HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO CLIMB KILIMANJARO?
Primarily you are advised not to decide by looking on one price alone. The price should be one
element of your final decision. The highest elevation hiking is not the place to buy the cheap
commodities but it is the place to sometimes overpay the needlessly.
You have to know that what you are finding is high quality services at affordable price. The
average cost of the Kilimanjaro trekking normally does not include your before and after
accommodation. Also it does not include the climbing gears and equipment’s, the flights and
vaccinations.
It is easy to understand the price cost to trek Kilimanjaro, what you have to do is just to follow
the basics and rules from mount Kilimanjaro national park. Initially you have to know the park
entry fees, quality food per meal cost, how much the guides and porters are paid, the government
tax, transport cost and your accommodation cost.
Though the minimal average cost of trekking Kilimanjaro are not fixed, the bargaining for your
price is allowed and it depends on your interest.
The reduction of the cost is available depending on different factors. What you have to do is to
contact us to negotiate the cost and book for Kilimanjaro trekking at a reasonable price to
accomplish your dreams.
Kilimanjaro Climbing Cost – Overview.
Most of the people are looking for an affordable Kilimanjaro climb. But if you have conducted
some research you will discover that it is not possible. And probably you will find that there are
wide varieties of prices charged form trekking Mount Kilimanjaro by different outfitters. You
have to know that there are more than 200 licensed operators on Mount Kilimanjaro.
The choices may be overwhelming, the sad news is that there are not many reputable operators,
and the company you select to trek with is important to your success and overall experience. If
you disregard the questionable companies you would be left with only few quality Kilimanjaro
operators.
Primarily you are advised not to decide by looking on one price alone. The price should be one
element of your final decision. The highest elevation hiking is not the place to buy the cheap
commodities but it is the place to sometimes overpay the needlessly.
Climbing Kilimanjaro Cost Considerations
The overall Kilimanjaro trekking cost is usually significantly more than the travel package
numbers that you observe on travel tour websites. There are many costs that are not accounted
for in the overall package cost. In our knowledge there are 7 major costs that you should incur,
they include, getting to Kilimanjaro flights, which is normally accounts for a significant part of
your overall adventure in Kilimanjaro.
Regarding to the place where you are flying from you might have a journey that will involve two
connections. Many of the trekkers fly into Addis Ababa or Nairobi and then catch a connection
flight to Kilimanjaro international airport.
Accommodation Before and After Kilimanjaro Climb
Many of the Kilimanjaro trekking packages on offer includes the accommodation before and
after the trek. Despite the fact that Tanzania is a developing country the local hotels rates are
ranking highest. To spend a night in a good 3 stars hotel in Moshi will cost $100-120 if it is
booked directly or $80-90 if it is included in your trekking package. So the accommodation can
extend the cost of your Kilimanjaro safari.
Climbing travel packages
Many climbers book their trekking adventure via the claimed tour operators who classically offer
the all-inclusive packages which includes airport transfer, a night in booked hotel before and
after the climb and all the cost on the mountain like food, porters, guides, tents and the other
expenses.
There are 7 established routes on Mount Kilimanjaro; the northern circuit is the most expensive
route due to its length to the peak of the mountain. The climb length range from 5 days which is
at least cheap and 10 days which is very expensive, so the choice is yours.
The five days hikes are too short for the beginners in terms of acclimatization as less than 50% of
the hikers reach the summit. If you are looking to go on budget we recommend you to select the
6 or 7 days climb which will provides you with the good acclimatization and add the possibility
for you to archive the success rate. Also if you want to increase the probability of summit to the
peak of Kilimanjaro then choosing 8 days is advised.
Tanzanian visa
Most hikers require a Tanzania visa. This can be obtained in a Tanzania embassy found in your
country or purchase a visa directly on the arrival day in Kilimanjaro international airport. But we
advise you to get the visa in your country before the departure to avoid any inconvenience at the
arrival day.
Vaccinations and medications
Many of the trekkers also require a yellow fever vaccination card on their arrival in Tanzania..
The cost for yellow fever is normally $100.
What to add to the vaccination of yellow fever you may need a HEP-A vaccination and polio
tetanus Diphtheria booster.
Tanzania is a malaria place as well. The dangers of contracting malaria are moderately low on
the mountain as mosquitoes are not found at high elevated areas. You will be spending most of
your trip above this altitude but it will be a risk before and after the climb. Therefore having the
malaria tablets is upon you. But remember there is a cost associated with medication that can be
expensive. So we recommend taking all the common precautions to avoid being bitten by
mosquitoes like wearing light clothes that covers your arms and legs before the nightfall’s.
Safety
Although trekking Kilimanjaro does not needs any technical trainings or skills, climbing
mountain is a naturally risk activity. The high altitude pulmonary and cerebral edema should
never be discounted.
Having that in mind the during the time of trekking the mountain make sure that you choose to
trek with a responsible tour operator who will incur a certain cost to cover your safety on your
Kilimanjaro climbing cost.
As a good example our tour company normally conducts the safety workshops for our guides in
every four month in which each of our guides is expected to pass the first aid test. Remember
that the cost for these training is covered by our company
Apart from that, each of the expeditions prepared by our company is supplied with emergency
oxygen, oximeter and tonometer. A record of medical checkup conducted twice a day is there for
each climber so as to enable the guides to make the informed decision about the clients fitness
for further ascent.
Equipment and kit
It is important to purchase the right tools for climbing Kilimanjaro. This may include the heavy
clothes, an absolute whether sleeping bags, walking poles, good quality trekking boots, a
headlamp, duffel bag, insulated water bottles and the day pack.
This cost might differ depending on the quality of the tools you purchase or you already have in
your possession.
Tipping guides and porters
To tip your Kilimanjaro support crew is normal on Kilimanjaro. Your guides and porters work to
the extent for very tiny money. The tips that you will give them after the climb will be used to
support their families who they don’t see for a week on the end of your trip. If you can afford it
you can give more than the suggested rate to support them.
Miscellaneous expenses
Unavoidably you are going to spend money on your hotel accommodation before and after the
trek. Hence you have to set aside some cash for that miscellaneous cost.
The Truth about Kilimanjaro Prices and Costs
The price of Kilimanjaro trekking can be categorized into 2 categories, the first one is a fixed
cost that includes, the park fees per person and the second one is for variables like the transfer
and the tools for trekking which are normally shared among all members of the group. For more
explanations on this is we have to look at the minimum cost that each Kilimanjaro operator
faces, like the park fees and taxes, stuff salaries, food, tools, transport and other logistical cost.
Remember that the entrance fees, camping or hut fees and Tanzania taxes makes up the biggest
expenses, costing around $200 per hiker per day. Below is a breakdown of park fees and taxes.
Kilimanjaro park fees
The Kilimanjaro national park authority gathers fees from all visitors in order to fund the wellbeing of
the park. This includes the renovations of the trails, keeping them clean and paying the rangers. The
conservation fees are paid for each day you spend inside the park. Every climber is needed to pay park
fees which hold that of conservation, camping, rescue and the crew fees. In routes like the Lemosho
and rongai the special forest fees also must be paid.
Rescue Fees– $20 per person per trip
Staff, Guide and Porter Entrance Fees – $2 per staff person per trip
Conservation Fees – $70 per day per person.
Camping or Hut Fees – $50 to $60 per night per person
Value-Added Tax – 18% of services
This is a kind of general consumption tax that is incurred on goods and services whenever value is added
at a level of production or distribution. The government of Tanzania charges 18% VAT to each
Kilimanjaro operators.
Another important cost are the staff salaries, food and transportation cost. Local salaries amount is
about $80-$150 per trekker per day, this will depends on the group size. The food cost will come around
$10-$20 per trekker per day including the staff food. The transfer is also about $100 per trip depending
on the route. There are also cost accompanied with wear and tear on camping tools and the
administrative costs for organizing your trek
Through adding up all the daily costs mention above you can calculate what it may cost to finance a
Kilimanjaro trek on your own. The overall is certainly importance but it is not high enough to explain the
jaw dropping price and cost tags observed in the industry.