Uhuru Peak
5,895 metres.
Ray in Manila — CC BY 2.0 · Yosemite. — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Christoph Strässler from Oberdorf BL, Schweiz — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Antony Trivet — CC BY-SA 4.0
Africa's highest peak at 5,895 metres, and the world's highest free-standing mountain, rising alone above the plains. It is a dormant volcano with three cones, the highest being Kibo, whose summit is called Uhuru, meaning freedom, and it is surrounded by a national park on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Visitors climb it without technical gear, but altitude is the real challenge, so the ascent takes six to nine days on one of the main routes to give the body time to adjust. The trek passes through five climate zones, from rainforest to alpine moorland, rocky desert, and finally the snow and shrinking glaciers near the summit. Climbing is forbidden without a licensed guide and a crew of porters booked through an approved operator, and park fees alone exceed USD 70 a day, so a full climb usually costs thousands of dollars. If you are not a climber, enjoy the view from Moshi at dawn, or walk for half a day on its slopes among coffee farms and the Materuni waterfalls with the Chagga people.
5,895 metres.
Forest to ice.
Coffee farms and falls.
Kilimanjaro National Park, north of Moshi
Six to nine days depending on the route; longer itineraries give the body more time to adjust to altitude.
No, climbing is not allowed without a licensed guide booked through an approved operator.