Kilimanjaro National Park

Kilimanjaro National Park protects Mount Kilimanjaro and its surroundings in northern Tanzania, featuring three volcanic cones with a snow-capped summit rising above the landscape. The park encompasses several distinct landscape zones, from forested lower slopes to alpine meadows and barren rock formations near the top.

In the early 1900s, the mountain region was set aside as a game reserve under German colonial rule to protect its environment. Tanzania formally established the national park in 1973 following independence, and the site later gained international recognition as a World Heritage Site.

The Chagga communities in the surrounding foothills have shaped the landscape through generations of farming and settlement, and their presence remains visible in the cultivated areas that ring the mountain's lower slopes. This long relationship between people and the mountain defines the identity of the region today.

Several marked routes lead to the summit, each with different difficulty levels and accommodation styles ranging from mountain huts to camping sites. Plan your visit during the drier seasons when trails are in better condition and weather is more stable for climbing.

The snow and ice on the summit have shrunk noticeably over recent decades, making the mountain itself a visible indicator of environmental change. Climbers reaching the top can see this transformation firsthand, as the glaciers have become significantly smaller than in earlier decades.