How Much Does it Cost to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro?

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How Much Does it Cost to Climb Kilimanjaro?

Climbing Kilimanjaro is not cheap. Undoubtedly, if you have done some research, you have already noticed this. And you probably have also discovered that there is a very wide range of prices charged for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro by different outfitters. There are more than 200 licensed operators on Mount Kilimanjaro. The choices may be overwhelming. Do not make your decision based on price alone. Price should be only one component of your overall decision. High altitude trekking is not the place to shop for the lowest priced "deal", nor is it the place to overpay needlessly.

Do not assume that a low budget operator can provide an organized, safe and enjoyable trek.

There are minimum expenses every single operator must face, such as park fees, staff wages, food, equipment, transportation and other logistical costs. Kilimanjaro National Park (KINAPA) entrance and camping/hut fees by far make up the biggest expense, costing over $100 per climber per day. The other significant expenses are staff wages, food, and transportation costs. Local wages amount to around $25 per climber per day (depending on group size). Food costs come out to about $10 per climber per day.

Looking at the low prices charged by some local operators, it is puzzling as to how they can supply adequate food and equipment, pay staff an honest wage and manage their operation with the little that remains. The answer is simple. They can't. Add up the daily costs shown above and you'll see that it is not possible to fund a seven day Kilimanjaro climb with less than $1,000. If they do, you can bet that some corners are cut, and they make up for the deficiency somehow - providing insufficient gear and food, hiring unqualified staff, using fewer porters than they should, and/or paying porters too little. Avoid these operators; some are downright dangerous.

Do not assume that a high cost operator is providing a superior climb for the money.

Do not assume high budget operators are better simply because they charge more. These operators pitch greater summit success, high safety standards and added luxury... and then they take advantage of climbers by charging exorbitant fees. Do not be misled. It is mind boggling that some operators will charge $3,000, $4,000, even $5,000 per person for 12-15 person parties on standard itineraries.

The high priced operators are typically international companies who use foreign guides. But ask yourself, who knows the terrain better? A foreign guide, flown in for a few climbs per year, or a local guide, who has encountered and handled various situations during his one hundred plus climbs? Who can better tell you about the trail, the wildlife, the fauna, and Tanzanian culture? The luxuries provided by these operators can be silly. A portable toilet - on a mountain trek? A portable shower - at these low temperatures? The high budget operators heavily market the added safety of using pulse oximeters, oxygen and Gamow bags. But tests show that pulse oximeters are unreliable in the detection of altitude sickness. Some "safe" operators supply oxygen to boost climbers, so they can climb higher - a truly dangerous practice. And the actual use of Gamow bags on the mountain is unheard of, because descent is the best, and always available, remedy. Nonetheless, there are those who are more comfortable paying inflated prices to climb Kilimanjaro. It should not cost more than $3,000 per person to climb Kilimanjaro! The money goes straight to the pockets of the operator.

At about $1,500 per climber, Ultimate Kilimanjaro offers quality climbs at reasonable rates. At this price level, we can satisfy all park fees, pay decent wages to staff, supply adequate food and equipment, while still providing great service to our clients. We are adventurers at heart, and therefore we strive to make climbing Kilimanjaro affordable. We don't believe that doing something extraordinary should break the bank.

2008 Price List 2009 Price List

How Much Do I Tip my Guides and Porters?

It is customary to tip your staff upon completion of your trip. The decision on how much to tip should not be determined based upon whether or not you reached the summit, but by how well the guide, cook, waiter and porters served you while you were on the mountain. Below are some approximate figures on how much to tip your staff on a seven day climb, provided that their service was satisfactory. The figures are the total tips given by the group, not per client.

Feel free to give more or less than these figures.

7 Day Route (per group)
Guide $85 - $125
Assistant $60 - $80
Cook $60 - $80
Waiter $45 - $65
Porters (each) $35 - $55

The figures are roughly $15/day for guides, $10/day for assistant guides and cooks, $8/day for waiters and $7/day per porter. If you spend more days on the mountain, please adjust your tip accordingly. Note that the cook and waiter will also perform the duties of a porter on the trip, and that preparing and serving meals are additional duties. Each group will have one guide and one assistant guide per four clients. The number of porters in your party depends on the selected route and the number of days. Generally, there are two porters per person on the Marangu route, and three to four porters per person on the other routes.

At the completion of your trip, one member from your party should collect money from the group. The act of tipping is a formal gesture here. Once you have departed the mountain, back at the hotel, the guide will assemble the staff. It is customary for someone in the group to say a word of thanks to the staff, translated by the guide, prior to handing over the tips. When practical, tips for the guides, the cook and the waiter should be distributed to them directly. You should not give the entire tip to the guide for distribution to the staff. But tips for the porters can be given to one porter to be properly distributed to the individual porters at the exit gate.

The suggested tips for the safari are $15/day for the guide (who is also the driver) and $10/day for the cook (only used on basic camping trips).

Donation of Clothing & Equipment

Please consider donating your clothing and equipment to the climb team in addition to tipping them. Remember that the staff climbs the mountain many times a year and can go through their clothes and gear rather quickly. Your donation is of great assistance to these individuals, many of who are unwilling to spend their money on material goods they consider a luxury rather than a necessity. They will appreciate your generosity tremendously.

There are a few ways to distribute donated items. If there are enough items so that each staff member can have one item, then donations can be distributed at the tipping ceremony. These items will be laid out and the guide will call staff members forward individually. If there are not enough items for each staff member, then donations can be given informally to individuals, perhaps those with the greatest need or who were of particularly good service. Lastly, you can ask the guide to help you.