The effort of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is higher than for most other types of travel. The preparation takes time. The ascent is physically and psychologically challenging. And the cost of an ascent exceeds that of most other vacation. In particular, most people are unaware of the actual financial effort and the individual costs of such a trip. In fact, however, general statements can only be made about part of the costs. Another part depends heavily on individual needs and the traveler’s prior experience.
Cost of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in detail
Most tourists organize their ascent before departure. You can also spontaneously book on the spot, however, which is not recommended due to the oftentimes lacking preparation and availability. The hike must be accompanied by a TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks Authority) Guide. An ascent on your own is not possible. A typical ascent takes five to seven days and an all-inclusive package usually costs between 1,700 and 3,000 USD. The wide range results from the different durations and types of tours as well as the respective services provided by and characteristics of the organizer. In rare cases, you can find organizers who also offer an ascent for less money. Due to the oftentimes bad conditions and low payment of the accompanying team, however, this is not recommended.
In the following you will find an overview of the individual cost items and the approximate costs per person.
1) Tour operator: ca. 2,400 USD (range ca. 1,700 USD to 3,000 USD)
Costs depending among other things on the choice of route, duration of the ascent, included services, cost structure of the organizer.
2) Equipment: ca. 600 USD (range ca. 200 USD to 2,000 USD)
Costs depending on your existing equipment as well as completeness and quality of the desired assortment.
3) Tips: ca. 200 USD (range ca. 100 USD to 300 USD)
For the escorting team, i.e. guides, cooks and porters. Tips are officially voluntary, but basically an obligatory part of the ascent. Local staffs commonly have very low salaries and we thus strongly recommend tipping them. You can find more information on tipping staffs on our website or on the website of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP).
4) Preparation/Precaution: ca. 150 USD (range ca. 50 USD to 200 USD)
Costs for medication, vaccinations and entry visa among others.
5) Flight/Transport: ca. 900 USD (range ca. 600 USD to 1,300 USD)
Travel to/from the airport and return flight to Tanzania (Economy-Class)
The total cost of the trip is thus approximately 4,350 USD on average per person (range ca. 2,800 USD to 6,900 USD).
The costs shown are based on the actual costs of hiking Kilimanjaro, all-inclusive. The costs for safaris, beach vacation, travel insurance and other costs as well as personal expenses for souvenirs need to be added depending on the individual travel program.