Summiting Mount Kilimanjaro is an incredible experience that you won’t soon forget. Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world and stands at 19,341 feet (5,895 meters) above sea level. Not only are the views incredible, but summiting Kilimanjaro is quite an achievement. You’lll also likely meet some amazing people along the way.
A trek to the top of this mountain is an epic experience, but also requires preparation. This guide shares some of the most important things to know before climbing Kilimanjaro and is based on my experience doing this hike via the Machame Route in 2024.
19 Things To Know Before Climbing Kilimanjaro
1. There Are Multiple Routes to Reach the Top
There are several different routes you can take to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and they range in their distance, difficulty and time. The most popular route (which I took) is the Machame Route and it can be completed in 6 or 7 days. The Lemosho Route tends to be the other most popular route and can be done in 6, 7 or 8 days.
Both the Lemosho and Machame Routes done in 7 or 8 days also have the highest success rate. The more time you have to acclimate, the better chance you have to be successful.
I had a great experience doing the Machame Route over 7 days and highly recommend it. However, I’ve also heard that the Lemosho Route is slightly more scenic. You really can’t go wrong with either choice, but be sure to research the differences between all of the different route options.
2. You Cannot do this Climb Without a Guide
You will need to go with a guide to hike Mount Kilimanjaro. It’s a local law and has been a rule since 1991. Your guide plays many roles, including taking care of all of the logistics and paperwork needed to do this climb.
Typically, you will book through a company and your team will also include porters and a chef. It’s possible to book just a guide and carry your own things, but it will take more research.
The guide's number one concern is safety, and they’ll make sure you stay safe and healthy along the way.
3. Prepare for all Types of Weather
You’ll likely experience quite a range of weather and temperature during your trek to Mount Kilimanjaro. On the Machame Route, you start and end in a rainforest, head up into an alpine desert and eventually reach the summit at over 19,000 feet. Overall, you’ll be going from 5,380 feet to 19,341 feet, so it’s no surprise that temperatures and climates can vary wildly throughout the trek.
Make sure to come prepared with layers, rain gear and a range of clothing items so that you can stay comfortable no matter where you’re at in the journey.
4. The Summit Can be Extremely Cold and Windy
I just mentioned the varying weather you might endure, but the brutal cold of the summit deserves its own category. It’s not uncommon to have blistering winds and blizzard conditions at the summit. My summit was probably the coldest I’ve ever been (and I’ve been to Norway and Iceland in the winter) and the guides said they had experienced much worse. My fingers and toes went numb.
You’ll want to have very warm layers for the summit day and it’s not a bad idea to carry hand warmers or heated socks. For me, the worst part was the wind, which was unrelenting. The good news is that it warms up substantially at sunrise, which is around when most people summit.
Tip: If you’re carrying a water bladder, expect it to freeze during your summit.
5. You’ll Probably Hike Overnight to Reach the Summit
The vast majority of groups hike throughout the night and reach the summit of Kilimanjaro around sunrise. This means you’ll be hiking in the dark for hours. This felt never-ending at times, but some groups sing and chant and play music, which helped me stay motivated to keep going. It’s an experience that might be just as mentally challenging (or more) as it is physically challenging, but it’s so worth it to reach the top at sunrise.
One main reason why most groups do the climb over night is so that the loose scree you’re hiking over will be more frozen, and therefore easier to climb.
6. Most Companies do A LOT for you
On a typical trek to Mount Kilimanjaro, you’ll book the experience through a company and it will include a guide, a chef and porters. The team will not only be carrying your extra gear and cooking for you, but they’ll set up and tear down your tents every day and night. They will also set up a complete dining tent including a table and chairs. Plus, this gets rebuilt and torn down every single day.
The porters work VERY hard and deserve a lot of credit for everything they carry. You’ll see them hiking on the trails and might notice that some don’t even have proper shoes or are carrying things on their heads. It’s a humbling experience to watch them hike past you while you might be struggling with a small pack.
7. Be Prepared to Tip
As I said above, the porters, guides and chefs typically work incredibly hard. Therefore, tipping is expected and really appreciated. Make sure you budget for this in advance and bring US dollars (it’s helpful to have small bills).
Tipping is traditionally done at the end in a tipping ceremony. Typical tips tend to start at:
- Lead Guide: $20 a day
- Assistant guide: $15 a day
- Cook: $10 a day
- Porter: $8 a day
But ask your company ahead of time what their typical expectation is for tipping.
8. You’ll be Encouraged to Hike Very Slow
Many visitors struggle with the high altitude of Mount Kilimanjaro and this is the number one reason that some hikers don’t reach the top. In order to have time to acclimate, most guides will encourage you to hike very slowly (or ‘pole pole’ in Swahili).
If you’re used to hiking fast, this may be a bit of an adjustment. I encourage you to embrace the ‘pole pole’ mindset and enjoy the journey.
This means that you might not have a ton of downtime even though you won’t be hiking very far on some of the days.
9. Diamox Can Make a Huge Difference
Taking Diamox is one of my top tips for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro! The high altitude causes many hikers to get sick during the trek and sometimes not reach the top. Our guide said that the number one thing that seems to help is whether they are taking Diamox. This is especially important if you’re coming from an area at a lower elevation.
Diamox is a medication that you’ll typically take twice a daily starting a couple days before your trek. In the United States, it needs to be prescribed by a doctor. I took Diamox and felt that it helped a lot.
Tip: Diamox can make your fingers and toes feel tingly (like they’re falling asleep).
10. Going Down is Worse Than Going Up (in my opinion)
At least for me, hiking down from the summit was worse than going up. The portion of the trail leading to the summit is quite steep and has a lot of loose scree, so it felt very slippery for me hiking down. Plus, at least in the route I took, it was a ton of downhill hiking in one day after summiting overnight. Hiking poles are a must in my opinion.
Learn from mistake and be sure to trim your toenails beforehand and/or bring toenail clippers… let’s just say that both of my big toenails did not last much longer than the trek.
11. There is one Rock Scrambling Portion (but it’s not bad)
For the Machame Route, there is only one portion of the entire trek that is considered slightly technical. It’s known as the infamous Barranco Wall and involves a bit of rock scrambling and narrow areas. Honestly, if you have any experience with rock scrambling on other hikes, this isn’t bad at all.
The rest of the trail includes a variety of terrains, some areas are rocky and some are walking on dirt in the rainforest. Plus, there is the loose scree near the summit. However, there is nothing too technically challenging about the trek. The hardest part is the high elevation.
12. Bring a Sleeping Pad
Typically, a thin pad to go under your sleeping bag is provided along with your tent, but it’s not very comfortable. Bringing an inflatable sleeping pad can make a huge difference in comfort! I’ve been using the AirRail Plus Sleeping Pad from REI for years.
13. Prepare to Be Off-Grid
While some camps might have a little bit of cell coverage, it’s very unreliable. I recommend keeping your phone in airplane mode during the whole trek (and bringing a portable battery or two) so that you can take photos. But enjoy the time spent away from the internet and use this time to disconnect.
14. You Won’t Go Hungry and the Food is Delicious
Of course, I can only directly speak about the amazing food from my company (Shiri Adventures), but I’ve heard that this is common for most trekking companies.
They will cook you 3 hot meals a day and the food is delicious! Plus, I’m a vegetarian and they had no problem accommodating that. Some of the food I had included mashed potatoes, aubergine, scrambled eggs and pasta. It was always delicious and filling!
15. Ask if your Company will be Bringing a Portable Toilet
This will vary on which company you go with, but make sure to ask if they will be bringing a portable toilet. If they don’t, you’ll need to use the pit toilets at the campgrounds, which don’t have toilet seats and are very gross. I thought the portable toilet was definitely worth the extra cost. Either way, I also recommend bringing sand sanitizer.
16. It’s Nice to Donate Some Gear to your Guide(s) at the End
In addition to tipping, you have the option to donate your gear to the guides at the end of your trek. Keep this in mind if you have any gear that you don’t think you’ll use again.
17. If You Don’t Have Much Hiking Experience, Make Sure to Break in Your Shoes
If you’re not an experienced hiker, one of the most important things I recommend is to break in your hiking shoes beforehand. The last thing you want is blisters on a hike like this! I also recommend going to a store like REI and trying shoes on before purchasing. Everyone’s feet have different needs and preferences.
18. Consider if you want a Private Trek or to Hike with a Group
You can either take a private trek to the top of Kilimanjaro, or go with a group. Group sizes and prices will vary by company. I did a private trek, and while it was amazing, I wish I would have gone with a group in order to save some money and meet fellow hikers from around the world.
19. What Happens if You Can’t Hike Out? (Or Don’t Want To)
If you get injured while hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, you have a few options that may vary depending on where you’re at on the journey. One thing they will do is roll you down the rest of the trail in a stretcher with wheels.
You also have the option to take a helicopter out. The cost of the helicopter typically ranges from $1,500 to $4,000 per person. Some tired hikers choose to take the helicopter out after summiting, even if they are not injured.
Final Thoughts
I hope this helps you prepare for an epic trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro! It’s likely to be one of the most memorable hikes of your lifetime and coming prepared will set you up for success.
For more bucket list hikes and adventures around the world, check out these guides:
- The Ultimate Guide to Hiking the W Trek in Patagonia
- The Best Things To Do in Madeira, Portugal
- A Guide to Visiting Banff in May
- The Ultimate Utah Mighty 5 Road Trip
- The Best Things To Do in Yellowstone National Park
Thanks for Reading!
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