To trek up Mount Kilimanjaro, there are various fixed costs to any operator:

Kilimanjaro National Park Fees

Kilimanjaro National Park imposes fees on both visitors and crew. These can be broken down into the following:

• Conservation Fees – The Kilimanjaro authority collects fees per day you spend inside the park. Example On a 7 day Machame climb, the conservation fees total $490 ($70 x 7 days).
• Campsite Fees on Machame route, Lemosho route, Rongai route , Northern circuit (or huts on Marangu route) fees – $50 to $60 per night per person. Example On a 7 day Machame climb, the camping fees are $300 ($50 x 6 nights).
• Rescue fees – $20 per person per trip (this doesn’t include helicopter rescue, and we don’t rely on the National Park rescue service)
• Guide & Porter Entrance Fees – $2 per staff person per trip
• Taxes & VAT – 18% of services.  The Tanzanian government charges 18% VAT to all Kilimanjaro operators.

The cost to an operator can easily be around $160-200 per climber, per night, in Park Fees alone.

Staff wages

Staff wages amount to around $80-$150 per climber per day depending on the group size.

Food, Water and Transportation cost

Food shopping costs about $10-$20 per climber per day includes food for staff and Transportation costs are about $100 per Kilimanjaro trip depending on the route choice

Guide to Climber & Porter to Climber Ratio

We provide one professional, trained mountain guide for every two climbers. This ratio allows for safe monitoring of all our climbers and good management in and around camp.

There are strict weight limits imposed by the National Parks Authority on how much an individual porter is allowed to carry. 

Usually, it is around 3-4 porters per climber. This ratio varies depending on the route and the length of the hike.

Porter to carry your duffel bag, maximum weight of 15kg / 32 lbs

Your Safety

Guide Training

Experience is important, but so is training. Your guide knows how to conduct daily health checks, recognize the early signs of altitude sickness, and know how to use everything in their medical kits.

Travel Insurance cost

You’ll need adequate travel insurance to cover you for all eventualities including cancellation, lost luggage, and most importantly medical evacuation and treatment in the event of an emergency on the mountain.

Kilimanjaro helicopter rescue service operates out of Moshi to provide emergency evacuation in the case of injury on the mountain, altitude sickness or other illness. Your travel insurance needs to cover you for trekking to 6,000 metres and emergency evacuation.

Before Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro

In addition to the cost of your climb, other costs involved in climbing Kilimanjaro, that you’ll need to budget for:

Gear cost

See Climbing Kilimanjaro gear list for everything you’ll need to bring with you. Chances are, you’ve got some items in your closet already, but if you’ve never been hiking before you’ll be starting from the beginning.

Keeping an eye on REI, Moosejaw, Backcountry and Amazon for sales, buying last year’s kit from Steep & Cheap are some ways to save money. Renting a kit that you’re unlikely to use again is a good idea for expensive items such as sleeping bags, or down jackets.

It’s possible to rent gear locally for climbing the mountain but it is a little expensive. However, the best bet is to bring your own gear. On your first night in Moshi town before starting the trek you will be introduced to your guide and he will review your equipment to make sure you’re adequately prepared.

 Keep in mind that gear will be generally divided up while you’re hiking. The bulk of your gear will be carried by our porters in a duffle bag and you will carry a daypack with the essentials which include snacks, camera, headlamp, poncho,extra layers,sun protection and water bottles.