Best Time To Climb Mt Kilimanjaro
We generally advise that the best time to climb Kilimanjaro is during the warmest and driest times of year, from December to mid-March and mid-June to the end of October. However, although these are considered to be the best times to climb the mountain in terms of weather, they are also the busiest months.
Due to Mount Kilimanjaro’s proximity to the equator, this region does not experience the extremes of winter and summer weather, but rather dry and wet seasons. Therefore, the best time to climb Kilimanjaro tends to be the warmest and driest months (see Kilimanjaro weather).
The wheather (temperature, humidity and rain) of mount Kilimanjaro varies from month to month over the year as shown in the table below :-
| Month | Low (F) | Average (F) | High (F) | Humidity (%) | Rain Fall (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 64 | 78 | 92 | 58 | 1.4 |
| February | 64 | 78 | 92 | 57 | 2.0 |
| March | 66 | 78 | 90 | 63 | 4.7 |
| April | 67 | 76 | 85 | 73 | 13.8 |
| May | 65 | 72 | 79 | 77 | 9.3 |
| June | 62 | 70 | 78 | 69 | 1.0 |
| July | 60 | 69 | 78 | 69 | 1.0 |
| August | 60 | 60 | 80 | 69 | 0.7 |
| September | 60 | 71 | 83 | 61 | 0.6 |
| October | 62 | 75 | 88 | 57 | 1.0 |
| November | 64 | 76 | 86 | 57 | 2.5 |
| December | 64 | 77 | 90 | 60 | 2.1 |
The primary issue is safety, as the risks associated with climbing increase significantly when the weather is foul. The effects of rain, mud, snow, ice and cold can be very strenuous on the body. Correspondingly, your chances of a successful summit also increase significantly with nice weather. Of course, the mountain gets more foot traffic during these periods as well.
As the weather is not as it was before. The best time to climb Kilimanjaro It is possible to climb the Kilimanjaro any time of the year. Kilimanjaro lies close to the equator and may not have major seasonal variations in temperature. However, it is always cold at the top. The busiest time of the year is Christmas, New Year and school holidays January/February and July/August. This is also due to the fact that weather conditions are generally considered most favorable during these months, with warmer day time temperatures in January/February and more likelihood of clear skies in the mornings and evenings both in Jan/Feb and July/August, however a couple of rainy seasons April-May and November-mid-December that are best avoided.
Our favorite time to climb Kilimanjaro. A freezing morning in January at Barafu Camp Personally, we like to trek in March to October. These are our favorite months. There are two main reasons for this:
1) The weather is usually good and the skies are often clear during these months.
2) Because they both fall just before the rainy seasons, they tend to be quieter than other months.
People are probably afraid that the rains will come early, so opt to avoid these months. But in our experience, the rains are more likely to fail than arrive early. Thus the mountain is usually emptier, and quieter. And yet the weather is still lovely. Note that June and late December, though they also fall outside of the rainy seasons, but only just, are not such good times to be on Kilimanjaro in my experience. The clouds tend to linger after the rainy season, even if the rains have largely finished, so views are restricted.
Full Moon and New Moon treks.
We used to offer Full Moon Kilimanjaro treks which many companies subsequently copied. We did it because we released that the final push up the slopes of Kibo to the summit -a walk that is traditionally done at night is best done under the light of a full moon. Visibility is that much greater, of course, due to the brightness of the light reflected by the full moon. There is also those who say that the weather during the full moon period is more settled and calmer.
Walking on some late-lying snow in June on the summit of Kilimanjaro at dawn.
This trek proved very popular to the point where our competitors started to say that they were too popular. They argued that the mountain became too crowded at this time. We disagreed then, and we still do. But if you want to enjoy the advantages provided by the full moon, but want to avoid the (imaginary) crowds, then you can always choose to climb a day or two later or earlier.
If the Full Moon does not appeal, then how about a New Moon Kilimanjaro climb? After all, one of the chief pleasures of a Kilimanjaro climb is to gaze up at the stars. The lack of light pollution and the height that you are sleeping at means the Heavens are just spectacular. By choosing to climb over a New Moon, the light reflected from the Moon to the Earth is at its lowest, allowing you to see the stars at their brilliant.
Wet and Dry Seasons on Kilimanjaro
It is possible to climb Kilimanjaro year-round, however it is best to climb when there is a lower possibility of precipitation. The dry seasons are from the beginning of December through the beginning of March, and then from late June through the end of October. These are considered to be the best times to climb in terms of weather, and correspondingly are the busiest months (high season).
Our scheduled to correspond with the dry seasons.
• 🌤️Short Dry Season: from mid-December through mid-March are the warmest months, with clear skies in the mornings and evenings. During the day, clouds may appear along with brief showers.
• 🌧️Long Rainy Season: the long rainy season spans from the end of March to early June. We do not recommend climbing during this time unless you are an experienced backpacker who has trekked in similar conditions. It can be very wet, and visibility may be low due to heavy clouds. The crowds are gone, however.
• 🌤️Long Dry Season: from mid-June to the end of October, the mountain is generally a bit colder, but also drier.
• 🌧️Short Rainy Season: the short rainy season spans from the beginning of November to the beginning of December. Afternoon rains are common, but skies are clear in mornings and evenings.
Good to know that the rains are unpredictable and may come early or extend beyond their typical time frames. It is possible to experience mostly dry weather conditions during the rainy season, just as it is possible to have heavy rain during the dry season.
Kilimanjaro’s Glaciers Are Shrinking.
You can go anytime, but do it sooner rather than later.
What makes Mount Kilimanjaro unique is that despite its close proximity to the equator, it is crowned with ice. The glaciers have existed here for more than 11,000 years. They used to be more than 300 feet (100 m) deep and extended 6,500 feet (2,000 m) from the mountain top. However, due global warming and long-term climatic cycles, the ice has been vaporizing at an alarming rate.
Some scientists estimate that Mount Kilimanjaro’s ice cap will be completely gone by 2050. So, if you are contemplating the climb, do yourself a favor and do it sooner rather than later. The glaciers are something you do not want to miss.
