Africa’s highest peak and the highest ‘stand-alone’ mountain in the world, Mount Kilimanjaro is an almost perfectly shaped volcano rising majestically from Tanzania's far north-eastern plains. Rising 5 895 metres (19 342 feet) above sea level, Mt Kilimanjaro is undoubtedly one of Africa’s most magnificent sights.
Africa’s highest mountain
The rooftop of Africa
World Heritage Site
Challenging mountain climbing destination
Mt Kilimanjaro was formed 750 000 years ago and is made up of three inactive volcanoes – Kibo (5 895m/19 342ft), Mawenzi (5 149m/16 894ft) and the Shira Plateau (3 962m/12 999ft). A World Heritage Site, Mt Kilimanjaro is divided into five distinct zones: Cultivated farmlands on the lowest levels, next is the rainforest zone, followed by heath and moorland with alpine vegetation, and just before the barren, snowy summit is lunar-like desert. The climate and animal life is dependent on the zone, with elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard, monkey and a variety of birdlife plentiful in the lower zones.
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
It is a mountain climber’s dream to climb Kilimanjaro. Considered one of the ‘easiest’ mountains to climb, it is also excellent for scenic hikes. There are six routes allowing climbers access to the summit through the Forest Reserve. The most popular route for climbing the mountain is the Marangu Route. There are lots of organised treks along this route, with the best time for climbing being in the dry seasons, June to August and December to March.
