Group of hikers arriving at the Kili summit

Kilimanjaro Travel Guide

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Practical information

06:02:19
Language(s)
Swahili
Currency
Tanzanian Shilling
Time zone
GMT +3

Kilimanjaro History and Culture

Mount Kilimanjaro rises from the East African Rift, a ridge formed between two moving tectonic plates across the eastern side of Africa. Millions of years ago this volcano formed from layers of ash and lava which poured forth from its peaks, settling, hardening and moving as they met the vast glaciers sprawling atop the loft summits, to form the mountain we see today. Kilimanjaro has three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira each of which were active until 150,000 years ago. These days Mawenzi peak and Shira have shrunk back and become extinct whilst Kibo continues to rise, dormant, gaining metres every decade or so. Global warming has taken its toll on the glaciers that used to reside at the high altitudes of Kilimanjaro, and now there are only a handful left, clinging stubbornly to the volcanic landscape above 5,000m.

The people of Kilimanjaro are the Chagga people who settled on the slopes of the mountain hundreds of years ago and began to cultivate the rich soil here. First European records of Kilimanjaro began with vague references by Ptolemy, Aeschylus and Herodotus who alluded to high mountains but without identifying maps it is impossible to know if they were talking about this mountain. The first recorded mission to reach Kilimanjaro was by German missionaries Rebmann and Krapf who described the ‘mountains of Jagga’ and detailed a snow-capped peak covered in cloud which sounds very like the Kilimanjaro we know and love.

The first recorded attempt of climbing Kilimanjaro was in 1861 and there were many more expeditions after this, each gaining a little in altitude before Hans Meyer, on his third attempt, decided to create a supply chain to fuel their expedition which proved successful when he, Ludwig Purtscheller and their team managed to summit Kibo on 6th October 1889. Since then, visitors to Tanzania have come to Arush and Moshi to marvel at this incredible mountain, rising in isolation from the plains, many of whom set out to trek Kilimanjaro and reach the ‘roof of Africa’.

Time at Kilimanjaro

The time in Tanzania at Kilimanjaro is UTC + 3

Swahili

Swahili

The official language in Tanzania is Swahili but English is also widely spoken in towns and cities.

Tanzanian Shilling

Tanzanian Shilling

The Tanzanian Shilling is a closed currency so you will not be able to buy this before you arrive. It is advisable to travel with US Dollars, as these are widely accepted. It is very important that US bills be new (no more than 10 years old), crisp and untorn. If you want some local currency to purchase snacks or drinks either at your hotel or on the way to the climb then we can take you to an ATM or bank. There is also a currency exchange as you go through to the Baggage Collection area of the airport.

If you are relying on a credit or debit card for emergency funds, make sure you tell your card issuer that you will be using it abroad, or you may find that it won't work when you really need it.


 Please Note that not all hotels can accept card payments so you may need to use an ATM to access funds.

GBP
TZS

Electricity

There are 2 types of electrical sockets in Tanzania – type G which are the same as those in the UK (3 square pins) and type D which are usually found in India (3 round pins) both of which are 220v.

If you are travelling from the UK or India, you should be OK just relying on your usual plugs, however if you are travelling from elsewhere we would suggest picking up a worldwide adaptor just to be on the safe side.

When to go

Kilimanjaro has two main trekking seasons, and these occur during Tanzania’s dry periods. You can either climb Kilimanjaro from June to October or December to March. It is possible to trek Kilimanjaro in April, May and November but we do not operate trips during these months as the weather is wet, making conditions unpredictable, views restricted and the overall experience unenjoyable.

Trekking during the spring and summer months from June to October you’ll experience dry weather for the most part, with temperatures dropping the higher you climb. After the longer wet season, vegetation will be lush and in bloom, wildlife should be in abundance and conditions will be conducive to incredible views of the mountain and beyond. The mountain tends to be a little quieter in June and September/October time as July to August are the main holiday months.

To escape the mundane weather of the northern hemisphere across winter, you can also climb Kilimanjaro from December to March. This is typically known as the off-peak climbing season and conditions will be typically dry and warm, dropping gradually as you ascend Kilimanjaro. There are less visitors across these winter months, and it is one of our favourite times to visit Tanzania. Find out more about the best time to climb Kilimanjaro from our blog.

Safety and Security

Your safety and well-being is always the number one priority at Kandoo Adventures.


We operate all our travel destinations in accordance with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice, which publishes travel advisory notices for British nationals. We also closely follow the advice of ABTA (The Association of British Travel Agents) which provides support to UK tour operators.  


In addition to this, our extensive, directly-managed operations in each of our destinations, provide us with detailed knowledge and up-to-date information, which enables us to make informed decisions and operate our trips safely.

We always recommend that you regularly check the FCDO's travel advice, in order to keep up to date about the country you are planning to visit.


If you are not a UK resident, we would recommend that you visit your government's travel advisory website for further information:


Alternatively, you may wish to seek further information from the World Health Organisation.

Lost luggage

Our procedure for lost or delayed luggage is as follows:

  • Establish what items are missing and a contingency plan for each critical item
  • If it reaches 6pm on the evening before starting the climb and your luggage has not arrived we recommend buying and/or hiring items immediately as a precaution
  • We will arrange for the hire of sleeping bags for you - to be paid locally
  • We will provide wet weather gear, t-shirts and fleeces out of our own stock. All gear must be returned to the Lead Guide at the end of the climb.  A nominal charge for cleaning items will be made of US$10 per item, payable locally
  • We will take you to a shop where you can buy toiletry items, e.g. toothbrush
  • Any luggage that arrives after you have started your climb will be brought up the mountain to you by a porter


We will do everything we can to help if your luggage is lost or delayed but all additional out of pocket costs have to be paid locally and should be charged back to the airline or your insurers. This includes the cost of taxis for shopping, repeat trips to the airport to collect bags and transporting your bag to you on the mountain.

Dressing appropriatley

Tanzania has a warm tropical climate with little variance in temperature throughout the year. It is also a conservative country, so it is a good idea to respect local custom and dress appropriately. We recommend wearing long sleeves and covering legs where possible before and after your climb. Loose, breathable clothing will help you stay cool whilst keeping skin covered. A wide-brimmed sunhat is also an excellent idea to keep the harsh rays off your face and neck.

What to wear during your trek is a slightly different matter. You will start at the warm base of the mountain before travelling through dense, humid rainforest, ascending to open moorland before hitting the glacial zone. Picking appropriate clothing for this wide range of climates is tricky so we suggest opting for lots of layers that you can add on or take off depending on the conditions each day. You can read our blog about what your Kilimanjaro packing list should include or head to our recommended equipment page. You might also like to learn about the best walking boots for Kilimanjaro from our article on hiking boots.
Kilimanjaro ascent (photo credit: tristanbalme.com)

Geography

Kilimanjaro is what is known as a stratovolcano. This basically means it is one very big ash pile built up over the course of many eruptions, over millions of years. Fortunately, it is now dormant. The last major eruption was about 360,000 years ago. Kilimanjaro has 2.2 square kilometres (0.85 sq mi) of glacial ice, but this is quickly disappearing. The glaciers have shrunk 82% since 1912 and declined 33% since 1989. Kilimanjaro may well be ice free within the next 20 years.

As you climb Kilimanjaro you pass through five distinct climate and vegetation zones. On the lower slopes up to 1,800m or 5,900ft, the climate is tropical. This belt is known as the Cultivation Zone and is where people have planted crops in the rich volcanic soil such as coffee, maize and beans. The Rainforest Zone comes next, between 1,800 – 2,800m or 5,900 – 9,200ft, and receives the highest amount of rainfall, up to 2m or 78in per year. The high moisture content of the climate here results in a band of dense tropical rainforest. Higher up still is the Moorland Zone or the Low Alpine Zone which is between 2,800 - 4,000m or 9,200 - 13,100ft. This is covered with heather, low-lying scrub and bright flowers. Between 4,000 – 5,000m or 13,100 - 16,400ft there is a semi-desert region known as the High Alpine Zone that receives less than 25cm or 10in of rain annually. Only plants such as moss or lichen can survive here. The summit or the Glacial Zone above 5,000m or 16,400ft is an icy wasteland, baked by fierce sunshine during the day and frozen at night. The thin air here at this altitude contains half as much oxygen as at sea level.

Despite the various tough conditions on Kilimanjaro there are over 140 species of mammals living on Mount Kilimanjaro. At least seven larger mammal species have been recorded above the tree line including tree hyrax, grey duiker, red duiker, eland, bushbuck, buffalo and elephants. Three primate species also live in the montane forests: blue monkeys, black and white colombus monkeys and bushbabies.

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