When is the best time to hike the Kilimanjaro Marangu Route?

Best time to hike the Kilimanjaro Marangu Route

Best: January–February and July–September. Also good: March, June and December.

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BestAlso goodPossible

The Kilimanjaro Marangu Route is 34 km long, in 4 stages. Below is the average weather for every month at about 3,550 m, the middle height of the trail (1,860–5,875 m), from 10 years of daily data (2015–2024).

Weather month by month

Month	High °C	Low °C	Rain mm	Rain days	Daylight h
January	12°	2°	108	18	12.3
February	13°	3°	103	14	12.2
March	13°	3°	138	18	12.1
April	12°	3°	226	26	12.0
May	10°	2°	194	23	12.0
June	9°	0°	94	15	11.9
July	9°	0°	60	12	12.0
August	10°	0°	81	10	12.0
September	12°	1°	95	8	12.1
October	14°	2°	108	14	12.2
November	12°	3°	284	24	12.3
December	11°	3°	221	26	12.3

Higher up it is colder: about 6 °C less for every 1,000 m of height. The highest point of the trail is 5,875 m.

Season notes from our guide

KINAPA describes two dry seasons: late June to September and December to early March. July, August and the New Year period are the busiest, and the huts can be full. The main rains fall from March to May and the short rains in October and November; the forest path is muddy and the summit can be deep in snow, but the huts give shelter, so Marangu is a common choice in the wet months. Summit night is often -10 to -20 °C with wind chill at any time of year. Fires sometimes break out in the dry heath: in October 2020 a fire between Mandara and Horombo closed the route for several days.

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Best time for other trails

Weather: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), daily values 2015–2024 near -3.14, 37.46, adjusted to 3,550 m. Rain days: days with at least 1 mm. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.