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Plan my climb

Preparing for Kilimanjaro

The climbers who enjoy Kilimanjaro most are the ones who arrive ready: fit, well equipped, healthy and unhurried. Getting there is mostly a matter of starting early and doing things in the right order.

Start with your training, because it takes longest and makes the biggest difference. Everything else is on this page, with when to do it.

Start with training When to do what
Preparing to climb Kilimanjaro
1stTraining is the first thing to start, and the one that matters most
Step one · Training

Your free training plan

A fit climber acclimatises better, recovers faster each evening, is far more likely to reach the summit, and still has the energy to enjoy it. Our plan is built around your climb date and your fitness now, and it works on your phone like any other app.

  • Your weeks counted back from the day you climb
  • Adapted to what you can reach: hills, a pool, or neither
  • A session timer, a food diary and a record of your progress
  • Your kit list and checklist, with dates
  • Free for everyone, whoever you climb with
Start my free plan How it works

Put together by John Rees-Evans, who has coordinated Team Kilimanjaro’s climbs for 22 years, and in July 2026 made the first complete ascent of the mountain from its true base, there and back in under a day.

A week of training in the free plan The record of your progress

Everything else to get ready

Each guide covers one part of getting ready, with the time to start it.

Kit and packing listEverything to bring, what can be hired, and a printable list to tick off.From 3 monthsHealth requirementsOur guidelines: a BMI of 29 or under, and 2.4 km run in 15½ minutes or less.Before you trainVaccinationsWhich you need for Tanzania, which are advised, and how far ahead to have them.8 weeks beforeTravel insuranceCover that includes trekking to 6,000 m and rescue from the mountain.4 months beforeFlightsFlying into Kilimanjaro (JRO), the other ways in, and what to watch for when booking.4 months beforeVisasApplying for your Tanzanian visa online, the cost, and visas on arrival.1 month beforeAltitudeHow acclimatisation works, and the signs of altitude sickness to watch for.Read earlyClimbers’ questionsAnswers to the questions climbers ask us most, from booking and costs to life on the mountain.Any time

When to do what

Counted back from the day your climb starts. Your free training plan puts every one of these on your checklist, with its date.

  1. TodayStart training: your free plan counts back from your climb
  2. 6 months beforeChoose who you’ll climb with and pay your deposit
  3. 5 months beforeCheck your passport has 6 months’ validity after you return
  4. 4 months beforeBook flights to Kilimanjaro (JRO), and insurance that covers trekking to 6,000 m
  5. 12 weeks beforeBuy your boots: they need weeks of wearing in
  6. 8 weeks beforeSee your doctor or travel clinic: vaccinations, malaria advice, any regular medication
  7. 6 weeks beforeSleeping bag and down jacket: buy them, or arrange to hire
  8. 1 month beforeApply for your Tanzanian visa online, and have your boots worn in on a few long walks
  9. 3 weeks beforeTest your kit on a weekend in the hills
  10. 2 weeks beforeUnlock your phone for a local SIM
  11. 1 week beforeUS dollars, notes newer than 2009, for tips and extras
  12. 3 days beforePack, using the kit list, and rest: 48 hours before you fly

Put a date in the diary

Nothing gets the preparation started like a climb that’s booked. Tell us when you’d like to go and we’ll help you choose the route and length that suit you.

Plan my climb Start my free plan
Kilimanjaro from Lake Duluti
Plan my climb