Best Time to Climb Kilimanjaro

Realistically, you can climb Kilimanjaro any time of the year but some months are just better than others.

On your journey, you will experience 5 distinct climate zones; Rainforest, Heath, Moorland, Alpine Desert & Arctic. Crazy right?

They say that climbing Kilimanjaro is like hiking from the equator to the North Pole in a matter of days!

Apart from this, the weather can also play a major role in determining the ideal time to climb this beautiful mountain.

So why is this relevant to my Kilimanjaro preparation?

To really understand how the weather affects your climb, it is helpful to know that there are 2 main wind patterns that occur in Tanzania. Keep this in mind when focusing on your Kilimanjaro preparation.

North-East Trade Winds

If you are looking to climb any time between March and May, you may want to reconsider. During this time, Trade Winds travelling from the North-East travel over the Indian Ocean and will arrive at the equator with rain clouds bursting at the seams. This makes mid March through to May the “wet” season and, as you can imagine, wet conditions do not make for ideal hiking weather.

If you only have time between March and May to climb, you will be happy to hear that there is a route you can take to avoid the extreme rainfall and still experience the beauty of Kilimanjaro.

Rongai Route is suggested for trekkers who only have a window of opportunity to climb between March and May. This is because the route resides from the North and due to the mass of rain falling mainly on the Southern side of the peak, the Northern slopes experience less rain. Expert guides at Follow Alice (followallice.com) do however suggest that if your dates are flexible, that you consider a more ideal time of year.

Come prepared and maximize your experience!

When it comes to your Kilimanjaro preparation, there are a number of factors to consider when embarking on this journey of a lifetime.

Not only do you need to be somewhat physically prepared, but practical and mental preparation play a big part in the success and overall experience of climbing Kilimanjaro. With that being said, there are many questions that come to mind and the internet can be a tad overwhelming, resulting in analysis paralysis.

Well, never fear while Follow Alice is near – they’ve got your back! Their expert guides are our go-to resource for Kilimanjaro research.

Kilimanjaro is a life changing experience!

There is a fair amount of physical and practical Kilimanjaro preparation that can make your climb easier and increase the likelihood of reaching the top, but ultimately the hard part comes in when the body starts to experience altitude sickness. Unfortunately, this is the main aspect of the climb that stops people from reaching the top and can affect each person differently.

There may be points in your journey that you feel are hard, for whatever reason. The best advice is to remain positive and take it very slowly. Stop and take a deep breath, keep looking up and taking in the beautiful backdrop of this new and exciting experience.

Booking a guided climb and relying on local experts who regularly climb Kilimanjaro can increase your enjoyment and your chances of success on this epic climbing adventure.