Climb Mount Kilimanjaro (5895m) via The Rongai Route

Much Better Adventures offers three routes on Kilimanjaro. Depending on your preferences you can choose a route that is best suited to you; whether that's escaping the crowds on the quieter sides of the mountain, spending more time in Kilimanjaro's forest and moorland environments for best wildlife spotting, and of course finding a trip that suits the time and budget you have available.

Rongai Route (7 days on the mountain): A much quieter and more remote trek away from the crowds. Approaching from the north, your climb starts on Kilimanjaro's second peak, Mawenzi, before crossing a high saddle onto the main peak, Kibo, where you reach the same high point of the other routes, Uhuru Peak. The days are generally considered more moderate, with gradual climbs and avoiding the Baranco Wall scramble. However, the challenges of altitude and a long summit day remain. To reach the start of the Rongai Route involves a 3-4 hour drive.

Lemosho Route (8 days on the mountain): Our longest route with the highest success rate, if you have the extra day available this is probably the best all-round route for most. The Lemosho Route starts to the west of Kilimanjaro and enjoys three days of relatively quiet trails before joining the Machame Route at Lava Tower. These first days are through temperate forest, with good potential for wildlife spotting, before climbing up and across the Shira Plateau. With the extra day on the mountain, it is a more complete experience, seeing all sides and zones of the mountain, as well as allowing more time to adjust to the altitude – it is the route with the highest success rate and growing in popularity because of this.

Machame Route (7 days on the mountain): Considered to be very scenic, the Machame Route strikes a good balance between a safe acclimatisation profile and an efficient itinerary – the Machame Park Gate is only a 45-minute drive from Moshi, so it's the quickest to get to. As with Rongai and Lemosho, you have a different descent route for your way down the mountain.

See our guide to the Best Routes on Kilimanjaro for the full lowdown.

We do everything we can to give you the best chance of summiting Kilimanjaro successfully and safely. From the routes we choose, to the care and food provided on the mountain, our local host is very well placed to get you to the top! We have an average summit success rate of around 95% for all routes!

The guides have been extensively trained at the Mweka Wildlife Centre and are familiar with the routes, terrain and conditions. With over 10 years' experience, they have also been to the summit more than 100 times. Additionally, all of the guides are certified First Aid Responders and CPR trained.

For every customer, you'll be accompanied by approximately 3-4 supporting crew members. For example, a group of 8 is likely to be accompanied by 25 support crew. This is broken down as one lead guide, three assistant guides, one cook/chef, one waiter, one pilot (toilet porter), three tent crew, and 16 porters who carry any additional equipment.

Your host prides themselves on treating their porters and mountain crew as part of their extended family, and advocate for fair pay and treatment of porters through membership of key local associations, Kilimanjaro Porter's Association (KPA) and the Tanzania Tour Guide Association (TTGA). These associations work with the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA) to set minimum pay rates and regulations that all operators must abide by within the national park. Your host is committed to meeting or exceeding these expectations, as well as providing further benefits such as training opportunities so porters can progress on to roles of cooks or guides as they gain experience on the mountain. As a baseline MBA commit to ensuring:

· Porters are paid a minimum of 25,000Tsh per day (US $1 = approx 2,000 Tsh)

· Salaries must be paid within five days of the descent of ALL climbs

· A transparent tipping procedure, so porters receive the full tip amount intended for them

· Loads carried by the porter should not exceed 20kg for the company (excluding porter's personal kit)

· Porters are provided with three meals per day

· Porters have proper shelter conditions and sleeping equipment

· Porters are outfitted with proper gear

· Sick or injured porters are properly cared for

There is a limit to the weight that the porters can carry and your main kitbag must be no heavier than 15kg. Your sleeping bag can be packed separately, so this doesn’t need to be included in this weight limit. We would ask that you only bring essential items on the mountain to minimise the loads that the porters carry.

You will also need to have a daypack to hold your basic kit for each day of walking. We recommend that this is not over 6kg, and the lighter the better. Please bear in mind that you will need to carry a significant amount of water, so this will add to the weight of your daypack.

Extra items not required on the mountain can be left in Moshi.

You can securely leave any excess luggage at your host's base before setting off on the trek.

If you have any hiking gear that’s in good condition but you don’t need after your trek, donations to your team of porters will be gratefully received. Talk to your host if you’d like donate any of your gear.

Your team of porters will provide you with boiled and filtered water throughout the trek.

If you need to be taken down to a lower altitude as a matter of urgency, there are two options in place.

In most instances, steel-framed, mobile stretchers can be pushed by porters to descend quickly. Most people feel immediate relief at lower altitudes where you will be evaluated and if the guides determine you are well enough, you will wait for your group at a lower camp or be taken to the gate for transfer to Moshi for medical treatment (if necessary).

For more serious concerns, through a partnership with Kilimanjaro SAR, emergency helicopters can be deployed within 5 minutes for evacuation, complete with in-flight medical treatment. However, they’re not guaranteed – they depend on weather, daylight and suitable landing spots. Upon landing, if you require further medical attention, you will be taken to their modern, private High Altitude Medical Clinic, designed to tackle Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). A note on safety - local rescue helicopters may be operated by Tanzanian carriers that appear on the EU Air Safety List. This relates to national oversight rather than the specific rescue service, and helicopters are used only when medically necessary. Ground evacuation remains the primary and most reliable method.

Please ensure that you have appropriate insurance coverage for trekking with evacuation coverage for up to 6,000 metres above sea level, including helicopter rescue in Tanzania.

Yes! Oxygen cylinders are carried on all of our climbs for emergency use only. In addition to this, our guides perform daily health and pulse oxymeter checks, which measure both your heart rate and the percentage of oxygen in your blood. Ensuring and monitoring your health and safety at all altitudes is your host's top priority, and all guides are well-trained to identify the signs of AMS and act accordingly.

Yes! Just mention this in the enquiry form when you book or message your host after you have booked and they can help you to arrange this. Prices are shown above in the Optional Extras section.

A plastic bag ban went into effect across Tanzania from 1st June 2019 and the use, manufacture or importation of plastic bags, including garbage bags and shopping bags, is now illegal and convicted offenders, including tourists, can face heavy fines, imprisonment for up to two years, or both. Visitors are advised to avoid packing any plastic bags in their suitcases or hand luggage before flying to Tanzania. Items purchased at the airport before boarding the aircraft should also be removed from plastic bags. Please check your hand luggage before disembarking at entry points and any plastic bags should be left on the plane. Similarly, the transparent zip-lock plastic bags that some airlines require passengers to use for keeping liquids, cosmetics, toiletries etc are also not permitted and should be removed and left on the plane before disembarking.

At Much Better Adventures, we work hard to accommodate dietary requirements and allergies so your trip is safe, inclusive and enjoyable. That said, options can vary by country, location and accommodation, and in some places options may be limited or unavailable. The information below has been provided by your host so you’re fully informed about what will be possible on your trip depending on your individual requirements. This information should be read carefully prior to your trip to ensure that you are adequately prepared for the situation ‘on the ground’.

Once you have booked on your trip, please fill out your passenger information form asap with any dietary requirements. Once you complete your passenger information, your dietary needs and any allergies are automatically shared with your host and, in turn, your guide. Please submit this as early as possible so they can plan accordingly and deliver the best experience. Please also remind your guide about your dietary requirements upon arrival, as mentioning these in person allows your guide to comprehend individual preferences and limitations as soon as you arrive.

BACKGROUND

Food on Kilimanjaro reflects East African farming traditions and the practical demands of altitude, with meals built around filling staples such as rice, potatoes, vegetables and pulses to provide steady energy. On the mountain, your local host and chef team have a good level of control and are used to international groups, so vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free diets and allergies are well accommodated, although fresh produce can become more limited higher up. Off the mountain, options for those with dietary requirements are generally good in hotels and private restaurants especially in the tourist areas and larger towns like Moshi.

SPECIAL DIETS

Vegetarian -Vegetarian diets can easily be catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance.

Vegan -Vegan diets can be easily catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance.

Kosher -Fully certified Kosher kitchens and supervision are rare and usually cannot be guaranteed unless expressly confirmed in advance by your host. Vegetarian or vegan options can often be the most reliable alternative if this is acceptable to you. Please read the related sections above.

Halal Certified Halal supply varies and may not always be possible. Vegetarian or vegan options can often be the most reliable alternative if this is acceptable to you. Please read the related sections above.

INTOLERANCES

Gluten Free (for Coeliac, please see Allergies section below) -Gluten-free diets can be easily catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance.

Lactose Free -Lactose-free diets can be easily catered for on this trip, provided that your host is made aware in advance.

ALLERGIES

Your host has confirmed that they are able to accommodate mild allergies to the 14 allergens identified by the UK Food Standards Agency, where these are disclosed in advance. However, if you have a severe or life-threatening food allergy, please get in touch with our CX team prior to booking to discuss whether your requirements can be accommodated safely on this trip. This will allow us to carefully consider the sensitivity and severity of your allergy, the available provision on the trip and the accessibility of medical care should a reaction occur. Your safety is always our top priority. Please note that when travelling overseas, local ingredients, food preparation methods and labelling standards may vary, particularly in remote areas. It is also worth noting that any allergies may result in more limited options and repetitive provision in some areas. Whilst your guide will help communicate dietary requirements where possible, customers remain responsible for managing their own allergies during the trip.

Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.

Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).

For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.

We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way. Check out our Community Values – a shared code to make sure that everyone's experience is safe, inclusive and brilliantly unforgettable.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

• 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
• 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
• 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

It's possible to climb Mount Kilimanjaro all year round, however, the months outside of the rainy seasons are more desirable. The best climbing months are from December to March and July to October. The best weather is usually at the beginning of the year from January to March, which are also typically the warmest and driest months. Thanks to Tanzania’s proximity to the equator, the region doesn’t typically experience the extremes of winter and summer weather you might expect and instead has dry and wet seasons. The local weather conditions on Kilimanjaro can be somewhat unpredictable (to say the least) and rainfall varies from 2100mm per year in the rainforest belt to less than 120mm per year in the summit zone. Daily temperature changes are also unpredictable when compared to normal weather cycles, and are largely dependent on the altitude.