Kilimanjaro National Park

Rising majestically above the African plains, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the largest free-standing mountain in the World. It is located in the northeast of Tanzania, three degrees south of the equator. With a height of around 19,340 feet, it is a surreal and paradoxical place. Its highest peak is Uhuru peak which is found snow-covered throughout the year. Kilimanjaro is made up of three volcanoes including Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo and is one of the 7 summits in the world. It is so popular among both experienced and first-time adventurers because it is considered the easiest among the seven summits. Hiking this marvellous mountain while on a Tanzania safari is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Best Time To Hike kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro can be climbed technically any time of the year. But the Best Time to Climb Kilimanjaro is during the warmest or driest time of the year runs between June to October and December to mid-March. These are the peak trekking time in terms of weather, but the busiest months of the year. Among all. January and February are two of the best and most popular months to hike Mount Kilimanjaro. You can expect clear and sunny skies in the mornings and evenings as these are the warmest months with sometimes afternoon rainfall.

High Season (June-October)&(November to March)	Low Season (March-May)
Easy hiking with no worries	A long rainy season means hard to climb the mountain
Excellent wildlife encounter	The trail can be wet, muddy and snowy
Dry weather with clear sunny skies	It can be raining heavily at any time
Busiest time with crowded route	Find less crowded routes with solitude

Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing Routes

There are seven established routes that lead to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. They are- Lemosho, Machame, Marangu, Rongai, Northern Circuit, Shira and Umbwe. There's also a descent route called the Mweka route. Each route has its own advantages or disadvantages like summit success rate, scenic views and costs. But in our opinion, the best route to hike the mountain are the Lemosho, Machame and Northern Circuit Routes. These routes are scenically beautiful and also enjoy high summit success rates. And of course, we want to see our climbers standing on the roof of Africa!

The Seven Kilimanjaro Routes

• Lemosho Route – This is arguably the most beautiful Kilimanjaro route with a success rate of 90% for the 8-day trek and an 85% success rate for the 7-day trek.
• Machame Route- Machame Route is the most popular Kilimanjaro route with a summit success rate of 85% for the 7-day trek and 73% for the 6-day trek.
• Marangu Route- Marangu is the only route in Kilimanjaro that offers hut accommodation. Its summit success rate is around 50% for the 5-day trek.
• Rongai Route- Rongai is the only route that begins the summit from the north part of the Mountain. Its success rate of climbing is 80% for the 7-day trek and 65% for the 6-day trek.
• Shira Route- Shira has the highest starting elevation and its success rate is around 85% for the 7-day trek.
• Northern Circuit Route- the Northern Circuit is the newest and longest route of Kilimanjaro. It has an average success rate of 90% – 95%, the highest summit success rate of Mount Kilimanjaro.
• Umbwe Route- the Umbwe is the shortest and hardest Kilimanjaro route of all. The summit success rate of this route is just 50% for the 5-day trek.