Kilimanjaro Travel Guide

Kilimanjaro has five distinct climate zones and after making your way to the national park gates through the cultivated lower slopes of the mountain, you'll experience is the dense tropical montane rainforest zone. It is hot and humid here and the cacophany of jungle sounds is astounding. Trek through lush green forest and catch glimpses of monkeys and birds flying through the canopy above.

Between 2,800–4,000m or 9,200–13,200ft, the low alpine desert on Mount Kilimanjaro is a moorland of semi-arid grasslands and orange earth with incredible views of the mountain herself above. At this altitude there will be less rain than in the rainforest below but temperatures will be mild during the day and cool at night.

The high alpine desert zone on Kilimanjaro lives above the low alpine area and sits at an altitude of between 4,000-5,000m or 13,200–16,500ft. This area is cool, dry and characterised by rocky slopes, hard volcanic ground and very little vegetation. The air is thinner here but the views of the mountain and Africa beyond are truly spectacular.

The glacial zone or the arctic zone is the area on Mount Kilimanjaro above 5,000m or 16,500ft. Here you'll find snow and ice, rocky crags and cold temperatures, although the sun at this altitude is fierce. You won't spend much time above 5,000m as the air is thin at this altitude but it is a sight to behold. Reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro at 5,865m is a fantastic achievement and those who do will be rewarded with breathtaking views from the roof of Africa.