Best time to CLimb Kilimanjaro

Climbing Kilimanjaro during the wet months

Most climbers avoid climbing Kilimanjaro during the two rainy seasons each year. The main reason for this is that climbing in the rain is simply less enjoyable for most people and means missing out on many beautiful views and photographic opportunities. For a few climbers however, there is an added attraction to climbing during rainy months because: There are virtually no crowds on any routes. So even a busy and heavily commercialized route like Machame can be almost empty and one can pretty much have the trail to oneself. For some the idea of climbing Kilimanjaro when the summit is most likely to be snowcapped can feel like a more authentic alpine experience and adds an additional element of challenge to the adventure.

Climbing Kilimanjaro during Busy months

For most climbers however, the idea of minimizing the likelihood of being often rained on and having the best prospects of good views and photo opportunities, are some of the deciding factors when deciding when to climb. We are aware of these trends we have long sought methods to ensure that our climbers are not exposed to high volume crowding and that they should enjoy as authentic a wilderness experience as possible, despite climbing at a very busy time. As well as trying to incorporate some of the best pro-acclimatization topographical features as possible, our desire to avoid crowds has driven us to develop unique routes that are exclusive to us and which we believe offer the best possible experiences and summit prospects on Kilimanjaro. This means that even if choosing or needing to climb at a time of year when the highest volumes of climbers on Kilimanjaro can be expected, we are reasonably confident of ensuring that you are not likely to suffer from crowds and that you can enjoy the vast majority of the trail at your pace, without leap-frogging other groups or being jostled by their support staff.

Best months to climb

There are really no months that absolutely have to be avoided. For those who are not wanting to risk finding themselves in crowds at any point on the mountain, and who also wish to avoid the times of year when rain is a near certainty, the following months would usually be considered: January, March, June and October.