When I was searching for company for Kilimanjaro I got quickly overwhelmed. There are so many options. Most companies have good reviews but the prices range 1500-4000 USD. Why is the price so different? Will the porters be treated fairly? After extensive research, I chose local budget friendly company Kilisa. I hiked in February 2023, 7 day Lemosho route and I have paid 2000 USD for private tour for 7 day Lemosho route and paid around 600 USD in tips (7 crew members for 7 days).
The other company for Kilimanjaro (Altezza), which I was considering, was asking 2700 USD (part of group) or 3700 USD (private tour). Tips were expected to be paid on top of this price.
GUIDE/PORTER TREATMENT
KPAP stands for “Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance project” and it is certification, that assures fair treatment and pay of porters and guides. More about the certification and what it entails HERE
Unfortunately most local companies do not choose to be certified, but that does not mean they treat guides and porters poorly. I asked my guides and porters about this and they told me, they choose the company they work with. Also what I didnt know, was that not all companies have guides and porters as employees. Some employ entire staff, some employ only guides and porters are freelancers or entire crew is freelance. So if they knew they would be treated poorly, they would not take the job. Based on what they told or hinted to me, the topic seems more complex than it appears on surface.
However, if you want to be 100% certain about good treatment of the porters, do select KPAP certified company.
PRICE/QUALITY
You need to decide the trade offs. Higher price does not always mean better. The trail is the same, the campsites and “public toilets” are the same. Some companies ask for more money but provide nothing more in terms of the overall experience other than better marketing and pre-trip customer service.
Most budget companies use the same gear (tents, sleeping bags,…), my guide shared with me, that especially the local owned companies often do own the gear, but rent it. Indeed if you go with more expensive company for Kilimanjaro, you might receive higher end branded gear, but this is not guaranteed.
I have seen many big international companies that went above and beyond to provide additional comfort to their clients. This was of course nice, but to me it didnt justify the high price. I feel like some of the additional comforts were at the expense of the crew. For example at the Lava tower some companies set up picnic tables and tents to provide hot teas, portable toilets and other luxuries to their clients. However Lava tower is unnecessary trip for the porters. They could by-pass the tricky and often icy climb uphill and downhill and just carry the heavy loads to the next campsite.
LOCAL/NON-LOCAL
I personally prefer to support local company over international. However local company might be bit lacking in customer service. You will still get all the information you need, even if it is with delay. Even if some things might appear messy, if they are established company with good reviews, you will likely have great experience. You will definitely experience the “hakuna matata” lifestyle of Tanzania.
If hiking local company matters to you, make sure to check who owns the company. There are few companies that are registered in Tanzania, but are owned and managed by non-locals.
If you do choose international company, you will likely get much better pre-trip service. You might pay more money and have basically same experience, only the pre-trip communication would be better.
OPEN GROUPS
One other way to bring the cost down is to join open groups, where companies post specific dates for specific routes and anyone can join. Some companies offer the open group trips slightly or significantly cheaper than solo trip. The company I went with had tours at the same cost as if I booked private trip. With group you will additionally save on the tips because if you are in a group, you will share them.
MY TIP
My personal tip is to choose locally owned company for Kilimanjaro, with mid-range budget-friendly price, ideally with KPAP certification. Make sure to budget for generous tips as the guides and porters work really hard to get you safely on and off the mountain.
Of course be smart and either go with referral from someone, who had done the trip or check the reviews on trusted platforms such as tripadvisor. Most companies are fine, but best to do your due diligence before spending your hard earned money. It is trip of your lifetime and you literally trust them with your life so choose carefully.
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