Month Weather Busy
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April xx ticktick
May xx ticktick
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November x ticktick
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Best time of year to climb

You can climb Kilimanjaro any month of the year but you should consider four main factors in choosing your climb date. First is the weather, second is how busy the trek will be, third is the timing of the full moon and fourth is the cost of flights.

The weather on any high altitude mountain can be changeable and unpredictable and Kilimanjaro is no different. Just because it is the dry season there is no guarantee that you will not see rain!! 

Generally though this is a good rule:

January to March is warmer with only the occasional brief shower. It is often quieter than the other peak season of June to October, which coincides with the main school holidays in Europe. 

April and May are the rainy months and generally to be avoided if possible - of course everyone thinks that so it is quiet! We do operate successful private Kilimanjaro climbs during this time via the Machame route only.

June to October are also good months to climb but can be a little colder than January to March. This is the main high season and therefore busier than at other times.  Generally June and October are slightly quieter than July-September.

November is the time of the short rains and again is generally avoided as it is also starting to get cold. Again, we operate private climbs via the Machame route during this period.

December – the short November rains have subsided and it is now getting clearer and warmer. It is more likely that you will experience snow at this time of year. 

Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro during the full moon is an amazing experience particularly as the summit ascent is nearly always done overnight and the benefit of a full moon is huge for fantastic night sky views. 

Flight prices vary a lot seasonally and prices in the main Northern Hemisphere holiday period will sometimes be as much as double other times. Also you should think about the actual day as if you can avoid flying Friday or Saturday again you can make big savings.

Avoiding the weekend is also good for the trek as the numbers starting on Saturday and Sunday are roughly double every other day so a mid-week start gives you a much quieter climb.