Climbing Kilimanjaro is an incredible experience. The sunsets, the views and the wild and ever changing landscape make it one of the best treks on earth.
What many people don’t know is that on the final day of ascent, you actually trek through the night to reach the summit near dawn.
A great option then is to make sure you trek when there is a full moon that night.
This makes the trek just that little bit more special as the magnificent glaciers light up under the full moon to create a simply stunning landscape!
There is also a practical reason in trekking under a full moon – it illuminates your path.
Normally you would be forced to wear a head torch (see: headgear for Kilimanjaro) on summit night, however, under a full moon on a clear night you could get away without using a head torch (we still recommend you bring a head torch just in case conditions aren’t perfect).
The only negative side of trekking under a full moon is that the stars are obscured by the brightness. If you’re a passionate star gazer then you would be best to trek under a new moon when the whole of Kilimanjaro lies under a blanket of beautiful stars.
In order to summit on a full moon date, you’ll need to time your climb right. This means that if you are trekking a 7 day route (for example, on the Lemosho, Machame or Rongai) you should depart 5 day prior to the full moon and if you are trekking a 6 day route (for example, on the Marangu) you should depart 4 days before the full moon.
Remember though, full moon dates are by far the most popular climbs and if you would prefer a less crowded trek, then avoiding the full moon is wise.
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Kilimanjaro Full Moon Dates (2024 & 2025)
Below we have provided a complete list of the Kilimanjaro full moon dates for 2024 and 2025.
Please note: these dates are best estimates. Please do not rely on this data as gospel. We recommend you double-check dates on other weather websites.
Month | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
January | 25th | 14th |
February | 24th | 12th |
March | 25th | 14th |
April | 24th | 13th |
May | 23rd | 12th |
June | 22nd | 11th |
July | 21st | 10th |
August | 19th | 9th |
September | 18th | 7th |
October | 17th | 7th |
November | 16th | 5th |
December | 15th | 5th |
Kilimanjaro New Moon Dates
Kilimanjaro new moon dates are great for stargazing.
Month | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
January | 11th | 29th |
February | 10th | 28th |
March | 10th | 29th |
April | 8th | 27th |
May | 8th | 27th |
June | 6th | 25th |
July | 6th | 24th |
August | 4th | 23rd |
September | 3rd | 21st |
October | 2nd | 21st |
November | 1st | 20th |
December | 1st/ 31st | 20th |
Remember, weather will affect your climb also and the rainy season clouds will often obscure the full moon from view. Choosing the right time of year to trek is very important.
Please see our best time to trek Kilimanjaro guide and visit Mountain Forecast to get an accurate weather forecast for Kilimanjaro.
Full Moon Kilimanjaro FAQ
If you have any further questions or queries about Kilimanjaro full moon dates, please just leave a comment below and we’ll get back you as soon as possible.
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- Tipping porters on Kilimanjaro
Tags: Kilimanjaro full moon dates, Kilimanjaro full moon, full moon Kilimanjaro, climb Kilimanjaro full moon
I am looking at climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and wanted to start the climb on a specific date which is 23rd September 2017. I have been to 4 companies and 2 run the trek on this date and 2 don’t. I asked one of the operators why there isn’t a trek on this date and they have said that it isn’t a good moon so they don’t run treks due to Health and Safety issues. Would there be a safety issue trekking if there isn’t a full moon?
Hi Caroline, there is no health and safety risk of a summit push that doesn’t coincide with a full moon. There will be 100s of summits everyday in September as its the busy season. Hope this helps!
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