At what age are you considered an adult
when climbing Kilimanjaro?

You are regarded a child if you have the age of 17 years and below. Either, Kilimanjaro restricts children climbing Kilimanjaro under the age of ten years old. Most tour operators recommend that children be from the age of 14 years and above. You will be allowed to climb Kilimanjaro if you are above 10 years old. Children below the age of 10 are ordinarily not allowed to climb past 3,100 Meters (10,170 ft.) unless they have obtained special permissions from the Kilimanjaro National Park Authorities. There are no upper age limits to be allowed to climb Kilimanjaro. The youngest person on record to have climbed Kilimanjaro was 7 Years Old and the oldest was 89, anyone under the age of 10 will not be allowed to climb to the summit Kilimanjaro. The highest you can go as a child on Kilimanjaro is 3,100 Meters (10,170ft). This altitude is lower than most of the lowest camps on Kilimanjaro. This means that there is no point in bringing your child to Kilimanjaro if they are below 10 and you don’t have the necessary approvals from the Kilimanjaro Park Authorities.

Children between 5-15 years old are charged $20 per day for the conservation fee (i.e. a $50 a day discount) and $10 per night camping fee (example $40 per day discount). There are unfortunately no discounts on hut fees, rescue fees or crater camp fees.

Available from the park department?

The park department offers discounts for children under the age of 16 years at the time of the climb, residents and expats of Tanzania and East African citizens. Let's look at these discounts in detail.

Children aged between the age of 5 and 15 years
Children aged between the age of 5 and 15 years get a discount on conservation fees as well as camping fees. There is no discount on hut fees or rescue fees.
Conversation fees are reduced from USD 70 per day to USD 20 per day.
Camping fees is reduces from USD 50 per day to USD 10 per day.
No change in hut fees
Hut fees are still USD 60 per day
No change in rescue fees
Rescue fees are still USD 20 per trip

Children below the age of 5 years
No conservation fees or camping fees for children below the age of 5 years. Hut and rescue fees are still applicable.
No Conversation fees
No Camping fees
No change in hut fees
Hut fees are still USD 60 per day
No change in rescue fees
Rescue fees is still USD 20 per trip

Two options to consider when paying park fees

To pay the park fees upfront to the company itself, along with the trek fees. Then the company will then pay the park fees to the park department. To pay the park fees directly to the park department. You can do this with any Visa card at the park gate. You would be doing this on the first day of the climb at the park gate.

What are the park fees for children?

Machame 6 days = USD 814.20 per trekker
Machame 7 days = USD 955.80 per trekker
Lemosho 7 days = USD 955.80 per trekker
Lemosho 8 days = USD 1097.40 per trekker
Marangu 5 days = USD 719.80 per trekker
Marangu 6 days = USD 873.20 per trekker
Rongai 6 days = USD 814.20 per trekker
Rongai 7 days = USD 955.80 per trekker
Umbwe 6 days = USD 814.20 per trekker
Umbwe 7 days = USD 955.80 per trekker

The minimum age required by Kilimanjaro national park for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is 10 years old and no maximum age. The climb is strenuous and presents health risks, especially to people in high risk categories. Serious consideration should be given to anyone under the age of 18 and over the age of 60. Currently, the official minimum age to summit is set by the Kilimanjaro National Park authorities at 10, although the risks of trekking at altitude mean it is advised against rushing into this trek with a child. According to this most tour operators only offer this trek to children aged 12 and upwards.

While you may never have considered trekking a mountain of this size with a minor, the youngest person to ever summit Kilimanjaro did so in 2018 at only six years old. Children are not usually much more affected by altitude than adults. But none of them would take kids under 15. And yet the youngest person to climb Kilimanjaro was seven. Several children under the age of ten have requested special permission to climb Kilimanjaro, and were granted right to do so. Coltan Tanner - from Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA - holds the place as the youngest person to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. Coltan made it to the summit on October 22nd, 2018.