Budgeting: how much does it cost to climb Kilimanjaro?
The cost of climbing Kilimanjaro
The most significant cost of your holiday in Tanzania is the cost of the Kilimanjaro
trek itself. Set aside US$1000-plus for the absolute cheapest trek, more if you plan
on ascending by an unusual route (or on the Rongai and Lemosho Routes which usually
involve greater transport costs to get to) or insist on walking without other trekkers.
Once on the mountain, however, you won’t need to pay for anything else throughout
the trek, except for the occasional chocolate bar or beer which you can buy at the
ranger’s huts on the way.
Away from the mountain and the other national parks, by far the most expensive place
in Tanzania is Zanzibar. Elsewhere, you’ll find transport, food and accommodation,
the big three day-to-day expenses of the traveller’s life, are pretty cheap in Tanzania
and particularly in Moshi and Arusha:
Accommodation in Tanzania
Basic tourist accommodation in Tanzania starts at around £5/US$7.50. You can get
cheaper, non-tourist accommodation, though this is often both sleazy and unhygienic
and should only be considered as a last resort. We have not reviewed these cheap
hotels individually in the book, but we do give some indication of where they can
be found in the introduction to the accommodation sections in the city chapters.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are hotel rooms and luxury safari camps going
for anything up to US$2000 per night in the high season.
Food in Tanzania
Food in Tanzania can be dirt cheap if you stick to street sellers plying their wares
at all hours of the day - though dirt is often what you get on the food itself too,
with hygiene standards not always of the highest. Still, even in a clean and decent
budget restaurant the bill should still start at only £2.50-3.50/US$4-5.50.
Public transport in Tanzania
Public transport is cheap in Tanzania, though it could be said you get what you pay
for: dilapidated buses, potholed roads, inadequate seating and narcoleptic drivers
do not a pleasant journey make, but this is the reality of public transport, Tanzanian-style.
Then again, at around £1/US$1.50 per hour for local buses and dalla-dallas (the local
minibuses), it seems churlish to complain. That said, given the appalling number
of accidents on Tanzanian roads (they say that after malaria and AIDS, road accidents
are the biggest killer in the country), if your budget can stretch to it do consider
spending it on transport: extra safety and comfort are available on the luxury buses,
and at only a slightly higher price.
<< Fitness for Kilimanjaro
Climbing Kilimanjaro; how much it costs >>
Kilimanjaro park fees >>
Other costs of climbing Kilimanjaro >>
