Climb Mount Kilimanjaro: Routes, Prices & Best Time

Kilimanjaro rises almost five kilometres above the plains of northern Tanzania to Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m above sea level. It is the highest mountain in Africa, one of the Seven Summits, and the tallest mountain on Earth that stands alone rather than as part of a range.

Three volcanoes, one mountain The massif is made of three cones. Shira, the oldest, collapsed long ago into the high plateau on the western side. Mawenzi (5,149 m) is the jagged, eroded peak to the east. Kibo, the youngest, holds the summit crater and the last of the mountain's glaciers. Kibo is dormant rather than extinct: fumaroles still steam in its inner crater.

Five climate zones in a week Climbers start among the coffee and banana farms of the lower slopes, enter montane rainforest at around 1,800 m, come out onto heath and moorland near 2,800 m, cross an alpine desert above 4,000 m and finish in a world of rock and ice above 5,000 m. At the summit the air holds about half the oxygen it does at sea level.

No climbing experience needed Every route is a trek, with at most a short hands-on scramble on the Barranco Wall. What makes Kilimanjaro hard is altitude, and the most reliable way to deal with altitude is time. Choosing a route of seven days or more is the single best thing you can do for your chance of reaching the top.

How we climb Every climb is led by park-licensed mountain guides who check your oxygen saturation and pulse twice a day, with a cook preparing fresh meals and porters carrying the camp. You climb at your own pace, and the guide decides on the day whether conditions and your health allow the summit attempt.

Kilimanjaro has been a national park since 1973 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. All climbers must go with a licensed guide and register at the park gate. The nearest airport is Kilimanjaro International (JRO), between Moshi and Arusha.