Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
Mount Kilimanjaro rises dramatically from the dry plains to 5895 metres (19,370 ft), the highest point on the continent of africa.
The first sighting of Africa’s highest mountain by a European is attributed to a German missionary, Johann Rebmann, in 1848. The mountain has three major volcanic centres, ‘Shira’, ‘Mawenzi’, and ‘Kibo’.
Most travellers visiting Kilimanjaro do so with the aim of making an attempt on the ‘Kibo’ summit, Uhuru Peak, first conquered in 1889. There are a number of routes up the mountain, from the ‘standard’ Marangu route which requires a minimum 4 nights on the mountain (3 up, 1 down) to the more exclusive Machame, Shira and Lemoshi routes, which invariably involve a night or two longer on the mountain.
For more information about climbing the mountain please visit our dedicated Trekking and Kilimanjaro page.
With an area of 756 sq kms, the Kilimanjaro National Park includes all the area above the upper tree limit of the Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve. Significant numbers of birds and animals inhabit the park, and you might possibly catch sightings of elephant, buffalo, eland, leopard, bushbuck, suni, red duiker, Abbot’s duiker, baboon, and black colobus monkey, but do not consider this as a ‘game viewing’ park.