Wondering when is the best time to trek Mount Meru? Mount Meru can be climbed any month of the year, all year round. Accommodation is in huts just like the Marangu Route on Kilimanjaro, you won’t have to camp in tents, and since it is not as high as its big sister, the Kilimanjaro, the weather isn’t as cold as it is on Mount Kilimanjaro. Still, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t perfect timing to climb Mount Meru as the best time to climb Mount Meru is during the warm and dry months. The ideal time to climb Mount Meru is between the months of June and February.
Best time to climb Mount Meru and get a view of Mount Kilimanjaro
Sometimes, you want to strike two birds with one stone, climbing Mount Meru and getting a view of the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. Well, the best time to view Mount Kilimanjaro from Mount Meru’s peak is during the months of December and February which is the best time to see great views of Kilimanjaro as the sky is clearer during these dry months.
Best Season to Climb Mount Meru
In Arusha, the closest town to Mount Meru there are two dry and two wet seasons. Most visitors usually come during the dry seasons. The clearest and warmest conditions for climbing Mt. Meru are from December to February. This period also offers the best views of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
March to May is the heavy rain season and the weather is unpredictable but it rains mostly at night.
June to October is dry again, but colder, while November is the short rain season.
Best Time to Visit Arusha for Mount Meru Treks
Arusha can be termed as the main tourism hub for Tanzania and the closest town to Mount Meru. To climb Mount Meru, you have to visit Arusha which is both chilly and rainy at 1400 meters. The average temperature is 19°C, while the town and surrounding area receive around 1052mm of rain each year.
The rainy seasons are March-May, November–December, with April being the wettest month by far, and January–February being slightly wet in excellent years.
From late May until the end of October, the weather is quite dry. Because of the low levels of precipitation in November and December, the optimum time to visit neighboring Arusha National Park and climb Mount Meru is from October to February.
Month | Temperature | Precipitation | Cloudiness | Crowds |
| January | Warm | Medium | Low | High |
| February | Warm | Medium | Low | High |
| March | Moderate | High | Medium | Low |
| April | Moderate | High | High | Low |
| May | Moderate | High | High | Low |
| June | Cold | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| July | Cold | Medium | Low | High |
| August | Cold | Low | Low | High |
| September | Moderate | Low | Low | High |
| October | Moderate | Low | Medium | Medium |
| November | Moderate | High | Medium | Low |
| December | Moderate | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Recommended |
Good |
OK |
Not Recommended |
When is the worst time of the year to hike Mount Meru?
The wet months of mid-March to May experience heavy rains, making them the worst season of the year to climb Mount Meru in Arusha. The worst time of the year has got to be April, when it certainly rains, with heavy downpours. This makes the roads leading to Mount Meru difficult to navigate, the slopes become muddy and sometimes the routes are slippery.
