Meals on Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro Food Menu: What You Eat on the Mountain
Freshly Prepared Meals From Breakfast to Dinner
Good food matters when you are trekking for several days at altitude. Our mountain cooks prepare filling breakfasts, lunches, snacks and hot dinners throughout your climb, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and other dietary options available when arranged in advance.
Food on Kilimanjaro
What Do You Eat on Kilimanjaro?
Meals on Kilimanjaro are designed to give you regular, filling food throughout the day. Expect a mixture of familiar trekking meals and local Tanzanian dishes, with plenty of carbohydrates, vegetables, fruit, soups, hot drinks and protein depending on your dietary needs.
Freshly Prepared Meals Throughout Your Trek
Your mountain cook prepares meals at camp while the rest of the crew supports the daily movement of equipment and supplies up the mountain.
Breakfast is usually substantial, lunch may be served hot at camp or provided as a packed meal depending on the day's route, and dinner is normally a hot meal after you arrive at camp.
Tea, coffee, hot chocolate and snacks are also served during the trek, helping you refuel between hiking and main meals.
A Typical Day of Meals on Kilimanjaro
The exact dishes change from day to day, but the general rhythm of eating on the mountain remains fairly consistent.
Breakfast
Often includes porridge, eggs, bread or pancakes, fruit, potatoes or other carbohydrates, together with tea, coffee or hot chocolate.
Lunch
Depending on the hiking day, lunch may be a hot meal at camp or a packed lunch that can be eaten while travelling between camps.
Afternoon Tea
Once you reach camp, hot drinks are commonly served with a light snack such as popcorn, biscuits, peanuts or fruit.
Dinner
Dinner is generally hot and filling, often beginning with soup followed by rice, pasta, potatoes or local dishes with vegetables, protein and fruit.
From Moshi to the Mountain
Fresh Ingredients & Menu Planning
Before your trek begins, ingredients are purchased and menus are planned for the days ahead. This allows the mountain cook to prepare a practical menu around available produce, route logistics and the dietary requirements of the group.
Menus Are Planned Before Your Climb
Mountain meals need to be practical as well as enjoyable. Ingredients must be bought in advance, packed and carried up the mountain with the rest of the expedition supplies.
For this reason, your final menu is not fixed weeks in advance. The cook plans the menu shortly before the trek, taking into account what is available locally, what can be transported successfully and any dietary requirements that have been communicated before arrival.
Dietary Requirements
Vegetarian, Vegan & Gluten-Free Kilimanjaro Meals
Dietary requirements do not automatically mean a very limited menu. Our mountain cooks can prepare a range of meal styles when we know your requirements before the trek and have time to plan and purchase the correct ingredients.
Vegetarian
Vegetarian menus can include filling breakfasts, soups, lentil and vegetable curries, pasta, rice, beans, chapati and fresh fruit.
Vegan
Vegan meals can be planned around grains, potatoes, vegetables, legumes, pasta, rice and local Tanzanian dishes without animal products.
Gluten-Free
Gluten-free meals can be planned using suitable breads, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, eggs, meat and naturally gluten-free local dishes.
Asian Vegetarian
We can also plan vegetarian menus with familiar Asian-style flavours and dishes for hikers who prefer this type of food.
Other Requirements
If you avoid certain foods, ingredients or types of meat, tell us before arrival so the cook can plan around your requirements wherever reasonably possible.
Mixed Dietary Groups Can Be Catered For
Not everyone in your group needs to eat the same menu. We can plan meals for groups containing both vegetarian and non-vegetarian hikers, or groups where particular meats or ingredients need to be avoided.
Tell Us Before You Arrive
Food purchasing for the trek is done in advance. Please tell us about dietary requirements as early as possible so that the correct ingredients can be sourced and the mountain cook can prepare an appropriate menu. Last-minute changes may not always be possible.
Higher on the Mountain
Eating at Altitude & on Summit Night
As you climb higher, meals remain an important part of your daily routine. Warm food, hot drinks and regular snacks become especially welcome as temperatures drop and the summit attempt approaches.
Meals Change as the Mountain Changes
The style of food may become simpler at higher camps, where conditions are colder and the logistics of preparing meals become more demanding.
The aim is still to provide food that is warm, familiar and easy to eat, while giving you opportunities to refuel before the next stage of the climb.
Before the Summit Attempt
A pre-summit snack is provided before setting out for the summit. Depending on the menu, this may include fruit, juice, chocolate, porridge or another light snack together with a hot drink.
After the Summit
After returning from the summit, a more substantial meal or brunch is served. Sample menus include soup, sandwiches, chapati, fruit and hot drinks before continuing the descent.
Drinks & Snacks
Drinking Water, Hot Drinks & Snacks on Kilimanjaro
Meals are only one part of your daily routine on the mountain. Drinking water, warm drinks and regular snacks are also important parts of the trekking day.
Drinking Water
Water is provided during the mountain trek and prepared for drinking by the crew. You should carry suitable reusable bottles or a hydration system for use while hiking.
Tea, Coffee & Hot Chocolate
Hot drinks are commonly served with breakfast, lunch where practical, teatime and dinner. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate feature regularly in our sample menus.
Afternoon Snacks
After arriving at camp, you may be served a hot drink with a light snack such as popcorn, biscuits, peanuts or fruit before the evening meal.
Should You Bring Your Own Kilimanjaro Snacks?
Yes. Although snacks are included in the mountain menu, we recommend bringing a small supply of favourite snacks that you know you enjoy. At altitude, familiar foods can be especially useful when you feel less interested in eating.
Behind the Meals
How Kilimanjaro Meals Are Prepared & Served
Preparing food on Kilimanjaro is very different from cooking in a hotel kitchen. Ingredients, cooking equipment and supplies must move with the expedition, while the cook prepares meals at camp throughout the trek.
Ingredients Are Planned
Food is purchased before the climb according to the expected menu, group size and dietary requirements communicated in advance.
Supplies Go Up the Mountain
Ingredients and cooking supplies travel with the mountain crew, which is why menus need to work within the practical realities of a multi-day trek.
Your Cook Prepares the Meals
The mountain cook prepares meals at camp, adapting dishes where necessary according to conditions, available ingredients and the needs of the group.
Meals Follow the Trek
Some hiking days allow for a hot lunch, while longer days may require a packed lunch. Breakfast, teatime and dinner are planned around the day's hiking schedule.
On the Tented Routes
Meals are generally served at camp, with the group eating together before or after the day's hiking. The exact setup can vary according to the campsite, weather and stage of the trek.
On the Marangu Route
Marangu uses mountain huts rather than tents, so dining arrangements differ from the camping routes. The Kibo Hut meal shown earlier on this page is an example of eating indoors higher on the mountain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kilimanjaro Food & Meal FAQ
These are some of the most common questions hikers ask about meals, snacks, drinking water and dietary requirements on Kilimanjaro.
What food do you eat on Kilimanjaro?
Meals typically include porridge, eggs, bread, pancakes, potatoes, rice, pasta, soups, vegetables, fruit and protein, together with Tanzanian dishes such as chapati, pilau, beans, ugali and green banana dishes.
What meals can I expect on a Kilimanjaro climb?
Breakfast commonly includes foods such as porridge, eggs, toast, pancakes, fruit and hot drinks. Lunch may be a packed lunch or a hot meal depending on the day’s itinerary, while dinner usually includes soup followed by a main meal with carbohydrates, vegetables and a source of protein.
Snacks and hot drinks are also provided during the climb. Exact dishes vary from day to day, but our mountain cooks prepare a varied menu designed to provide hikers with plenty of energy for the trek.
Is food included in the Kilimanjaro climb?
Yes. Meals during the mountain trek are included in your Kilimanjaro package. Breakfasts, lunches, dinners, hot drinks and mountain snacks are provided according to the itinerary and menu planned for your trek.
Can vegetarians and vegans be catered for?
Yes. Vegetarian and vegan menus can be arranged when we know your requirements in advance. Meals may include lentils, beans, vegetable curries, rice, pasta, potatoes, chapati, soups and other plant-based dishes.
Can you provide gluten-free meals?
Gluten-free meals can be arranged when requested before the trek. Depending on the menu, options may include gluten-free bread, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice-flour pancakes, ugali, vegetables, eggs and meat.
What snacks are served on Kilimanjaro?
Sample menus include snacks such as popcorn, biscuits, peanuts, fruit, juice and chocolate. Hot drinks are often served with snacks during teatime at camp.
Should I bring my own snacks?
Yes. We recommend bringing a small supply of favourite snacks such as energy bars, nuts, dried fruit, sweets or chocolate. Familiar foods can be useful if your appetite changes at altitude.
Is drinking water provided on Kilimanjaro?
Yes. Drinking water is provided during the mountain trek and prepared by the crew. You should bring suitable reusable bottles or a hydration system so you can carry enough water while hiking.
What should I do if I have a food allergy?
Tell us about any food allergy before you arrive in Tanzania, especially if the allergy is severe. Depending on the requirement, separate utensils, preparation methods, cooking arrangements or other precautions may need to be organised.
Because food and equipment are transported in a shared mountain environment, severe allergies should always be discussed with us in advance.
Tell us about your dietary preferences, allergies or foods you avoid before your climb. The earlier we know, the easier it is for our team to plan the correct ingredients and mountain menu.
Ready to Climb?
Plan Your Kilimanjaro Adventure
From route choice and acclimatization to meals, mountain support and group departures, our team can help you plan a Kilimanjaro climb that fits your dates, preferences and experience.