Kilimanjaro FAQ

How fit do you have to be to climb Kilimanjaro?

In short, ordinary fitness level is sufficient to reach the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. If you can walk a 10-14 km/6-7 miles per day, certainly you can climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Many websites recommend intensive training for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Our practice, however, showed that people with ordinary fitness level who got proper acclimatization always reach the summit. Yet, professional athletes, who failed to get acclimatized well (either because they “rush”, or because their guides fail to control their trekking progress) are at serious risk of high-altitude sickness and evacuation.

We do recommend you to take some exercises for your Kilimanjaro adventure. Good fitness level will always be a good advantage for a Kilimanjaro adventurer, as it will help you to tackle daily trekking challenge with ease and comfort.

If, however, for some reason you do not have an opportunity to take some workouts for your Kilimanjaro adventure – do not give up. Consider choosing a more extended program (such as Lemosho 8-day) with less daily trekking distance

How long does it take to walk up Kilimanjaro?

Depending on the route which you choose for your Kilimanjaro climbing adventure, it may take from 5 to 8 days. Longer programs with camping in Kilimanjaro crater are also available.

Do I need to have an insurance for Kilimanjaro trekking?

Though it is not a mandatory requirement for taking part in our Mount Kilimanjaro climb expeditions, we strongly recommend buying insurance against possible cancellation of your trip, lost and/or delayed luggage, emergency repatriation, emergency medical evacuation with helicopters.

Do I need to have a vaccination for Kilimanjaro expedition?

It is imperative to have a vaccination against yellow fever to enter Tanzania in case you are travelling to Tanzania from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. In all other cases there are no immunization/vaccination restrictions to enter Tanzania.

Trekking, hiking or climbing?

Though three terms are often used interchangeably, there are some semantic differences. Hiking refers to the easiest type of leisure “walking” activities and implies that a hiker is walking by specially designated and adapted trails or human-made roads.

Trekking also refers to the process of walking, yet this concept implies that a “trekker” walks a longer distance than a hiker and exerts himself physically above ordinary level. Another noticeable difference is that trekking expeditions take place in the areas with no transportation.

The idea of “mountain climbing”, on the other hand, is fundamentally different from “hiking” or “trekking”. There are two distinguishing features of mountain climbing. Firstly, it means using special equipment (clothes and gear), which is not usually used for hiking or trekking expeditions. Secondly, the purpose of a climbing expedition is reaching the top of a mountain, while hiking and trekking may be practiced in other wilderness areas.

Thus, semantically Kilimanjaro expeditions are both climbing and trekking. One-day Kilimanjaro adventures to the lower camps may be classified as “hikes”.

Below you will find a list of the equipment required for the Kilimanjaro climbing

Your luggage will be carried by porters of our team and you have a possibility to take all you need for a comfortable stay in the mountains. The weight of duffel bag that your porter can carry should not exceed 15 kg. If you have more, you can take the second porter by contacting your personal manager before the climb.