Mountain Climbing in Tanzania
Trekking in Africa can take you to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, then allow time to unwind on safari offering a contrasting experience of close encounters with the best wildlife scenes on earth, before relaxing on beautiful white sandy beaches of Zanzibar to soak up the laidback Swahili culture after your mountain and safari experiences.
Tanzania is an especially great destination for those looking for an active holiday adventure and offers you the chance to experience waterfalls, nature, wildlife, spectacular scenery, wildlife from national parks, towns and villages which share a backdrop of towering mountains, vast savannah, caldera’s, craters or the Rift valley. Africa’s highest peak at 5895m or 19,341ft; Uhuru peak – Mount Kilimanjaro, is definitely one of the most popular options although there are many possibilities and off the beaten track locations as well.
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
Best Hiking & Trekking Destinations in Tanzania
In the country of the highest single standing mountain in the world, mountain climbers’ hearts beat faster. With breathtaking scenery, rugged mountains, diverse vegetation in front of unique cultural backdrops Tanzania fascinates visitors young and old alike. Our various trekking routes offer hiking fun for everyone, for every level of fitness and experience.
Our top picks for Best Hiking Tours in Tanzania
A trek in this mountain is a life-time awe experience, a world class achievement that we are at Pumbaa Africa Expeditions will be happy to be part of while you take on. Focus is to get you to enjoy every moment of the trek as you find your way to the top. A team of well-motivated professional guides and porters will take on the lead as you take the challenge.
6 Days Umbwe Route
7 Days Umbwe Route
9 Days Northern Circuit
7 Days Rongai Route
JOIN ONE OF OUR GROUPS
Words From Our Clients
Don’t take our word for it
We have been receiving reviews from our served clients and Pumbaa Expeditions is rated 5/5 by customers. This honor is given to us by customers because we always remain committed to all our customers to do whatever is needed by them to make their safari fully satisfied.
Mountain Hiking FAQ’s
We recommend a minimum of 8-10 days from the USA, although some people may want more time for the trip. We can customize itineraries or routes to offer more days in the park. Some people may wish to climb nearby Mount Meru as well. If you have more than 10 days, you can choose any of the main routes on the mountain and still have time for a wildlife safari before or after your trip.
You can climb any month of the year. At lower elevations, April, May and November are quite wet while March and June are transition months. August and September are the coldest and driest months. January, February, July, August and September are all popular climbing months.
Around 80% of climbers choose the Marangu route (5 or 6 days), which is commonly referred to as the “Tourist” or “Coca cola” route because it is easy to climb compared to other routes. The rest usually goes for Machame route (6 or 7 days). The four routes (Umbwe, Rongai, Shira and Lemosho) are far less frequented. Please note that many of the routes meet on a mid-way point and there are only three routes to the summit.
Many texts state that Kilimanjaro is easily accessible. However, you should not underestimate this mountain. There are no technical mountaineering skills required, but general fitness is necessary. However, the biggest problem for climbers is the effects of high altitude, which seem to be unrelated to fitness, age or gender. It is a good idea to start some physical training prior to the trek, which might include aerobic cross training and hiking to familiarize your body with the rigors or the trek. The fitter you are, the easier the climb will be for you. Determination and will power are other important factors.
It is more reasonable to measure each day in hours walked rather than miles. Most days, other than the summit day, will begin with breakfast around 6:30 AM and departure at 7 A.M. You will walk 4-5 hours with a break for lunch followed by another hour or two of hiking in the afternoon. These days are not long or difficult and you will be advised to walk slowly (“pole pole” in Swahili) by your guide.
Most groups will start for the summit on ascent day at 11 PM to 12:30AM, depending on the perceived fitness of the group, the weather and the route. The pre-dawn hours, while cold, are also the calmest and clearest. The best views from the summit are at dawn. Often clouds and high winds develop not long after sunrise making the summit much less attractive and the descent more difficult. Guides who have been to the summit scores of times report that it is very rare to find it cloudy at the summit at dawn in any season. The ascent day is a very long day of hiking. Some people may require 15 hours to reach the summit and descend to the campsite for that day.