Since I published my article on the life lessons I learnt while climbing Kilimanjaro, I have received many requests for tips on how to prepare for Kilimanjaro. So you’ll find below some advice that I hope will help travellers like me succeed and reach the summit of Kilimanjaro.

Women with hiking equipement (poles, backpack, beanies) passing a sign with "Barafu" written on it and Mount Kilimanjaro close in the background with snow at the top and a stunning blue sky
Arriving at Barafu Hut (day 5)

Culminating at 5,895m, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa. Despite the high altitude, the climate allows hikers to reach the summit without any technical knowledge required. Although reaching the summit brings some significant challenges, it is an incredible hike feasible for almost anyone. Still, it should not be underestimated: you need to prepare for Kilimanjaro.

This article focuses on your personal preparation to reach your goal. But before going on, I’d like to add a few words about the importance of choosing the right company to take you up there. And not just for your safety. If you realise during your hike that your porters are mistreated, it could ruin your pleasure and adventure. So check out these porter treatment guidelines during your trip preparation.

1. Plan to take your time to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro

Two women following a male guide on a rocky path with a view of a sea of cloud to their right

From what I’ve read and what I’ve been told, altitude sickness is the most common reason not to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro. This is because your body may not react well to the altitude as you go higher. Unfortunately, altitude sickness can be compared to motion or seasickness: it can happen randomly to anyone, and there is no treatment for it. But the big difference is that with altitude sickness, when you reach a certain level of illness, you must go down as it can become life-threatening.

If you cannot fix altitude sickness except by going back down, there are still a few things you can do to prevent it as you prepare for Kilimanjaro. The one I highly recommend is to take your time to do the climb. Take the longest route (Machame). Add an extra day. Walk slowly as per your guide’s recommendations. You will reduce the risk of being sick by giving your body more time to acclimate and minimising your efforts.

Read this article for more tips on how to adjust to high altitude; they are helpful things to know to prepare for Kilimanjaro.

2. Talk to your doctor about how to prepare for Kilimanjaro

Your usual doctor knows your history and potential risks; they always have good advice tailored to your condition.

Let your doctor know you want to prepare for Kilimanjaro. They may even offer you some medication – natural or not – to lower the risk of altitude sickness. The ones I heard about had no real proven effects, and they have side effects, so be aware of the possible risks before deciding to take the pills. It can be a good idea to try a sample before being in Africa to test how your body reacts to them. Again, a good doctor will tell you all you need to know about these medical options.

There are risks associated with climbing Kilimanjaro. Most travel insurance won’t cover you for such an experience. Make sure you double-check if you are covered at an altitude of 5,895m! Cover-More Adventure Travel Insurance* may have the solution for you.

3. Have the right equipment for the hike

Woman posing with Mount Kilimanjaro summit in a background and a lovely blue sky.

If you’re cold or wet all day and/or all night or if your shoes hurt, your experience on Mount Kilimanjaro won’t be fun at all. And the tiredness will put you at risk. Having the right equipment can be key to your success. It will support you both physically and mentally. Make sure you try it to know how it works and avoid nasty surprises.

Check out this packing list for Mt Kilimanjaro. I have detailed all the must-have equipment, the nice-to-have, and the useless stuff.

4. Be mentally prepared for Kilimanjaro

Good mental stamina is fundamental to achieving something challenging, like reaching the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

To fight sickness, the climate or physical pain, you will need strong mental. For some people, climbing to the summit is easy all the way – but it’s not often the case. You can only hope everything will be easy. And you have to prepare to be strong, out of your comfort zone and sometimes fight pain for hours. I never considered it easy, so I was prepared for difficulties. I am sure this helped me to fight them when they happened.

We linked our climb to the challenge of raising funds and awareness for breast cancer. I thought about that during the challenging moments; it strengthened me mentally. What is my ephemera difficulty compared to people fighting cancer? How could I find it hard to realise a dream compared to people fighting for their life?

It is hard to feel lucky with the strongest migraine ever, but I thought it was essential to keep in mind that being there was my choice, I could end it now if I wanted to, and I was making a dream come true.

Find opportunities to build up your mental resistance as you prepare for Kilimanjaro.

Woman wearing warm hiking equipment and holding hiking poles posing
Day 3 Kilimanjaro hike to Lava Tower

You may want to build up mental resistance with a few challenging trips at home that push you close to your limits. Of course, I am not talking about having pain on purpose. But overnight hiking is excellent for preparing physically for climbing Kilimanjaro, and you could also learn from the experience from a mental point of view. The hike can feel very different with the distance and the fatigue building up.

The climate can be a challenge too. We usually choose to stay indoors when it’s raining and pick a beautiful day to go hiking. We’d rather book a lovely cottage with a fireplace than go camping when it’s below 10ºC. But you don’t have a choice on a multi-day hike in the mountains. You have to carry on walking despite the weather. So test yourself (and your equipment!) and go out when it’s uncomfortable. You may learn a few things about embracing the discomfort that will help you reach the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro.

You may be interested in learning more about techniques that can help you push yourself and increase your pain tolerance. The idea is not to put your body in danger by ignoring the signs of altitude sickness or a bad injury. Instead, I’m thinking of painful things that do not put you in danger but can mentally put you down as they persist and finally affect your mental. For example, knowing breathing exercises, positive self-talk, and mindfulness meditation could help you better deal with the difficulties when climbing Kilimanjaro.

Mt Kilimanjaro

5. Be physically prepared for Kilimanjaro

You don’t have to be fit to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro but, of course, it helps. Gaining excellent endurance and prepared muscles are what you need to focus on when you prepare for Kilimanjaro. You must be able to walk up (and down) for hours. For several days in a row. Sometimes with only a little sleep.

It does not matter how quickly you can do it. Reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro is a marathon, not a sprint. Of course, if you are fit and able to finish the day early, the time you have to rest is beneficial. But don’t focus on speed when preparing for Kilimanjaro: concentrate on endurance, muscle strength, and recovery.

You may want to prepare for Kilimanjaro by hiking at altitude.

If you have the opportunity to create conditions that are close to those that you will face during your Kilimanjaro climb, that’s brilliant.

For us, living in Australia didn’t offer many options to test our bodies with the altitude. Australia’s highest summit, Mount Kosciuszko, is at 2,228m/7,310 ft, not even half of Mount Kilimanjaro and maybe day 2 of the hike. Cradle Mountain in Tasmania is more challenging, but it’s also just a day walk at a low altitude. And they’re too far away from Brisbane anyway.

We could have gone to exercise in an altitude chamber but, mainly because of the price and because it’s not fun, we chose not to. So we forgot about the altitude factor and hiked the few mounts we have around Brisbane instead.

Although it wasn’t in altitude, going up and down the hills was an excellent way to develop muscles and endurance and prepare for our Kilimanjaro adventure.

If you’re keen, you can hike with a heavy backpack to strengthen your muscles more. Our overnight hiking expedition was an excellent exercise as we had to carry all the equipment, food and water. Note that you won’t have to carry a heavy bag on Kilimanjaro – local porters will do that for you. Still, you will recover more quickly if you have strong muscles used to exercise. We also chose to do some long walks, sometimes with overnight camping, to get used to walking for extended hours.

It’s also important to learn about recovery and how to treat your body after the efforts so you feel fresher the next day. If you aren’t sportive, you will want to learn the importance of staying hydrated and stretching.

Group of hikers walking in line on a path on Mount Kilimanjaro

An excellent way to prepare physically for climbing Kilimanjaro is to think of your body when you plan the trip.

The less tired your body is, the higher your chances of dealing well with the efforts and the altitude. Is it reasonable to start the climb jet-lagged after a long flight? Are you doing all you can to avoid food intoxication? Will you have a good night’s sleep before leaving for the climb? Think of this when planning your trip to Tanzania.

Have you climbed Kilimanjaro? What are your tips on how to prepare for Kilimanjaro? Leave a comment below!

Where is Mount Kilimanjaro?

Mount Kilimanjaro is in the north of Tanzania, close to the border with Kenya.

Did you like this article about how I prepared for climbing Kilimanjaro? Add it to your Pintested board:

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Eloise

Eloise is the creator and writer of MyFavouriteEscapes.com. She writes about her experiences exploring exotic destinations and finding hidden gems closer to home. Her goal is to share tips and stories to inspire and encourage others to go on their own adventures. She loves outdoor and nature-based activities like scuba diving, hiking, kayaking, and sailing. She grew up in France and has lived in England and Turkey before calling Australia home for the past decade. So let's get ready for another adventure!

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  1. Liz (forkonthemove)

    I can so relate to mountain sickness. It can be debilitating with headache and nausea. But I loved your comment about breast cancer. Good on you! And the summit is worth it. The worst for me was the scree near the summit- seemed we slid back almost as much as we went up. Keep hiking and posting your adventures. Love them!

    1. Eloise

      Thank you for sharing your story, Liz! I remember that part you describe. So hard to go that slow with so much efforts! But yeah, reaching the summit makes you almost forget it all. Almost!
      Thanks for your nice comment, highly appreciated 🙂

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