Kilimanjaro National Park

KILIMANJARO NATIONAL PARK

The highest mountain in Africa, snow caped and world’s highest free standing volcano. It comprises of two dormant volcanoes (Kibo 5,895m a.m.s.l and Mawenzi 5,149m a.m.s.l) and one extinct volcano (Shira 3,962m a.m.s.l) respectively. The origin of the word is not well known but it said to be a combination of the Swahili word Kilima meaning “Mountain” and the KiChagga word Njaro, loosely translated as “Whiteness” giving the name “White Mountain”.

Its size is 1,712Km2 and was declared as a National Park in 1973, officially opened for tourism in 1977, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987 and Natural Wonder of Africa in 2013. Climbing to the top which is far up into the sky it’s a life time experience that no one can forget.

Climate

There are two rainy seasons in a year. The wet season is from March to May during which it rains around the mountain base and snow accumulates on its peak.

The dry season is from late June through September during which the nights are cool and the days completely clear.

The park is located at an altitude between 1700 m to 5895 meter with annual average rainfall ranging from 828 mm at alpine desert to 2500 mm at Montane forest.

Getting there

Starting point -Marangu route

The park can be accessed by road or flight via Kilimanjaro International Airport – about 45km to the west. The Park Headquarters and one of the ascending gates are at Marangu, about 41Km from Moshi town and 86km from Kilimanjaro International Airport. The other seven gates of Rongai, Machame, Londorosi, Lemosho, Kilema, Mweka and Umbwe are located around the mountain base and can be reached by road.

Park Attractions
The Park is endowed with a diverse variety of attractions ranging from terrestrial wilderness to permanent glaciers on the mountain peaks.

Mountain Climbing

Climbing to Kibo peak takes 5 to 8 days depending on the route. The more days, the higher the possibility to conquer the summit. Six mountain trails can take a climber to the highest point in Africa, each route offering different attractions and challenges.

Mountain cycling

Tourists have a chance to cycle inside the park. There are two routes, one for summit bound visitors (Kilema route) and second one for non summit visitors (Shira plateau). These routes are equipped with picnic sites and resting points.

Non-Summit Bound Climbers

Activities for non-summit bound climbers include:

Visit to the water falls (Lauwo)
Visiting the Shira Plateau
Watching wildlife including high altitude birds
Walking through the Mountain Forest
Day walk to Maundi crater in the park, Lake Chala and cultural sites such as Kifunika and cultural camps in the villages around.

Kilimanjaro National Park