Kilimanjaro Logistics

Money, tips, visas, hotel, food, communications, FAQs

Money

Registration: $1,000 deposit to Murphy Expeditions due at registration opening September 1 - October 1 2025

Final trip payment to Murphy Expeditions: Remaining $4,000 balance due 60 days before departure, December 8th, 2025.

Bring both a credit card and $1000 USD cash. ATMs are available in Arusha near the hotel.

Credit cards are accepted at the hotel in Arusha, for larger purchases at shops in Arusha, and at lodges on Safari. Arusha is the best place to buy local arts and crafts. There are also options on Safari.

You will want some cash for the trek. $100 max per person. Smaller bills such at 20/10/5 USD notes for things like T-shirts at the Mweka gate finish.

Tips

Tips for Kilimanjaro Crew

$500 USD per person will be collected in Arusha at the gear check. I will pool the cash, change some into local currency, and facilitate a tipping ceremony for our Kilimanjaro crew on the last day at Mweka gate.

Note that these tips will be significant source of earnings for each of the crew, from the porters carrying duffels to the guides, cooks, waiters and other crew members.

Tips for your lead guide, Eric

Tips are appreciated (post trip). This is at your discretion and of course based on your overall experience, budget, and desire.

Tips for your team leader, Luke (Timmerman Traverse only):

Tips are not expected. If you would like to show your thanks, Luke would most appreciate you or your company subscribing to the Timmerman Report, his thought-leadership publication for the biotech industry.

FAQs

  • Trekkers are expected to be in excellent physical condition. Being physically prepared for the rigors of the mountains is one of the
    key aspects to an enjoyable, risk-aware, and rewarding experience for the entire team.

    You should be fit enough to walk slowly, with regular rest breaks and a light day pack, for 5-6 hours per day.  A slow, steady pace is how we walk at altitude.

  • Temperatures on the trek will be highly variable every day, based on weather and elevation. We need to be prepared for rain, snow, wind, and cold temperatures at any point in the trip. 

    The higher we get, the colder the nights will be. Days can be quite warm if we have good weather and no wind. It gets cold quickly at sunset and warms up quickly after 8 or 9 a.m. in good weather.

    The other variable is that a given temperature at 17,000+ feet feels different than at sea level, if only because you cannot move around nearly as fast to stay warm.

    Expects temps while trekking to range from the low 60s F down to the low 20s F, and colder if it's windy or stormy up at higher elevations. On summit night up high we could experience temps below 20 F, especially with wind.

  • Tap water is not drinkable in Tanzania.   At the hotel use only bottled water. At mealtimes on the mountain, we will provide large thermos jugs of boiled water for hot drinks.

    For drinking water on the trail, we will provide a filtered water tank for your drinking bottles, which you can then purify a 2nd time with your SteriPen (best method) or water purification drops/tablets. See the gear list.

  • Each day you will receive a warm washing bowl in camp after arrival. While not a shower it works well wash off using a small cotton cloth/bandana and wet wipes.

  • Yes. Secure storage will be provided at the hotel for items that do not need to be brought along on the trek. For example: travel clothes, extra books, toiletries, and so forth.

    In addition, for the trek, you will be packing a daypack and a trekking duffel/porter bag. The weight limit for the porter duffel bags is 20 kg/44 lbs. We will provide you with a porter duffel bag for the mountain.

    See the gear list for what to pack.

  • 30 or more days from departure: Full refund minus $500 administrative fees and any non refundable expenses incurred by Murphy Expeditions such as hotel reservations.

    Fewer than 30 days from departure: Full refund minus initial $1,000 deposit.

  • INCLUDED:

    • 3 nights at the Four Points Arusha Hotel (2 nights on arrival, 1 post trek)

    • Airport pickup and drop off

    • Breakfasts at hotel

    • Lunch and dinner on orientation day

    • celebration dinner post trip at hotel

    • All food while on the trek (3 meals per day)

    • All Transport in Tanzania.

    • All trekking permits and Kilimanjaro National Park fees

    • All guiding services on mountain

    NOT INCLUDED:

    What is not Included in trip cost?

    • International flights to and from Tanzania

    • Rescue costs, extra unplanned hotel nights, transport

    • Personal insurance or rescue fees

    • Hotel nights in excess of the 3 included (early arrivals/late departures) 

    • Single room supplement at Four Points Arusha Hotel

    • Tips for Tanzanian crew

    • Tips for Eric

Getting a Tanzanian Visa

Each climber needs a visa to enter the country of Tanzania. There are 3 methods of obtaining a visa.

  1. Obtain a visa upon arrival at the airport. While this is the easiest method, we strongly recommend using the e-visa method below, as some climbers have been denied entry to their flights without a previously arranged visa

  2. Obtain an e-visa which can save time on arrival. This is an online form which will save time at the airport and prearranges your visa, then you can obtain your formal visa more quickly on arrival. (See below for directions on obtaining an evisa)

  3. Obtain a full visa through Tanzanian Embassy/Consulate and best for those traveling with a passport from a country that does not allow evisas

    EVisa

Prior to entering Tanzania. Please use the instructions below to complete your eVisa application. Once completed, the Tanzanian government will send you an official confirmation which you will print out and take with you to the airport in Tanzania. This will expedite your entry process at the airport. On occasion the Tanzanian Embassy will ask for a letter of invitation which we can provide.

Please note to complete your online eVisa application you will need the following documents ready to upload in Jpeg format (300Kb size max) (Phone photos should work)

  1. Passport photo (300Kb max Jpeg or Png file)

  2. Photocopy/Scan of your passport document page showing photo and number (300Kb max)

  3. Return flight ticket/ (1MB max size)

To fill out the eVisa application, open a new browser and visit: https://visa.immigration.go.tz/

  • Application page 1: Create account with your email

    1. Application page 2: Enter your contact info and employment info

    2. Application page 3: Enter your passport info

    3. Application page 4: Please note the following info which you will need to complete your application. Enter the following under travel info:

      • Host: Company/Organization: Bushbuck Safaris

      • Host full name: Mustafa Panju

      • Mobile No: +255 738 777 999

      • Email: bushbuck@bushbucksafaris.co.tz

      • Company/Organization registration No: Bushbuck Safaris

      • Relationship: Agent

      • Address: Simeon Road P.O. BOX 1700 Arusha, Tanzania

    4. Application page 5: Enter your travel companions

    5. Application page 6: Scan your documents into system.

      • Passport photo (300Kb max Jpeg or Png file)

      • Passport Scan (300Kb max)

      • Return ticket (1Mb max)

    6. Application page 7: Declarations page

    7. Application page 8: Make online visa payment ORDINARY SINGLE ENTRY VISA $50.00 USD (if ordinary visa not available, you can choose multiple entry)

Hotel in Arusha

Four Points by Sheraton, The Arusha Hotel
Fire Road, Clocktower Roundabout, Plot 2, Arusha 23100, Tanzania.
Telephone: +255 27 297 7777

//www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/jrofp-four-points-arusha-the-arusha-hotel/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0

Single rooms

For an additional fee, single rooms are available on advance notice only.

Food

We strive to have a healthy and diverse menu with lots of fresh food. Our chefs are trained in hygienic cooking and many have worked in the the hospitality trade in traditional hotels. Fresh fruits are washed with boiled water and peeled. Breakfasts include a cooked cereal (oats/millet/corn), eggs, toast, and a sausage or bacon. Fresh fruit is served multiple times per day. Lunches are soups, salads, and cooked chicken or fish. Dinners are cooked grains, meats and vegetables. We have 2 resupplies during the trip, allowing fresh foods to come in and rubbish to be carried out. At breakfast each morning, some local trail snacks will be passed out as well.

Vegetarian options are always available.

Health and vaccinations

The most common considerations are 1) polio and tetanus 2) Typhoid 3) Hepatitis A 4) Malaria prophylactics 5) Altitude. If you are coming from another East African country (transit not included) such as Kenya and Ethiopia, climbers must have a yellow fever shot and certificate. Climbers should bring a small medical kit which can include prescription drugs and Diamox/Acetazolamide for altitude illness. We will discuss the proper usage and dosages for Diamox during your orientation day. We encourage you review the latest health information regarding Tanzania, at the Center for Disease Control’s website:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/tanzania

Communications

Public Wi-Fi

The Arusha Hotel has good Wi-Fi.

Cellular Service

There is some limited coverage on the mountain, mostly on day 2, day 3 and day 4