Where do I pay my park fees to climb the Kilimanjaro?

Park fees are paid to the tour company which will then pay to the government through the official financial infrastructure built for park fees payment. So after you have made your climbing price in full to the tour operator relax and wait for them to pick you up so that you begin your trek to the roof of Africa. Each climber on Mt. Kilimanjaro is required to pay park fees, which constitutes conservation, camping, rescue and crew fees. On Lemosho and Rongai routes special forest fees are also applicable. It is another key element of Mt Kilimanjaro climbing cost.

Be aware that some unethical tour operators deliberately provide misleading information regarding park fees. Never trust claims that it is possible to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and avoid fees by bypassing ranger posts. It is simply impossible to reach Uhuru Peak avoiding any encounters with park rangers. Dozens of those who attempt this are caught every year. Each climber on Mt. Kilimanjaro is required to pay park fees. Furthermore, it is dangerous. Bypassing established official routes where climbing permits are checked at each ranger post will bereave you of the possibility of receiving timely assistance from the rangers should such a necessity arise.

Trespassing on National Parks is considered a serious offense in Tanzania. The best case scenario entails being bereft of the chance of ever experiencing the wonders of Tanzania again after being deported and stiff fines. Imprisonment is also not to be ruled out. You have two options when it comes to paying the park fees. The most common and popular option is to pay the park fees upfront to such tour company, along with the trek fees. All prices of website include park fees as well as VAT.

Another option is 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 we would be entering from. The clients have his decision to decide if he will pay to Tour Company or to the park department directly.

When your booking you should explain on how you are going to pay. The cost of climbing Kilimanjaro is around $2000-$3000. But also there are other expenses, like flights, visas, insurance which include travel and health insurance, and equipment that also are needed because are very important. Many people commit to climbing Kilimanjaro before thinking through the full financial implications. The prices for Kilimanjaro climbs vary wildly.

To climb Kilimanjaro can cost you anything from $1000 to $4000 and above. A Kilimanjaro climb can cost from $1,400(standard) to over $7,000 (luxury package) and above. Think about this knowledge with the fact that there are 250 licensed and hundreds of unlicensed operators in the region and making the right choice become a major task. In fact, to understand how the climbing. It is difficult to decide how much to pay an operator to climb Kilimanjaro. Make sure that you shouldn’t pay more than $3,000 per climber. The key to having a successful trip is to know what kind of trip you’re paying for, to know what you want and expect, and to ask yourself for it from your outfitter. Make sure that your operator has a guide, assistant guide, and cook for every three or four climbers, as well as three to four porters per person. Each climber should have a staff of five or six people.

Kilimanjaro operators have minimum expenses for each client, including Daily Park and camping or hut fees, staff wages, food for clients, guides, and porters, equipment, and transportation as well as accommodation fees. The Kilimanjaro National Park entrance and camping/hut fees total $100 per climber per day, local wages to guides and porters come to roughly $25 per climber per day and food costs about $10 per climber per day.

Your operator fee includes the official Kilimanjaro National Park fees for climbing. Your operator fee includes guide, assistant guide, and porter wages, which vary between companies. The following wages are considered high by most outfitters, who pay less

Two options to consider when paying park fees

To pay the park fees direct to the company along with the trek fees. All prices on company’s website include park fees as well as VAT. Then the company they will 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.

Kilimanjaro National Park Fees

Rescue Fees
This is fees for emergency if anything happen, the first thing is to prepare the rescue fees for Kilimanjaro. Charged by the park department to provide rescues on the mountain. The Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA) will arrange a rescue service which will cost 20 USD / 18 EUR / 16 GBP. The price considering the fact that this mountain is almost 6,000 meters high.

Conservation Fees
The conservation fees are charged by the park department and go towards and you’ve guessed it, conservation of Kilimanjaro National Park. This is a daily fee of 70 USD / 62 EUR / 56 GBP. These Conservation fees are high but are also very important. These fees make sure that Kilimanjaro is looked after. The conservation fee is basically the entry fee for Kilimanjaro. This fee is charged for the number of days you spend inside the park. For example five days marangu route.

Camping Fees
This fee is calculated per person per day/night on all climbing routes other than the Marangu Route when your climbing you must staying on campsites. The fees are USD 50 / 44 EUR / 40 GBP. Other route cost up to 450 USD of your total price goes towards your camping permit. These campsites as well common areas such as toilets are maintained by the park department. This is charged for the number of times you camp on a trip.

Hut Fees
When climbing Kilimanjaro you should know that there are some routes which have huts. Especially on the Marangu Route you will be staying in huts but not in camp. These huts need a cost of paint every day, although the Marangu Route is a relatively affordable trek, you must know that still, 60 USD / 53 EUR / 48 GBP per night you should pay. On Marangu route, you would be sleeping in huts along the route instead of camping. The huts are maintained by the park department. Some of the huts are Mandara, Horombo and Kibo.

Crater Fees
In case you wish to camp on the crater, the cost would be USD 100 per trekker per night. There is extra cost including the cost of crater. It is an interesting experience that comes at For 100 USD / 88 EUR / 80 GBP a night you can stay at Crater Camp. A stay at the Crater Camp is included normally on Lemosho Route.

Guide and Porter Fees
What are also included in the costs of your Kilimanjaro climb is the daily fees for guides and porters. You pay 2 USD / 1, 80 EUR / 1, 60 GBP per staff member a day. The park entrance fee is USD 2 per trip per person.

If you are a citizen and resident of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda or South Sudan there are a few exceptions for the above-mentioned park fees. For children, there are some discounts you can also enjoy some benefits. There is also some discount applicable to expatriates. In addition to paying park fees for yourself, you are also responsible for paying the park entrance fees for your crew, for your guides, cooks and porters. To save you time working out all the various national park fees by route, here are the Kilimanjaro park fees for the most popular routes.

VAT
The Value Added Tax (VAT) is charged by the government of Tanzania. The government started charging VAT on Kilimanjaro treks from July, 2016. Currently it’s set at 18%. All the components above would have to be charged with 18% VAT.

Staff Wages
Staff wages amount to around $80-$150 per climber per day depending on the group size. Staff wages are a considerable cost and making savings here directly takes money out of the pockets of the lowest-paid people on the mountain. Making sure the porters and guides have proper gear and training is a significant cost to any Kilimanjaro reputable operator.

Food, water and transportation cost
Food shopping costs about $10-$20 per climber per day includes food for staff and Transportation costs are about $100 per Kilimanjaro trip depending on the route choice. While the cost of food in Tanzania is not high, it still has to be carried up the mountain, stored in safe and sanitary conditions and prepared by well-trained mountain chefs. On the longer routes, we may need to resupply with fresh produce a few days into the trek.