A Kilimanjaro climb costs $2,600 on average. This post explains all the costs involved in a Kilimanjaro climb so that you can make an accurate budget for yourself.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is an epic adventure trip. We’re excited for you that you’re considering doing it! There’s plenty to think of as part of your Kilimanjaro preparation. Among other things, you have to organize your travel to Tanzania, choose a good tour operator, prepare yourself physically for the rigors of the trek, and pack the correct clothing. You also need to make a budget to work out how much it costs to climb Kilimanjaro.

Of course, everyone’s budget will look different based on various factors (where you live in the world, for instance) and certain decisions (like how many days you want to spend hiking).

Overview

We discuss all the different finances required to make it to Kilimanjaro and have an enjoyable and safe trek:

At the end of this article, we have a table you can use to figure out your Kilimanjaro cost based on all that’s been discussed.

Travel to Kilimanjaro

To climb Kilimanjaro you have to get there and back. The mountain is in the northeast of Tanzania in the Arusha region. The town of Moshi and the city of Arusha serve as popular pitstops for visitors on either side of their climb. Moshi is a 66 km drive from Kilimanjaro National Park, and Arusha is an 83 km drive. At Follow Alice, we overnight in Moshi or Arusha before and after the climb.

Where we stay depends if you’re attaching a Tanzania safari to your Kili climb – a fantastic idea, in our opinion!! We often take groups to do both, since a safari is an excellent reward for completing your mega mountain climb.

Tanzania international airports

You will want to investigate flights to the following three international airports in Tanzania:

JRO is where most people fly in for their Kilimanjaro climb. It offers wonderful proximity to Mt Kilimanjaro. It’s also just 67 km from Moshi, and 46 km from Arusha. It’s also a good starting point for safaris in the north of the country. The famous Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater are in the north of Tanzania. These are world-class destinations, among others, that you don’t want to miss seeing!

DAR is just outside the port city of Dar es Salaam and is the country’s main airport. Importantly, it’s the gateway to safaris in the south of the country. ZNZ is the airport on the island of Zanzibar, a popular tourist destination for its beautiful beaches and rich culture and history.

We mention all three of the above airports because many Kilimanjaro climbers like to include a Zanzibar and/or safari trip in their Tanzania holiday. If you choose to fly into DAR or ZNZ (or even somewhere else in East Africa, like Nairobi in Kenya), we recommend catching a flight to JRO to get to Kilimanjaro, otherwise, you’ll need to organize ground transport, which is time-consuming and also costly unless you travel by train.

You will need to consider airport transfers to drive you from the airport to the lodge in Moshi or Arusha.

Airport transfers

If you’re coming to Kilimanjaro from another airport, you’ll need to factor in the cost of an internal flight or hire a shuttle to get you there. Alternatively, you could road trip to get there, but we don’t recommend this option (especially if you’re not used to driving on the left of the road!)

Catching the train to Kilimanjaro

As of December 2019, the Tanzania Railway Corporation restarted the Dar es Salaam to Moshi passenger line. This is the first time in 25 years that a passenger train from the city port to Kilimanjaro has been available. There are, at present, two journeys a week on offer.

Tanzania visa ($50 or $100)

A 90-day, single-entry travel visa to Tanzania costs $50. This visa allows you to travel between the mainland and Zanzibar, an important consideration if you’re wishing to add this exciting beach destination to your travel itinerary.

Note that things are a little different for US citizens visiting Tanzania. A tourist visa will cost you $100, not $50. This price difference is the result of a special Tanzania-USA travel agreement. The tourist visa it buys is valid for a year and allows for multiple 90-day entries into the country. You can also travel between the mainland and Zanzibar as often as you like.

Remember that to get a visa your passport will need to be valid for six months from your date of arrival in Tanzania, as is standard practice in most countries. So if your passport is aging out, best you get onto renewing it quickly!

You can apply for a Tanzania visa online. Note that you’ll be applying for a Tanzania Tourist Visa, also known as an Ordinary Visa. We recommend this route as being the easiest. You can also obtain a visa when you land in Tanzania. Chat to us if you have any questions about applying for your Tanzania Visa.

Travel insurance (~$100)

While insurance is a somewhat unsexy topic, it’s a crucial one and we recommend you don’t skip reading this section! 

Traveler’s insurance is a must for anyone undertaking to hike Kilimanjaro. Travel insurance for hiking up to an elevation of 6,000 m is a requirement.

When taking out travel insurance, we suggest choosing one that offers cover for all of the following (which is what we do personally when traveling):

Delayed, canceled, or interrupted travel

Delayed travel covers things outside of your control like a traffic jam preventing you from reaching the airport on time, a mechanical issue with your plane, or severe weather preventing the plane from reaching its destination. It also covers missed connections that are out of your control. Trip cancellation covers having to abort your trip beforehand for reasons such as injury, illness, severe weather, or a natural disaster or terrorist attack at your destination.

Trip interruption covers the costs involved when you have to abort your trip post departure, for any of the same reasons listed for trip cancellation. Both trip cancellation and trip interruption should also cover having to cancel or abort a trip as a consequence of the illness or injury of a travel companion or family member.