Welcome to the start of your journey to the ‘Roof of Africa’. Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, affectionately known as ‘Kili’, is Africa’s highest mountain at 5895m. Kili is also the world’s highest free-standing mountain and its towering snow-capped, symmetrical cone is a world-recognised African image. A World Heritage site, the whole mountain is designated a national park and Kilimanjaro National Park covers an area of some 755 square kilometers, consisting of vast areas of montane forest with unique moorland flora and alpine desert at higher altitudes.
Kilimanjaro Marangu Route
About the area
Tanzania is home to Africa’s highest peak and is a popular East African location for tourists. It has many natural attractions including Zanzibar, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti and also the Ngorongoro Crater. Tanzania is a large country and its structure is broken up, making it time consuming to travel around. The local people have a very friendly reputation so petty theft and violent crime is quite rare.
Three of Africa’s Great Lakes are partly within Tanzania. To the north lies Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake. To the west is Lake Tanganyika, the continent’s deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish. Central Tanzania is a large plateau, with plains and arable land. The eastern shore is hot and humid, with the Zanzibar Archipelago just offshore. Tanzania’s many parks and reserves offer climbing options for the avid explorer. Hiking trips and mountain climbing in the country is becoming a popular option for tourists not content to observe the country from the back of a game viewing vehicle. Instead, people are making the most of the many trails and peaks on offer.
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is the highlight of most visitors’ experiences in Tanzania. Few mountains can claim the grandeur, the breath-taking views of Amboseli National Park in Kenya, the Rift Valley and the Masaai Steppe that belongs to Kilimanjaro. Hiking to the ‘rooftop of Africa’ – the highest point on the continent at 5896 metres is the adventure of a lifetime. This is especially because, if paced well, everyone from seasoned trekkers to first-time enthusiasts can scale the snowy peak.
About the climb
Kilimanjaro trekking along the Marangu Route takes 6 days to complete and is located on the Southern side of the mountain. It is the easiest and shortest route to climb Kili. On this trek will be the chance to see Colobus monkeys, four-striped grass mice and the lower ground is inhabited by buffalo and elephants! We will see views of the Kibo and Mawenzi Peaks and will hike the hill of Kifinika, cross paths with Zebra Rock and trek to the Maundi Crater. The terrain varies from scree to volcanic rock to small amounts of ice/ snow and even some upland desert.
Our Kilimanjaro tours are undertaken by people of all ages but should not be attempted without some physical training/preparation. Mt Kilimanjaro is situated on Tanzania’s northern border with Kenya and while Moshi is the nearest large town, it is also accessible from Arusha (1-2 hrs by road) and Nairobi (6-8 hrs by road).
