Location of Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro was established as a national game park in 1973 to protect its distinct vegetation and six forest corridors that extend to the slopes through the montane forest belt. The national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Mount Kilimanjaro is famous for its five distinct vegetation zones from the base to the summit, which are the bushland and vegetation zone, montane rainforests zone, heath and moorland zone, alpine desert zone, and arctic zone.
Mount Kilimanjaro is regarded as the easiest to climb among the Seven Summits. It attracts thousands of tourists every year, and most of them make a successful attempt to reach the summit, while many who fail to do so are mainly due to altitude sickness.
Location of Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro is located on the African continent in the northeastern part of Tanzania, situated in Kilimanjaro region near the Kenyan border. It is approximately 200 miles from the Equator, 225 kilometers south of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and 160 kilometers east of the East African Rift System. The mountain rises to an elevation of 5,895 meters above sea level, making it Africa’s highest mountain and the highest freestanding mountain in the world.
The starting point for the journey to hike the top of Mount Kilimanjaro starts from Moshi or Arusha towns in Tanzania. Arusha town is located 90 minutes’ drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport, while Moshi is just a 40-minute drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Mount Kilimanjaro is made up of three distinctive volcanic cones: Kibo, which is the highest at 5,895 meters above sea level, followed by Mawenzi, the second-highest at 5,149 meters, and Shira at 3,962 meters above sea level. Shira and Mawenzi are considered extinct, but Kibo, which is the youngest and highest, could erupt again in the future, although it is currently dormant.
There are seven established routes for getting to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, namely: Lemosho route, Rongai route, Marangu route, Machame route, Shira route, Umbwe route, and Kilema route. Only the Kilema route allows hikers to get to the summit on a bike.
Getting There
Kilimanjaro International Airport is the main gateway to Africa’s highest Mount Kilimanjaro. Several European airlines land at the airport on a daily basis. Alternatively, tourists can fly to Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam and then drive to Kilimanjaro International Airport or fly using domestic flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport. Another option for tourists is flying to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and then driving to Kilimanjaro.
Mount Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania, although some say the mountain is in Tanzania and the views are in Kenya because some of the most beautiful views of the mountain can be seen at Amboseli National Park in Kenya.
When to Visit
The best time to visit Mount Kilimanjaro is during the drier seasons of June to August and December to February when the weather is favorable for hiking. If you can’t avoid visiting during the wet season, then you should use the Rongai route for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
Updated at: December 10, 2023 01:35 pm.Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
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