The best time to climb Kilimanjaro all comes down to finding the best weather conditions for your trek along with figuring out your tolerance for a crowded climb during peak season. After all, over 30,000 people attempt climbing Mount Kilimanjaro every year! That’s a lot of foot traffic.
Fortunately, Kilimanjaro’s location near the equator means that this area does not have the extreme highs or lows in temperature like North American summers and winters, but there are definitely distinct dry and wet seasons.
Kilimanjaro Weather Month-by-Month
The warmest, driest months make an ideal time to summit. Take it from me, you don’t want to be scaling a mountain in a downpour while carrying a load of equipment.
Trekkers also avoid the rainy season due to safety issues. Landslides and interrupted routes can be detrimental to your ascent, and your body will take a beating in the wet onslaught.
Although you’re able to climb Kilimanjaro year-round, not all seasons are created equal. Let’s break it down throughout an entire year.
Mid December to March
Mid December/January through mid March are the warmest months for your journey, usually with clear skies in the mornings and evenings. It may rain sometimes throughout the day, but showers tend to be brief and warm. If you carry along some rain gear, you’ll be just fine.
There’s a good chance of snow being on the summit during this time as well, making for some awesome photography. I prefer this season for tackling treks like Mount Kilimanjaro: it’s technically still the “high season,” but it isn’t as busy with other hikers as later in the year.
March to June
The end of March to June is the long, rainy season and isn’t recommended for climbing Kilimanjaro during this time, unless you’re a very experienced hiker. Visibility is low; on the upside, you’ll have the mountain almost all to yourself. I’m not sure if that’s such a tradeoff if you can’t actually see anything. Plus the trail gets super muddy. Many guides will not even offer to take you on the trek during this time.
June to October
Mid June to October is when the coldest temperatures hit, so if you enjoy the crisp weather, this may be an ideal time for you. It’s super dry during this time so you don’t have to worry too much about rain.
From the middle of June to October is also the busiest season of all for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, particularly on the Marangu and Machame routes, and especially since it’s summer holidays for North America and Europe.
November to Early December
This is the short rainy season on Kilimanjaro, with plenty of short rains in the afternoon, and isn’t a good time to be climbing. I suggest avoiding this time altogether.
Kilimanjaro’s Five Climate Zones
Mt Kilimanjaro has five different climate zones, which also affect your climb depending on the time of year. For example, the lower slopes are known as the Cultivation Zone because they’re used for farmland (including coffee and banana crops)—during the rainy seasons, rivers may form in the run-off from the rainfall.
Next, still in the lower altitudes, you’ll find yourself in the lowland Rainforest Zone which is dense and full of wildlife like monkeys and antelope. This zone provides good cover from the glaring sun when temperatures are high.
Vegetation starts thinning out in the Heath and Moorland Zone as you leave the rain forest, and this is when temperatures start to drop. The Alpine Desert Zone is dry and cold, and finally, the last zone is the Arctic Summit zone. It’s more barren and rocky near the top, but the views are unobstructed, especially with clear skies.
The Arctic Summit zone is where you’ll experience extremes and colder weather, as temperatures often drop below freezing year-round and bad weather is more common. But during the day you might experience temperatures over 95°F (95°C), with extreme radiation from the sun.
Knowing what to expect in each of these climate zones will help you prepare for a comfortable trek.
Kilimanjaro Full Moon Summits
If you can arrange your Kilimanjaro summit to happen during the full moon (occurring once a month), I strongly encourage you to do so!
The light from the full moon lights up Kilimanjaro’s peak and its glaciers, offering a spectacular, glittery view that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Other than the magnificent moonlit display, the full moon also provides a well-lit path for your summit attempt (as long as the visibility is good with minimal cloud cover).
If you’re doing a full moon summit, you’ll want to book your guide well in advance of your full moon date as those dates tend to fill up quickly.
For a seven-day climb, you should leave five days before the full moon, but your guide or tour operator will know this anyway. They’ll be able to help you plan the right timing.
This also means you get a lot of people on the mountain for this climb. Whether you choose to summit during a full moon or not is entirely up to you, and either way you’ll love the experience. Just do your research beforehand to determine the exact full moon date.
New Moon Summits
Something to keep in mind on your Kilimanjaro trek if you’d like to do a full moon summit night: the ultra bright moon date can be very disruptive to sleeping, and you won’t get to experience the starry skies.
If you really want to experience the magic of starry African skies, do a new moon climb instead. Especially if you’re into time-lapse photography or night photography.
New Year’s Eve Kilimanjaro Climbs
Why not start off a new year by summiting Uhuru Peak? For some people, this is the best time to climb Kilimanjaro simply because you’ll reach the peak as the sun comes up on a new year.
There’s something symbolic about such a feat, especially since most New Year’s Eves are spent popping champagne bottles and getting boozy.
If you plan to climb Kilimanjaro this time of year, book in advance. As it turns out, trekking Kilimanjaro makes for a popular New Year’s resolution.