The best time to Climb Kilimanjaro

Due to Mt. Kilimanjaro’s closeness to the equator, the region doesn’t experience extreme winter and summer weather, but rather dry and wet seasons. And for that reason, the best and preferred time to climb Mount Kilimanjaro are the warmest and driest months of the year. The major issue is safety, as the risks associated with climbing increase significantly when the weather is brutal. The effects of rain, mud, snow, ice and cold can be very vigorous on the body. Correspondingly, your chances of a successful summit also increase significantly with nice weather. Of course, the mountain gets more foot traffic during these periods as well.

It is possible to climb Kilimanjaro throughout the year; however, it is best to climb when there is a lower precipitation. The dry seasons start from the beginning of December through the beginning of March, and then from late June through the end of October. These are considered to be the best times to climb Kilimanjaro in terms of weather, and correspondingly are the busiest months. Our Kilimanjaro group climb are scheduled to correspond with the dry season.

During the warmest months (from January through mid-March) skies are clear in the mornings and evenings. During the day, clouds may appear along little rain showers. The long rainy season start from the end of March to early June. We do not recommend climbing during this time unless you are an experienced mountain climber who has trekked in similar conditions. It can be very wet at times, and visibility may be low due to heavy clouds. However, from mid-June to the end of October, the mountain is generally a bit colder and also drier. Short rainy season starts from the beginning of November to the beginning of December and afternoon rains are common around this time of the months, but skies are clear in mornings and evenings.