Rongai Route · 6–7 days
The only route that starts on the northern slope, near the Kenyan border. It's quieter and drier, passes Mawenzi peak, and descends via Marangu so you see both sides of the mountain.
FREEDOM PEAKEXPEDITIONS & ADVENTURES
We plan your Kilimanjaro ascent and your post-climb safari through the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire as one trip, customized to you, with clear up-front prices.
Never more than 8 climbers per group, compared with 15–20 at the big operators. You get more guide attention and more flexibility.
Western medical-grade protocols on every climb, with continuous-flow oxygen and pulse oximeters.
We customize your itinerary and build a conditioning plan around your fitness and experience, with weekly check-ins to keep you on track.
Talk directly with an expert guide or our US-based founder by phone or video before you book, and all the way to the summit.
Africa's highest peak at 5,895 m (19,341 ft), followed by the wildlife of Tanzania's Northern Circuit.
A phone or video call with an expert guide or our US founder, before you commit to anything. Request yours ›
Route, dates, extra acclimatization days, safari length and lodge level, all built around you.
A pre-climb workout plan fitted to your fitness and experience, with weekly check-ins.
We review your kit against our packing list. Anything missing can be rented from our gear store in Moshi.
Groups of 8 or fewer, WFR-certified lead guides and medical checks twice a day.
Straight from the mountain to the Northern Circuit in a private 4x4 with a pop-up roof.
U.S. Navy veteran · Eagle Scout · Expedition leader
Mark Parella is a U.S. Navy veteran, Eagle Scout and seasoned expedition leader based in Denver, Colorado. He has stood on five of the Seven Summits and led teams on Denali for the US Nepal Friendship Team in 2023 and 2024.
In 2017 he founded Climb Against Cancer, leading six expeditions through 2024 to raise money for the Cancer Support Community in Redondo Beach.
Freedom Peak is his next chapter: a company that puts vetted local guides, local jobs and fair, up-front prices at the heart of every climb and safari.
Our ground team works at the foot of the mountain. That keeps us agile on the ground and lets us deliver top-tier service at every step.
Run with a trusted, audited, TALA-licensed local operator in Moshi. They supply the vehicles, gear and mountain crew.
Lead guides are Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certified professionals from the Kilimanjaro region.
Continuous-flow oxygen, pulse oximeters and a full medical kit on every climb.
Every climber gets a medical check each morning and evening, including oxygen saturation, pulse and altitude-sickness symptoms.
Sleeping bags, down jackets, poles, gaiters and more. Rent whatever you need for the trip.
A maximum of 8 climbers, with extra guides on summit night so no one is left behind.
Every climb and safari is operated on the ground by our partner Kilimanjari Explorer, a certified local guide company based in Moshi, Tanzania.
The more people in your group, the lower the price per person. Prices are valid for departures from January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027.
Booking terms. A 20% non-refundable deposit confirms your booking. The balance is due 60 days before departure. Cancellations: 75% refund of amounts paid 60+ days before departure, 50% refund 30–59 days before, and no refund within 30 days. Prices may change until your booking is confirmed. High and low season dates are available on request.
The tallest free-standing mountain in the world. No technical climbing is needed, just good preparation, a steady pace and the right team.
Longer itineraries give your body more time to acclimatize, and that is the biggest factor in reaching the summit. For most climbers we recommend 7 or 8 days.
The only route that starts on the northern slope, near the Kenyan border. It's quieter and drier, passes Mawenzi peak, and descends via Marangu so you see both sides of the mountain.
A short, steep and direct climb from the south that joins the Southern Circuit at Barranco. Only for experienced hikers in strong physical shape.
The longest and newest route, with excellent acclimatization, very few crowds and one of the highest success rates. A 9-day version with crater camping is also available.
The driest months are early June to late September and late December to late February. The long rains (masika) usually fall from mid-March to May, and shorter rains (vuli) come from November to mid-January. Marangu's huts make it a good option in wetter months.
You don't need to be an athlete. If you can comfortably walk up to 15 km a day, you're in good shape for the climb. Your personal conditioning plan will focus on cardio and hill hiking, starting 2–4 months before your trip.
Going too fast. Very fit climbers often push hard in the first days and struggle with altitude later. Fitness helps with fatigue, but acclimatization comes from time and a slow pace ("pole pole"). That's why we recommend longer itineraries.
Your guides check your oxygen saturation, pulse and symptoms every morning and evening. Mild symptoms are managed with rest and fluids. Serious symptoms mean an immediate descent, supported by continuous-flow oxygen.
We send you our full Kilimanjaro packing list after booking and review it with you before departure. Sleeping bags, down jackets, trekking poles and more can be rented from our gear store in Moshi.
Never more than 8 climbers. On summit night the guide ratio is at least one guide for every two climbers.
Private Northern Circuit safaris in a 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof. Take one on its own or add it straight after your climb.
Choose Mid-Range lodges or Luxury lodges and camps. Prices are per person and drop as your group grows.
These itineraries follow the seasons and the herds, so we price them for your travel dates and lodge choices.
Add 4–6 nights on the Spice Island after your climb or safari: Stone Town, spice farms, coral reefs and white sand.
Navy veteran. Eagle Scout. Five of the Seven Summits. And a firm belief that the best adventures leave something behind for the people who make them possible.
Mark Parella learned early that big objectives are reached one careful step at a time. As an Eagle Scout, and later as a U.S. Navy veteran, he built a foundation of discipline, planning and responsibility for the people around him. It is the same foundation every safe expedition depends on.
That mindset carried him into the mountains. Mark has climbed five of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on five continents, along with many other notable mountains around the world. Along the way he developed deep expertise in mountaineering, expedition logistics and the physical conditioning it takes to perform on long, demanding climbs.
In 2023 and 2024 he served as a team leader for the US Nepal Friendship Team's expeditions on Denali, North America's highest peak and one of the most demanding climbs on the Seven Summits circuit.
Mark founded Climb Against Cancer to turn his passion for the mountains into support for people facing cancer. Over six years and six expeditions, the campaign raised money for the Cancer Support Community Center of Redondo Beach, helping local people and families affected by cancer.
Mark climbs for more than the summit. He climbs for the people and places that make the journey possible.
Mark launches a campaign that turns mountain expeditions into fundraising for people facing cancer.
He leads six Climb Against Cancer expeditions, raising money for the Cancer Support Community Center of Redondo Beach, California.
He leads for the US Nepal Friendship Team on Denali (6,190 m / 20,310 ft) in Alaska.
He returns as a team leader for a second US Nepal Friendship Team expedition.
Mark brings that experience to Kilimanjaro and Tanzania's Northern Circuit, with small groups, high safety standards and personal support for every client.
Advice on routes, acclimatization and summit strategy from someone who has led teams on some of the world's hardest climbs.
A conditioning plan built around your fitness, schedule and experience, with weekly check-ins so you arrive ready.
You speak with Mark directly, before you book and all the way to the trailhead. No call centers, no hand-offs.
For Mark, philanthropy did not end with Climb Against Cancer. He founded Freedom Peak Expeditions and Adventures to support and promote vetted local guide companies in the countries where our expeditions and safaris take place, starting with our partner Kilimanjari Explorer in Moshi, Tanzania.
Working directly with local operators creates more jobs and more income for guides, porters, cooks and drivers, and keeps prices fair. Our trips are priced up front and never inflated for excessive profit. You get a world-class experience, and the communities that make it possible get their fair share.
White sand, turquoise water and a thousand years of Swahili history, a short flight from Kilimanjaro. The perfect way to rest after your summit or safari.
Off the coast of Tanzania, the Zanzibar archipelago is a world of palm-fringed beaches, wooden dhows under sail and fragrant spice farms. For centuries its main island, Unguja, was a crossroads of African, Arab, Persian, Indian and European trade. That history is still written into its streets, food and music, including the darker chapter of the East African slave trade.
At its heart is Stone Town, known in Swahili as Mji Mkongwe ("old town"). Its coral-stone houses, carved wooden doors, bustling markets and sultans' palaces earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 2000.
We recommend four to six nights on the island after your climb or safari. We arrange your flight, transfers, hotel and excursions as one seamless add-on, so all you have to do is unpack.
Relax on the sand, or mix in a few of these favorites. Every excursion is guided and can be added to your plan.
A guided walk of about three hours through narrow lanes of coral-stone buildings. Visit a local market, the memorial and church at the site of the old slave market, and the former sultan's palace, with time to shop for spices and crafts.
Zanzibar's spice trade boomed in the 19th century under the Omani sultans, who made the island their capital. Walk a working farm with your guide to touch, smell and taste cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and tropical fruit, and learn how each is used in food and medicine.
At the island's northern tip, about an hour's drive from Stone Town, Nungwi and Kendwa have some of Zanzibar's finest sand, calm water for swimming and the best sunsets on the island. They're an ideal base for your beach days.
Zanzibar's reefs are generally shallow, with calm, clear water and rich marine life, making them ideal for first-time divers and experienced divers alike. Snorkelers can join boat trips to the reefs around the island.
The fishing village of Kizimkazi is home to bottlenose and humpback dolphins, often spotted after a short boat ride. Afternoon trips are quieter and kinder to the dolphins. Watch for turtles and rays too.
Zanzibar's only national park is the place to see the rare Zanzibar red colobus monkey, found nowhere else on Earth. Troops are used to visitors, so you can watch them feed and play up close, then walk the boardwalk through the mangroves.
Finish your Kilimanjaro ascent or Northern Circuit safari as planned.
We transfer you to the airport for a short flight to the island, and meet you on arrival.
Spend a night or two in the old town, with a guided walking tour and rooftop dinners.
Move to your beach hotel on the north or east coast, with excursions whenever you want them.
Fly home directly from Zanzibar, or back through Kilimanjaro.
Go home with a summit certificate, a safari camera roll and a tan.
Zanzibar prices depend on the season, your hotel and the excursions you choose, so every add-on is quoted personally, with up-front costs and no surprises.
Tell us what you have in mind. We'll set up a phone or video call, then send you a custom itinerary with up-front pricing.