When is the Best Time to Climb Kilimanjaro?

(a) Any time! I’ve got my gear. Get me there now!
(b) When it rains
(c) During Summer
(d) It all depends on me

Think about this for a moment. Don’t rush. Maybe (a)? Possibly (c)? Confused? Don’t be. Let’s explain.

 

While we love this type of excitement, climbers should not venture up Kilimanjaro whenever they please. There are specific months when climbing is not fun and unsafe. This leads us to…

While this answer is incorrect, it does help explain why certain months are not conducive to Kili climbing. The times between April and May and mid-November through mid-December are when Tanzania receives a significant amount of rainfall. There is not enough for a person to boat up Kilimanjaro, but there’s still enough to render Kilimanjaro relatively miserable and unsafe to climb.

Terms like “summer” and “winter” are kind of relative when it comes to Mt. Kilimanjaro and Tanzania. This is because there’s really only a 10-15-degree difference between the hottest months and the coolest.

The truth is that whenever you climb Kilimanjaro, the weather will likely be warm at your starting point in the foothills and cold at the summit. Yes, the exact temperatures may vary among different months, but this variance is only slight in degree. For example, the foothills may be a bit warmer in one month compared to the next, and the summit may be a bit colder in one month compared to the next. But, you’re still working with temperatures that are warm at the base of Kilimanjaro and cold at its top.