Climbers at high altitude on the snow slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro

Before you climb

Health, Vaccinations & Travel Insurance

What to sort out before you fly — from jabs and malaria to altitude sickness and the insurance cover that actually protects you on Kilimanjaro.

Start here

Get the health side right, and the climb takes care of itself

Kilimanjaro is a non-technical trek, but it takes you to 5,895 metres — higher than most people ever go. A little preparation on vaccinations, altitude, and insurance makes the difference between a smooth, safe climb and a trip cut short.

This is general guidance, not medical advice

Your exact requirements depend on your health, your home country, and current conditions, all of which change. Visit your doctor or a travel health clinic 6–8 weeks before you travel for advice and vaccinations tailored to you.

Wildlife on the Tanzanian plains beneath Kilimanjaro

Vaccinations

Vaccinations for Tanzania

A travel clinic will tailor this to you, but these are the vaccinations commonly recommended or required for a trip to Tanzania:

Yellow fever — a certificate is required if you are arriving from, or have recently transited through, a country with risk of yellow fever. Confirm current entry rules for your route.
Routine vaccines up to date — including MMR, tetanus-diphtheria, and polio.
Hepatitis A & typhoid — commonly recommended, as both can spread through food and water.
Hepatitis B, rabies, cholera & meningitis — recommended for some travellers depending on plans and health; ask your clinic.

Malaria

Malaria: low on the mountain, a real risk elsewhere

The good news for climbers: mosquitoes don’t survive at Kilimanjaro’s higher altitudes, so malaria risk on the mountain itself is very low.

The risk lies at lower elevations — the towns, the safari parks, and Zanzibar. If your trip includes any of these, antimalarial tablets are strongly recommended.

Take antimalarial medication as prescribed by your doctor for the lowland parts of your trip.
Use insect repellent and cover up at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
Sleep under a net where one is provided at lower altitudes.

Forested lower slopes of Kilimanjaro where mosquitoes are present

High-altitude terrain on Kilimanjaro above the clouds

Altitude sickness

The one health risk every climber must understand

Altitude sickness (AMS) is the single most common reason climbers don’t summit. It happens when you climb faster than your body can adjust to the thinner air — and it can affect anyone, regardless of fitness.

Watch for these early signs:

Headache, nausea, dizziness, or unusual fatigue
Loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping
Severe warning signs — confusion, loss of coordination, or breathlessness at rest — mean descend immediately

How we protect you

We favour longer routes and a slow, “walk high, sleep low” pace, check your oxygen levels twice daily with a pulse oximeter, and carry emergency oxygen. Tell your guide about any symptoms — the golden rule is that if it worsens, you descend.

Some climbers take acetazolamide (Diamox) to aid acclimatization. Only do so after discussing it with your own doctor.

Travel insurance

Your policy must cover high-altitude trekking — most don’t

This is the detail that catches people out. A standard travel insurance policy often excludes trekking above 4,000–4,500 metres — which means it would not cover you near Kilimanjaro’s summit.

Before you travel, buy a policy that explicitly covers Kilimanjaro to 5,895 metres, and check it includes emergency evacuation. Rescue off the mountain can be expensive, and you never want to be making that decision based on cost.

Make sure your policy includes:

Trekking to 5,895m (Kilimanjaro’s full height)
Emergency medical treatment & hospitalisation
Emergency evacuation & helicopter rescue
Medical repatriation to your home country
Trip cancellation & curtailment
Any safari or Zanzibar add-ons in your trip

On the mountain

Simple habits that keep you healthy while you climb

Drink plenty of water

Aim for 3–4 litres a day. Good hydration is one of the best defences against altitude sickness.

Protect against the sun

UV is intense at altitude. Use high-factor sunscreen, sunglasses, and a brimmed hat every day.

Eat & drink safely

Stick to treated or bottled water and hot, freshly cooked food to avoid stomach upsets.

Keep hands clean

Carry hand sanitiser and use it before meals. A stomach bug on the mountain can end a climb.

Build fitness first

Train with hikes and cardio in the months before. A stronger body copes far better with long days.

Pace yourself & rest

Go “pole pole” (slowly). Rest when your guide sets the pace — it’s how bodies acclimatise.

One last reminder

Everything above is general guidance to help you prepare. It does not replace professional medical advice. Please see your doctor or a travel health clinic well before you travel, and confirm current entry and vaccination requirements for your specific journey.