A Kilimanjaro open group tour is one in which anyone can join the climb. This means that you will join other climbers that have booked the same tour and it is not limited to the people in the group knowing each other.

Group tours tend to be cheaper when compared to private tours and have a set schedule. Some operators require a minimum of two people to join the tour before the booking can be confirmed. All climbs have a maximum number of participants, so be sure to book in advance to secure your place.

The maximum number of people in a Kilimanjaro group tour is usually between eight and 12. This does not mean that tours will always fill up to that number. Tours that are well advertised and popular tend to fill up while others may have fewer participants but still offer an equally good service.

There are also open group tours containing just three people and bigger tour groups with more than 15 people, although these are not as common.

Group tours have their advantages and disadvantages. If you can find a Kilimanjaro group tour that runs on a date that is convenient for you, we would certainly recommend this option. This is because joining a group tour helps to keep costs down and allows you to meet other like-minded people. This aspect of a group tour cannot be understated. Many lasting friendships have been formed while climbing. Climbing Kilimanjaro is a very unique and challenging experience and the bonds you share with others who climb with you can be profound and life-changing.

The hiking routes on Mount Kilimanjaro vary by length, duration, difficulty, scenery, altitude profile, accessibility, and (lack of) facilities. The better a route scores on all these criteria, the more popular it is. Popularity is great if you like to share your experience with many other climbers and make lots of new friends. It's also great if you're looking for an affordable climbing package. If solitude and wilderness is what you're looking for, then the most popular routes may not be your best choice.

To choose the best hiking route for your Kilimanjaro climb, it is important to assess your personal preferences and priorities:

• Do you prefer the most stunning scenery or authentic wilderness away from the crowds?
• Do you prefer a climb with least amount of walking and easy slopes, or are you looking for a bigger physical challenge?
• Do you have time constraints, or are you OK to take a longer route of 8 days (or more) in order to maximize your summit success chance?
• Do you have budget constraints, or do you prefer to pay a premium for a longer climb, a private tailor-made arrangement (as opposed to an open group climb), and/or a luxurious climb off-the-beaten track?

Please contact us for a tailor-made recommendation.

The Kilimanjaro routes with the highest summit success rates are those with the best altitude profile so that you can acclimatize to the thin air before attempting your final summit push. Climbing high during the day and sleeping low at night is ideal. Furthermore, it's important to ascend slowly over multiple days so that your body has more time to get used to the high altitude.

8-day Machame, 8-day Lemosho, 8-day Grand Traverse and 9-day Northern Circuit (including acclimatization hike to Lava Tower) are all excellent routes for altitude acclimatization that allow you to hike high, sleep low and ascend slowly over multiple days. With the right preparation and the right guide, these routes all have a summit success chance of close to 100%.

Kilimanjaro is an expensive mountain to climb. This is due to local park fees and taxes. For a 6-day climb, the Kilimanjaro National Park fees alone amount to over US $800 per person. When adding up all the costs incurred by a tour operator (including the salaries of your mountain crew, equipment, food, transfers, etc.), there is in fact only a small margin left for the tour operator. It is therefore not possible for them to offer you much lower prices than you find on Fair Voyage. Companies offering significantly lower prices are either not operating legally and/or do not treat your porters fairly.

We aim to offer you the full range of climbing offers from low-budget no-frills to luxurious VIP tours. Being committed to responsible travel, however, means that we insist on and strictly vet all tours against minimum standards of quality and safety. Therefore, different from industry average, all our quotations typically also include:

• 100% ethical climb, independently monitored and verified by the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP)
• Duly registered English-speaking mountain guide(s) with minimum level of training
• Assistant guide(s) with a maximum ratio of 2 clients per guide
• Mess dining tent, table(s) and chairs; eating utensils
• Properly treated drinking water and hot meals (when possible) on the mountain; prepared by properly trained cook
• Pre-climb briefing & gear check with your guide (usually in the afternoon before the start of your climb)
• Secure online payment; no hidden credit card or other transaction fees
• Swiss Travel Security (STS) traveller deposit guarantee to safeguard your payments against default or non-delivery of services
• Fully customizable offers – any itinerary variations, upgrades, equipment rentals, etc.

Prices for Kilimanjaro climbing packages typically include: all park fees; transfer to/from the park gates; dormitory accommodation in the Marangu Huts on the Marangu Route, or sleeping tents and mats on all other routes; drinking water and full-board meals on the mountain; and the salaries of your mountain crew including an English-speaking head guide, assistant guide(s) (if more than one climber), cook and porters.

Many packages (but not all) also include: airport transfers; pre/post climb accommodation; a mess tent, tables and chairs for dining; a private toilet tent; oxygen for emergencies; and more (if specifically stated).

We have gone to great lengths to compare Kilimanjaro tour operators and offers for you, including onsite meetings in Tanzania with all KPAP approved outfitters and our work though KiliGATE. Based on objective price-value comparisons, we have already pre-selected the best offers, carefully vetted all tour inclusions, and made them easily comparable for you. All partners are furthermore top-rated by travellers on leading review platforms such as TripAdvisor. We remain open to working with all KPAP Partner companies who can give you the best offer for your requirements.

Currently, there is no objective certification or rating for Kilimanjaro guides. We are hoping to change that eventually and create an industry standard. However, there are ways that you can increase your chances of finding a good guide.

Firstly, you should book with a responsible tour operator. They tend to have the best guides, because they are better paid, trained properly and given the resources they need to navigate the mountain. The two things you want to look for is Wilderness First Responder (WFR) training and CPR first aid training, should you fall ill on the mountain.

To make it easier for you to compare what's included in different Kilimanjaro offers and to find the package that best meets your personal preferences, we've created our own system to classify Tours by a minimum standard of inclusions:

1-Budget | 2-Economy | 3-Premium | 4-Luxury | 5-VIP

	1	2	3	4	5
All standard Kilimanjaro climb inclusions
All additional Fair Voyage curated inclusions
Sleeping mattress
Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certified guide
Emergency oxygen and/or pulse oximeter
Private toilet tent
Hyperbaric chamber, custom stretcher, emergency oxygen and pulse oximeter
Min. 2 WFR certified guides
Luxurious walk-in size tent with frame beds
Hot mountain shower