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Mt. Kilimanjaro Tours & Travel Guide
Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro holds an almost mythical fascination for the adventurous traveler. This snowcapped peak near the Equator is the highest freestanding mountain in the world – yet can be summited without using technical climbing gear.
Towering over the vast African savannah below, it still presents challenges even for the very fit – including choosing the right guided trip to the top. Stride can act as your Mount Kilimanjaro trip planner, helping you reach the heights of adventure alive without the pitfalls, all based on your own comfort level.
Many Americans first heard about Mount Kilimanjaro through Ernest Hemingway’s famous short story, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” published in Esquire magazine in 1936. A 1952 film starring Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward and Ava Gardner further popularized the mountain by bringing The Snows of Kilimanjaro to the silver screen.
While Hemingway’s fearless spirit took him to Africa on his own, planning a Mount Kilimanjaro trek can be intimidating – there are a number of routes to choose from, for starters, each offering differing levels of difficulty and other advantages and disadvantages. Sorting these out is essential: while ascending to the peak is not as strenuous as some other mountains of its size, this is still a long trek even for those with extra lung capacity.
Fortunately, you can choose among a wide variety of trusted tour operators, who can provide you with a selection of itineraries, group sizes, and accommodation options, allowing you to keep the adventure alive without the worries. Tanzania mandates that a native guide escort travelers; your Tanzania tour operator will always take care of this requirement. Pick a “Stride Preferred” trip to ensure you get the best guides -- knowledgeable and friendly escorts who go along on the adventure.
Most guided tours of Mount Kilimanjaro take five to seven days to reach the summit, with stays in tents or mountain huts. The trails showcase a diverse landscape. Your trek begins as you leave the African savannah, then head into jungle, through cloud forest and into surprising hanging-moss forests before reaching a landscape reminiscent of high desert.
As you climb toward the peak, an even starker desert unfolds, and a glacier appears nearby. The latter is receding rapidly -- a third of the glacier has melted away in just the past quarter century -- so it’s advisable not to put off a Mount Kilimanjaro tour if you want to witness the striking natural wonder of ice near the Equator.
But before you head off, let Stride act as your personal travel advisor, showcasing the Mount Kilimanjaro guided trips that will best meet your comfort levels. And while you’re here on the site, why not consider adding a Tanzania wildlife safari to your trip? The Serengeti plains, Ngorongoro Crater, and other wonderful wildlife parks aren’t far away.
While Hemingway was able to wring remarkable literature out of his Kilimanjaro experiences, you may well be rendered speechless as you trek. That’s OK. Take it all in. Ponder. Then ask your seasoned tour guides for suggestions on the best spots to nab those brag-worthy photos that will leave your friends envious. If they utter one word, it’s likely to be, “Wow!
Once you’ve booked your tour...
While Tanzania in general has a tropical climate, be sure to pack cold-weather gear for your Mount Kilimanjaro trek. You may be by the Equator, but it gets freezing up there!
I just completed the 7 Days Machame trek with Lappet Faced Safaris and it was absolutely amazing. They went above and beyond to take care of me and everyone in our g...
Unfortunately for the first time ever I suffered from altitude sickness with reduced my stamina and caused loss of balance and coordination. However, thanks to the...
What a fantastic adventure summiting Africa’s highest peak with the most amazing and supportive group of people, ever!!!! Easily The most difficult thing I have ev...
Second time of climbing Kilimanjaro and it didn't disappoint. Glorious starscapes at night, changing scenery from jungle to lunar landscapes and then the snow encr...
I was part of a group of 6 teamed up with a further 10 individuals. We bonded well from the beginning and throughout this amazing adventure and from this experienc...
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