Kilimanjaro safety, altitude checks and acclimatisation

Reaching Uhuru Peak at 5,895 metres depends on two things: a route with enough time to adapt, and a crew that watches how you are doing every day.

A mountain tent with a table of supplies at a Kilimanjaro camp

The summit has roughly half the oxygen of sea level. Fitness helps, but it does not decide how you respond to altitude. That is why we talk about time and pace first. For a plain-language explanation of the symptoms, read our guide to altitude sickness on Kilimanjaro.

What happens on our climbs

Daily health checks. Your guide checks how you are feeling and measures your oxygen saturation and pulse with a fingertip pulse oximeter, in the morning and in the evening.
"Pole, pole" pacing. Swahili for "slowly, slowly". The pace is deliberately gentle from the first day.
Emergency oxygen and a first-aid kit are carried on the mountain, and your guides are trained to recognise serious altitude illness.
Food and water. A mountain cook prepares hot meals every day, and drinking water is treated. Eating and drinking well matter at altitude.
The guide decides. If a guide says you should turn back or descend, that decision is made for your safety and it is final.

Your tour page lists exactly what is carried and included for that route.

Climb high, sleep low

A well designed route climbs higher during the day and sleeps lower at night. On the Machame route, day 3 takes you to about 4,600 metres at Lava Tower before dropping to Barranco Camp to sleep. The diagram below shows the shape of a 7-day Machame climb.

Black dots are where you sleep, orange marks the highest point reached that day. Altitudes are rounded and approximate.

Approximate altitude by day, Machame route
Day	Sleeping camp	Camp altitude (m)	Highest point that day (m)
Day 1	Machame Camp	2850	2850
Day 2	Shira Camp	3800	3800
Day 3	Barranco Camp (via Lava Tower, about 4,600 m)	3950	4600
Day 4	Karanga Camp	4000	4000
Day 5	Barafu Camp	4650	4650
Day 6	Summit, then Mweka Camp	3100	5895

Choosing enough days

6 days on Machame or Marangu is possible but leaves little margin.
7 days on Machame is a good, widely chosen balance.
8 days on Lemosho, and 9 days on the Northern Circuit, give the most time to adjust.

Compare the options in our route comparison and see what summit night involves.

Climbers eating at a dining table in fog on Mount Kilimanjaro — Hot meals in a dining tent keep energy up at altitude, even in fog.

What you can do

Walk slowly and drink regularly, even when you do not feel thirsty.
Eat, even if your appetite is poor.
Tell your guide at once about a worsening headache, vomiting, confusion or breathlessness at rest.
Speak to your doctor before you travel, especially about medication and any health conditions.
Make sure your travel insurance covers trekking to 6,000 metres and emergency evacuation.

Kilimanjaro climbs

Mount Kilimanjaro
5 Day Marangu Route Kilimanjaro Climb
5 days•Challenging
- 5 days
- Challenging
Marangu route, commonly known as the coca cola route is more popular because it can be done in fewer days and has permanent sleep huts at the campsites.
From $1,850 per person
Mount Kilimanjaro
6 Day Rongai Route Kilimanjaro Climb
6 days•Challenging
- 6 days
- Challenging
Experience the adventure of a lifetime on this 6-day Kilimanjaro trek via the Rongai Route, one of the mountain’s most scenic and less crowded trails.
From $1,950 per person
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
7 Day Machame Route Kilimanjaro Climb
7 days•Challenging
- 7 days
- Challenging
Climb Mount Kilimanjaro on the 7 Day Machame Route Kilimanjaro Climb with certified KINAPA wilderness guides and high summit success.
From $2,250 per person
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
8 Day Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro Climb
8 days•Moderate
- 8 days
- Moderate
Climb Mount Kilimanjaro on the 8 Day Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro Climb with certified KINAPA wilderness guides and high summit success.
From $2,485 per person
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
9 Day Northern Circuit Kilimanjaro Climb
9 days•Moderate
- 9 days
- Moderate
Climb Mount Kilimanjaro on the 9 Day Northern Circuit Kilimanjaro Climb with certified KINAPA wilderness guides and high summit success.
From $3,150 per person
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
6 Day Marangu Route Kilimanjaro Climb
6 days•Moderate
- 6 days
- Moderate
Climb Mount Kilimanjaro on the 6 Day Marangu Route Kilimanjaro Climb with certified KINAPA wilderness guides and high summit success.
From $1,950 per person