- Food on the mountainThree cooked meals, snacks, treated water$260
- EquipmentTents, mess tent, private toilet, oxygen, oximeter$210
- Transfers & hotelAirport pickups and two nights in Moshi$180
- Operations & insuranceCrew insurance, guide training, office$220
Not in the price
- International flights
- Tanzania visa ($50–100)
- Travel insurance covering 6,000m
- Crew tips, about $250–350 per climber
- Sleeping bag and pole hire, if needed
On every Janel climb
- Emergency oxygen and pulse oximeter checks twice daily
- Private toilet tent and mess tent
- Wilderness First Responder-trained lead guide
- Porters paid and loaded to KPAP standards
Fit enough, slow enough.
You don't need climbing skills. You need to walk six to eight hours a day for a week, and to give your body time to adjust. Acclimatisation follows one rule: climb high in the day, sleep lower at night.
Build the base
Three to four sessions a week: long walks, stairs, cycling or swimming. Add one long hike at the weekend.
Walk with weight
Back-to-back hiking days with a 6–8kg daypack, on hills if you have them. Wear in your boots now.
Taper and rest
Ease off, sleep well, and arrive rested. Talk to your doctor about Diamox.
Altitude sickness: normal signs
- Mild headache that eases with water and rest
- Poor sleep, low appetite
- Breathlessness when walking
When we bring you down
- Headache that doesn't respond to painkillers
- Confusion, loss of balance or coordination
- Breathlessness at rest, or a wet cough
What to bring.
Five climate zones in a week, from rainforest at 25°C to summit nights at −15°C. Layers do the work.
The Kilimanjaro kit list, item by item.
What to buy, what to hire in Moshi, and what to leave at home. We'll email it straight to you.
From people who stood on top.
Review text from TripAdvisor or Google goes here, two to four sentences.
Review text from TripAdvisor or Google goes here, two to four sentences.
Review text from TripAdvisor or Google goes here, two to four sentences.
Questions climbers ask.
Yes. No technical skills are needed, and most of our climbers have never been above 3,000m. Good general fitness and a longer route matter far more than experience.
The longer ones: Lemosho over eight days and the Northern Circuit over nine. Both give your body the most time to adjust before summit night.
Between −10°C and −20°C with wind chill. You start around midnight from Barafu and reach Uhuru Peak near sunrise, six to eight hours later.
For a private climb of two, usually a lead guide, an assistant guide, a cook and eight to ten porters. Park rules cap each porter's load at 20kg.
Plan on $250–350 per climber in total, handed over at a short ceremony on the last day. We give you a guideline sheet for each crew role.
An assistant guide walks you down while the group carries on. Descent is the cure for altitude sickness, and we carry oxygen and a stretcher for emergencies.
Most climbers do. Climb first while you're fresh, then two to four days on safari, then the coast to recover.
Four to six months for July to September and Christmas. Two to three months is usually enough otherwise.
Tell us your dates. We'll pick the route.
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