Kilimanjaro trail status
What's open, what it costs and what's changed, checked daily against official sources. Every fact links to its source and keeps its history.
Official source wins. We check these facts every day, but permits, fees and closures can change at short notice. If an official source disagrees with us, follow the official source and tell us.
Season
Dry months
Dry seasons: late June to September, and December to early March (cool nights, clear days, good climbing conditions).
“The dry season is from late June to September and from December to early March” Source for dry months
Rainy months
Rainy seasons: a short one in October and November, and the main wet season from March to May, when the mountain base is rainy and snow builds up on the summit.
“The short rainy period is from October to November and the wet season is from March to May” Source for rainy months
Huts & refuges
Marangu huts
Only the Marangu route has huts (Mandara, Horombo and Kibo); they are charged per person per night and need prior booking. Every other route uses tented camps arranged by the licensed operator.
“Huts, Hostel, Rest Houses and Cottages Fees (rates are payable per head per night) Prior booking is required” Source for marangu huts
Permits & quotas
Licensed operator required
All Kilimanjaro climbs must be guided by a licensed operator; solo trekking is not permitted. Guide and porter services are arranged through licensed tour operators.
“All climbs must be guided by a licensed operator; solo trekking is not permitted.” Source for licensed operator required
Minimum age 3700m
Children under 10 years of age are not allowed above 3,700 m on Kilimanjaro (TANAPA brochure 2019/1).
“Children under 10 years of age are not allowed to go above 3700m above sea level” Source for minimum age 3700m
Minimum days
Visitors are ordinarily required to spend at least five days going up and down Kibo for acclimatization; park visitors are registered electronically to enforce the days permitted.
“Ordinarily, visitors are required to spend not less than five days to ascend and descend the Kibo peak for the purpose of acclimatization.” Source for minimum days
Operator licence
Anyone operating a tourism activity in Tanzania needs a licence from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (the TALA licence; four classes A to D; renewed and paid annually). TANAPA's park guidelines name the mountain licence as issued by the Tanzania Tourism Licensing Board. The licence class and number to look for is on the operator's own website or paperwork.
“must hold a license for that purpose issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.” Source for operator licence
Operator licence register
The Ministry publishes a TALA licence register (about 4,979 licences on 18 October 2026, covering hotels and camps as well as tour operators) at https://www.maliasili.go.tz/stakeholders/tour-operators. Each entry shows company name, TIN, activity (for example Tour Operator, 1-3 Vehicles), class, licence number, issue and expiry dates and a validity flag. To verify an operator, find its licence number and check that the entry is valid and unexpired.
“"activity_name":"Tour Operator (10-30 Vehicles)","grade":"A"” Source for operator licence register
Porter load limit
TANAPA park rule: porters may carry at most 25 kg including their own belongings (TANAPA brochure 2019/1). KPAP advocates a stricter 20 kg of company load, excluding the porter's personal kit.
“Porters are allowed to carry a maximum of 25kgs (including their belongings) during the climb” Source for porter load limit
Fees
Camping per night
$50 per adult (16+) non-resident per night, all routes except Marangu; US$10 for ages 5 to 15 (TANAPA tariff FY2023/24, the latest published; confirm current rates)
“(2) Camping Fees a) Public Campsite per person per night i) Kilimanjaro National Park a) Of or above the age of 16 years b) Between the age of 5 and 15 years c) Children below the age of 5 years 10,000 5,000 Free 50 10 Free 50” Source for camping per night
Conservation per day
$70 per adult (16+) non-resident per day; US$20 for ages 5 to 15, free under 5 (TANAPA tariff FY2023/24, the latest published; confirm current rates)
“i) Kilimanjaro National Park a) Of or above the age of 16 years b) Between the age of 5 and 15 years c) Children below the age of 5 years 10,000 2,000 Free 70 20 Free 35” Source for conservation per day
Hut per night
$60 per adult (16+) non-resident per night in the Marangu huts; US$20 for ages 5 to 15 (TANAPA tariff FY2023/24, the latest published; confirm current rates)
“a) Kilimanjaro (Mandara, Horombo and Kibo huts) i) Of or above the age of 16 years ii) Between the age of 5 and 15 years 5,000 2,500 60 20 60” Source for hut per night
Rescue
$20 per person per trip, non-refundable; does not pay for helicopter evacuation or insurance (TANAPA tariff FY2023/24, the latest published; confirm current rates)
“(6) Rescue Fee for Mount Kilimanjaro and Meru per person per trip Rescue fee is payable per person per trip and is non-refundable 2,000 20 20” Source for rescue
Tariff period
The latest TANAPA tariff on tanzaniaparks.go.tz is the financial year 2023/2024, shown as valid until June 2024. No 2024/25, 2025/26 or 2026/27 schedule was found on the official site, so the amounts below may be out of date; operators and third-party sites report higher rates.
“June 2024 Valid Until” Source for tariff period
Upper barafu camp
$100 per adult (16+) non-resident per night at Upper Barafu Camp instead of the US$50 public campsite rate; US$20 for ages 5 to 15 (TANAPA tariff FY2023/24, the latest published; confirm current rates)
“e) Upper Barafu Camp in Kilimanjaro National Park i) Of or above the age of 16 years ii) Between the age of 5 and 15 year 10,000 5,000 100 20 100” Source for upper barafu camp
Vat
The tariff PDF says all charges are exclusive of 18% VAT, while the tariff web page says fees are inclusive of 18% VAT where applicable. The two TANAPA statements conflict, so ask the operator whether its quoted park fees include VAT.
“All charges are VAT (18%) exclusive” Source for vat
Closures & advisories
Gate hours
The park is open year-round; gates close at 6 PM.
“Open year-round; gates close at 6 PM” Source for gate hours