Kilimanjaro Climbing Company Ltd Reviews 82

KCC were a great company to deal with from beginning to end. The team they pulled together to guide us up the mountain were fantastic. Always friendly, smiling and making sure we were as comfortable as could be. That isn't always easy when climbing up to the roof of Africa!
Very happy I chose KCC and can't recommend them highly enough.

We have just returned from an amazing 13 day safari to beach trip. Simon listened to what we wanted from the trip and planned the perfect itinerary for us. We stayed at Kahawa House in Arusha at the start and end of the 4 day safari. The hotel is lovely with very friendly and attentive staff and good food. The safari took us to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Tarangire national parks under the expert care of our guide John. The lodges were all comfortable and had everything we needed with great food each night. We enjoyed the pool at Karatu Simba Lodge and were thankful for the hot water bottles as the temperature dropped. Kati Kati tented lodge was an experience not to be missed with bucket showers and zebra for company. Our final night was at the excellent Lake Burunge Baobab lodge which rounded off our safari perfectly.
We then enjoyed a night in Stone Town at the historical Kissiwa House before 6 nights at the Royal Zanzibar Beach Resort in Nungwi for some relaxation. The resort is in a beautiful beach front location with friendly staff and good food. Everything ran smoothly thanks to Simon's planning which took all the
worry away from us and thanks also to Geoffrey in Arusha and Abii in Zanzibar for their help while we were away. It was an unforgettable trip of a lifetime in a beautiful country.

KCC did an outstanding job organising and preparing our itinerary for my boyfriend and I to complete the 8 Day Lemosho Route, followed by Safari (4 days) and finishing off with 4 days in Zanzibar to relax.

Simon was so attentive and responsive prior to our trip and was very reassuring every step of the way, which was lovely especially before quite a daunting adventure to climb to the top of Kilimanjaro. I really appreciated the pre-prepared personalised itinerary that was compiled and shared with us so we knew what the expectation was each day, and where were staying - as an organised person, I really appreciated this!

As soon as we arrived in Tanzania, we were transported to our 'base' hotel in Arusha and briefed/equipment checked by our amazing guides - Victor and David. This reassured us that we were ready and ready to start to summit.

On the mountain, the crew were outstanding and went above and beyond for us at every opportunity. They were so attentive, accommodating, helpful and the camp felt like home. The views were outstanding and the food was great. The team were very motivating, positive and smiley which all added to our amazing experience which did lead us to summit. The summit night/day was very hard but the encouragement from our wonderful guides, helped motivate us to the top and the sunrise made it all worth it.

We can't thank the team enough for helping us achieve our dream of getting to the top of Kilimanjaro - we literally couldn't have done it without the help of our amazing team!

Then we descended back down, had the best shower of our lives and started our safari adventure with our next amazing guide, John. John is the kindest man and was so accommodating and made our safari experience. His knowledge of the reserves/animals was amazing and hearing his stories with over 30 years of safari experience made the trip! It was just magical to see the animals in their habitats.

Finally, we flew to Zanzibar (also all transfers to and from the airport organised by KCC so absolutely zero stress) and had one night in Stone Town and then went north to the Royal Zanzibar Resort for the final three nights of our holiday. We loved Stone Town and the walking tour that we did there, and the Royal Zanzibar was not our cup of tea but I am sure it is fantastic for a lot of people. I believe there is new management and they are working hard to ensure it is a better experience for everyone in the future.

Overall, the experience with KCC was unforgettable and I couldn't recommend them more if I was to repeat the trip again. Thank you so much to Simon and his fantastic team for such an amazing and once-in-a-lifetime experience!

I travelled solo on the Kilimanjaro 7 day hike on the Machame route and a 4 day safari including Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro crater and Tarangire national parks.
Renga (hiking guide) and his team (6) took me up Kilimanjaro via the Machame 7 day route as a solo hiker. The team could not do enough for me - in particular the altitude sickness advice, medical checks and the food were excellent. My tent was fit for purpose however I would say the sleeping bag I rented was very cold (although this seemed common across all companies - take extra layers or take your own sleeping bag). Great hike - and great team that carried everything for me, excluding my 18L day pack - which included my camel pack (an absolute life saver!).
Mohammed (safari guide) took me round all 4 national park areas as a solo trip. He was able to spot lots of the animals for me and ensured I got plenty of time with the animals I wanted to see including lions, rhinos and hippos! The accommodation for the safari was absolutely outstanding and some of the best food I've ever had. Unfortunately I couldn't say the same about the food at Tulia hotel in Arusha either side of the hike and safari however I did not spend much time here - the room was good.
I was also lucky enough to go visit the orphanage that KCC support which I would highly recommend going to see.
Arranging the trip was not always easy with quite minimal communication at times from the company. However, no worries were necessary as everything ran extremely smoothly on the trip from being picked up at the airport to drop off to fly back home. Excellent trip at a very reasonable price.

Safari 2 Beach - the trip of a lifetime.

From our initial contact with Simon we were supported and looked after throughout the whole process of preparing for our visit to Africa.
The teams in Tanzania and Zanzibar were also excellent. Prosper and Geoffrey organised our time in Arusha with a trip to the market and museum .
And as for Frank our safari guide / driver - the funniest, most accommodating guy with extensive knowledge of the parks, the animals and the culture. It was a pleasure spending 5 days with him.
The accommodation was very good especially the Kati Kati camp - with the bucket shower, freshly prepared food and opening the tent flap to see a herd of impala grazing outside. Maramboi lodge was stunning.
Although the safari was the definite highlight- we enjoyed a different experience on Zanzibar.
Stone Town was an interesting visit with an informative tour. Then onto the beach resort to relax......

All in all this was a very special trip - thank you KCC

If you're here wondering if should book through KCC, the answer is YES!

My wife and I did a 8 day Lemosho with extra day for Crater Camp, followed by 4/5 days Safari and then 10 days in Zanzibar in Sept/Oct24 as our honeymoon and wow, did KCC make it amazing!

From our initial enquires to quoting to booking and all the way until we were home, Simon and the team did an excellent job.

The climb was incredible and we'd rebook now if we could. Huge call out to everyone involved, they couldn't have done more for us, been nicer or helped it be any better in any way. How they do what they do, how they make such amazing food up there and do everything so positively, so happily and so easily (least make it look like it) they are pros and make you feel safe and confident whilst having the best of times to - thanks to all, especially Minja (Professor), Isack, Mr Delicious and Omar for helping make a perfect memory for us.

Safari was incredible. Frank was amazing and has eyes better than any Hawk ever - how Frank found so many animals out in the vast expanse of the Serengeti or the Ngorongoro, it was nearly as remarkable as seeing them all in their true habitats. The jeep was great and we had no issues despite seeing lots of trucks broken down from all manor of companies, ours performed brilliantly. We even rescued a stuck truck of another firm following a flash downpour - our truck had a far better drive train and Frank saved them when several other trucks had tried and failed.

Each night was a different location and every one of them was lush, with fab food and all the comforts you'd want from any hotel. We enjoyed every night and place and wished we'd had more time to enjoy the lodges, especially the coffee plantation, was a fantastic place.

Then came the relax - a quick flight over to Zanzibar that was easy and hassle free, and we had a day and overnight in Stonetown. We had a nice tour and learned about the place and then time for us in a nice hotel, right on the water. After this it was a cab to the Royal Zanzibar Beach Resort, which was lush.

The resort was immaculately kept. The room very clean and well serviced. The restaurants were fab and food brill, our fave was The Cliff, sitting but feet from the Indian Ocean eating amazing food was idyllic and will never be forgotten.

The staff were so friendly and welcoming and we never struggled for attention or space by one of the several pools or for tables etc. They managed a lovely balance with great atmosphere without being over crowded and the 'event' nights were really enjoyable.

Call out to East Africa Diving as well, who had an onsite rep. We both did a try drive and throughly enjoyed it, so much so I then did the open water qualification and had a really good time. Khamis was flawless with the instruction and I hope to one day return and dive with him again.

Overall the (almost) month we had on our incredible trip was perfect, thanks to everyone at KCC - they organised everything for us (bar international flights & diving) and did an incredible job at every step.

Heartfelt thanks from both of us to Simon and Team at KCC.

I cannot stress enough how truly amazing the KCC Team is and that they are truly the best for your Kilimanjaro Adventure. My friend and I did the 7 Day Machame route with a summit on Christmas day and it was truly life changing. I have hiked all over the globe with a vast number of different companies and guides and I can say, hands down, KCC is the BEST. When you arrive at a camp after a long day on the mountain it is easy to look around at all of the shiny fancy company logos and think 'wow top of the line.' However, this is often window dressing. The clients are all socializing with each other, the porters and guides are separate, and rarely if ever do you see them interact beyond normal pleasantries that doesn't feel like an obligation. Further, many companies do not pay their porters or cooks regular salaries! They expect tips at the end to be enough.

KCC is the exception. From the moment they met us at the airport they made us feel not as a client, but as a family. We were always greeted with smiles, asked about ourselves and learned about our porters and guides; their families, goals, and dreams. They were quick, professional, and courteous. They never complained and always went the extra mile (NO PUN INTENDED!!) to assist in any way they could. From the porters, to the cooks, to the guides; KCC takes care of their employees and their families with both work and supplies! The KCC company caters everything to your wants and needs and is super friendly when booking all the way through your departure home (though you may not want to leave).

I fully intended to go again in 2026 and will use no other company than KCC. If you want to get to the top and make a lifetime of memories to last, KCC is the crew for you!

The Kilimanjaro Climbing Company organized for 4 of us to climb Kilimanjaro, go on safari and then relax in the paradise of Zanzibar.

Brief Summary - amazing experience, if you are thinking of doing this in entirety or in parts, I recommend using the Kilimanjaro Climbing Company, you will have no regrets!!

Much more detail:

The trip was extremely well organised, with Simon (owner/ organiser) being extremely helpful with determining the finer points of the itinerary. He was contactable throughout the buildup and provided all the information you could need to prepare for such a trip.

Once over in Africa, the Tanzania branch of the team took over, and they were absolutely amazing. Everything was thought of and we were looked after from start to finish.

As for the trek of Kilimanjaro, the guides and porters truly are incredible. Without their relentless hard work and positive spirits achieving the summit might not have happened. We had 3 guides for 4 of us, and then another 14 porters (these are the people who carry the tents, baggage, food, cooking equipment etc. and watching these guys in action is mind blowing). I want to give a shout out to our guide -"the professor", David and Paul - their experience and knowledge of the mountain and high altitude trekking was abundantly clear and when we were all individually at our darkest points due to the challenge their expertise settled our nerves and kept us going. A big shout out to our chef (Amocach) as well - who produces food that tasted good day after day, all whilst up a mountain.

After Kilimanjaro we went on safari, 2 nights 3 days. Staying at beautiful lodges and being chauffeured around the various parks and reserves by a friendly and experienced guide, which meant we were able to see all the animals we came to see and all in comfort. Nothing much more to say on this - once in a lifetime experience seeing the animals in their natural habitat and very close range.

Finally we finished our trip with one night in stone town and 3 nights in Nungwi, both on the island of Zanzibar. This was a perfect end to our trip, with a swim up bar, and all inclusive food and drinks, in the sunshine being the perfect post Kilimanjaro reward.

I cannot recommend the Kilimanjaro Climbing Company enough, they were brilliant with us and really made this once in a lifetime trip special and totally stress free.

Kili had been on 'the list' for a long time, so as a dream destination we did our research on who to travel with.

Having had our initial call with Simon, it was clear that he would do whatever it takes to help us make the arrangements for a holiday of a lifetime. Unlike one of the reviews I have since read, we had no issues at all contacting Simon.

There were six of us hiking the Machame route to summit on New Years Day 2024. Other than my husband, we didn't know anyone else, by the time the trek had completed we'd made some great friends through our shared experiences.

I can't undersell how great the guides, porters and the chef are and how much they contribute to your experience. They kept our spirits high with their humour, singing and dancing, whilst keeping a close eye on us looking for the warning signs of potential altitude sickness.

We all made it to the summit, which was a joyful moment, however we spent so many special moments along the way with the whole team - it will definitely be a special memory held in our hearts and minds for a lifetime.

Thanks
Mel & Will

My husband and I hiked the Machame route over 7 days and successfully summited Mont Kilimanjaro with the amazing KCC team. We felt so incredibly lucky to be led by Renga and Jackson. These two individuals set the bar extremely high on what it means to be a guide. Their extensive knowledge and passion for their craft made our experience truly unforgettable. They went out of their way to not only lead the way but to educate, have fun and provide comfort at every turn. We couldn't have successfully made it to the top without them! Chef Amocha is on a whole different level. First of all he's absolutely hilarious, and has a fantastic voice and exceptional dance moves, but the meals this man was able to create with the utmost limited resources absolutely blew us away. He even surprised me with the most delicious birthday cake that I still have no idea how he managed to "bake" at over 4000m high on the side of a mountain!! This team could not have made us feel more special, greeting us each and every day with the biggest smiles, singing, dancing and demonstrating how much they all love what they do. The porters are super human... they dismantle camp, seemingly soar up the mountain carrying 20kg on their heads, swiftly passing all of us pole pole-ers and have the following campsite set up before we arrive hours later. It's incredible! These truly remarkable individuals, Juma, JJ, Joshua, Jonasi, Arnold, Hotti, Martin, Ruben and Msafiri all became family by the end of our trek and demonstrated how an adventure like this becomes just as much about the journey as the final destination... which for anyone on the fence btw is unlike any accomplishment you will ever encounter. Summiting Kilimanjaro will test everything you've got but with a team like KCC you will "be lucky", succeed and be left with the most unforgettable memories that will replay and replay in your minds for days, months, and years to come.

This really was a trip of a lifetime, it probably has that potential because of the challenge anyway, but for us the trip was made so special because of the people. The whole group were amazing, making us feel comfortable and to witness the effort that they put into moving and maintaining camp was very humbling for us. A special mention must go to our guides Eugen and Paul who were exceptional. Their ability to see us as we couldn't and manage us to the summit was incredible. We meet as clients and guides and have truly left as friends. We must also mention our cook Douglas whose culinary talents with a gas stove were unreal. The food was genuinely better than in the hotel and again what a gentleman and a friend he is. Last personal mention goes to John, who worked as a porter, our waiter and all round helper. His personality lit up our dark mornings and tired evenings, we will miss you John.
The last comment to make is that my Wife was the only female amongst our group of 3 and 15 guides, cooks and porters. To say that they made her welcome and comfortable is an understatement. Thankyou for that.

I cannot recommend Kilimanjaro Climbing Company highly enough. My husband and I are just back from the most amazing honeymoon, thanks to Simon and the team. With the exception of international flights, Simon organised everything for us, and was more than happy to amend the itinerary at our request before booking. He was also very patient with the many questions we had! Prosper and Geofrey made sure everything ran smoothly after we arrived.

We kicked things off with 8 day Lemosho trek plus a night in crater camp. The KCC team that got us up and down Kili were absolutely fantastic. Apart from getting ourselves from A to B, we didn’t have to lift a finger! The team work incredibly hard and we can’t thank them enough for everything they did. Minja and Issack were our guides and got us safely up and down the mountain (I think I’d still be at the top if it wasn’t for Issack!). Big shout out to Mr Delicious (Douglas) for producing the most delicious food! We couldn’t quite believe it was all freshly made up the mountain - breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, all fantastic (and plentiful!). And the rest of the team who work tirelessly in the background to make sure camp is set up before you get there, just brilliant - Omary, Festo, George, Paul, Ibrahimu, Jerryson, Juma, Bariki, Antony - thank you!

Next stop was safari and thanks to Frank, our brilliant guide, we had an epic four days exploring the Serengeti, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and Lake Manyara. Despite the vastness of the area, we saw all the animals we were hoping to see and many more, thanks to Frank’s knowledge and experience. We’ll never forget eating lunch overlooking the crater, it was a very special moment. All of the places we stayed were beautiful and we only wished we had longer at each!

We finished our trip in Zanzibar. Abii arranged everything for us while we were there. We had one night in Stone Town - we spent the afternoon on a really interesting walking tour and then had a fab rooftop meal overlooking the city. The next day we were driven to the top of the island where we spent the remainder of our holiday relaxing in the stunning Royal Zanzibar Beach Resort. We couldn’t fault it - right on the beach with 4 pools to choose from, the food was exceptional, staff so friendly, our room was spacious and tastefully decorated, and there is a fantastic spa which I spent several hours in! Also, a big shout to East Africa Diving who took us on an amazing scuba dive (rep to book through at the hotel). My husband is a competent diver but it was my first time and they handled both brilliantly - I was nervous but felt in safe hands throughout and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

Overall, we had the perfect trip and I have no hesitation in recommending KCC. In fact, if we ever go back to Tanzania (which I hope we will!), we wouldn’t book through anyone other than KCC. Thank you again for a honeymoon we’ll never forget.

KCC made the journey to the top of Africa unforgettable. Good staff..Thanks for the experience.

An absolutely stellar experience top to bottom with the entire crew from KCC. I can't speak highly enough about our group: from Renga to Lazaro to Joshua to Jonas and all the rest of the team. It's a real thing when you're on the mountain with folks you just met for a week and these guys were the best in every possible way. Ultra professional, knowledgeable, and dedicated to us having a safe and successful climb. Thanks to you all! This is a memory I'll hold onto for a lifetime.

Just returned from a 7 day Kilimanjaro trek with KCC. The guiding was excellent and the entire team was great. They worked together very well to ensure we had everything we needed in order to make the summit. I highly recommend KCC for its professionalism, dedication to the clients, and the overall enjoyable experience. Thanks to Renga, Lazaro, Joshua, Jonas, and the rest of the team - for getting us to the top and back down safely and comfortably.

Truly a once in a lifetime trip! Simon + team put together a fantastic trip, all the guides were amazing and the small group mountain experience was the best! Transitions to safari and Zanzibar were smooth and all the hotels were great.

This company does not return messages for weeks on end. Go with another company that has better customer service.

The team at KCC were very experienced, organised and looked after us at all times. The support we received climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was second to none. Would recommend using KCC for planning all aspects of a trip to Tanzania and Mount Kilimanjaro. We climbed via the Lemosho route and went on a 4 day safari

Friendly, knowledgeable guides; great food; and clean, comfortable accommodations!

Our most sincere thank yous to Fredy, Isack, Machete, and the rest of the KCC crew for a trip of a lifetime!

Mike and I want to thank you guys for an amazing trip. A trip of a lifetime for us. We've both wanted to see Africa since we were children. The experience that your company created for us was better than our fantasies. We really enjoyed getting to know our guides along the way as well. Freddie, Isaac, and Machete are all talented and truly good people. Thank you for introducing us to them. We will be recommending KCC to all our friends and family when we get home. Wishing you guys all the best, and thank you 😊 🙏