Kilimanjaro Routes & Which is the Best Route to Climb Kilimanjaro?
Kilimanjaro Routes – A Complete Overview
Which is the best route to climb Kilimanjaro?
Are you unsure which Kilimanjaro route to take for your trek? You’re in the right place! This guide will help you make an informed decision.
Each route to Kilimanjaro’s summit has its own pros and cons. Some offer stunning scenery but may not be ideal for acclimatization, increasing the risk of altitude sickness. Others have high summit success rates but can be quite crowded during peak seasons.
Let’s explore the different Kilimanjaro routes to help you find the perfect fit for your adventure.
Kilimanjaro Climb Routes
There are seven established Mount Kilimanjaro routes which lead to the summit, Uhuru Peak, one of which starts on the Northern side of the mountain and the rest on the Southern side. They are: Mweka, is used for decent only.
1. Northern Circuit Route
2. Lemosho Route
3. Shira Route
4. Machame Route (“Whiskey” Route)
5. Rongai Route
6. Marangu Route (“Coca-Cola” Route)
7. Umbwe Route
The one question we are asked more often than any other is “which is the best route to climb Kilimanjaro”. And the answer depends on what you want. Here are our winners
Highest success rate and overall best route to climb Kilimanjaro
For those aiming for the highest chance of reaching the summit, the Lemosho and Machame routes stand out. Spanning 7 to 8 days, these routes offer excellent acclimatization, which significantly improves your chances of success. The easier ascent on summit night makes them the preferred choice for climbers focused on reaching the top. Thus, we proudly designate them as the overall best routes to climb Kilimanjaro.
Most scenic route to climb Kilimanjaro
When it comes to breathtaking views, the Lemosho route excels. Approaching from the west, it provides spectacular panoramas in every direction, making it the ultimate choice for those seeking stunning landscapes during their climb.
Quietest Route: Rongai Route
If solitude is your priority, the Rongai route is the best option. This trail allows you to avoid the bustling crowds commonly found on other routes. However, keep in mind that while it offers peace and quiet, the success rate for summiting is lower compared to more popular paths.
Most Challenging Route: Crater Camp Option
For the adventurous at heart, the Crater Camp option presents a unique wilderness experience. Fewer than 1% of climbers choose this route, but those who do rave about it. It’s ideal for those seeking a true challenge and an unforgettable adventure on Kilimanjaro.
Our summary of the pros and cons of each route is below
Machame Route
- The Machame route, often described as the ‘short and steep’ route, is highly recommended for scenic value and has a high success rate, especially if you choose the 7-day itinerary.
- The six-day options is not recommended for first-time trekkers.
- It is a great Kilimanjaro route for acclimatization as it has a climb high, sleep low opportunity for trekkers on day 3. Here trekkers climb from Shira Camp 2 to Lava Tower at 4,600 meters, where they have lunch and then hike back down to Barranco Camp (3,900 meters) to sleep
- Like all Kilimanjaro routes, the Machame is a challenging trek with stunning scenery through four diverse climatic zones.
- There is a good opportunity to split pre-summit day climb by adding an extra rest day at Karanga Camp (only available to seven day trekkers) to leave hikers well rested before summiting
- The route has however got very popular over the past few years which means it can get busy, especially at Barranco where climbers join up with trekkers from the Lemosho, Shira and Umbwe routes (see details on Barranco Wall)
- The Machame route only offers fully catered camping
- Why choose the 7-Day Machame Route? Six day Machame route trekkers skip Karanga Camp and continue straight on to Barafu (Base Camp).This is only only about 4km further, which is fine if you are feeling good. However, if you are tired and suffering from altitude sickness symptoms (as most people are), it means you have very little rest before your midnight summit attempt. The 7-day option is much better for acclimatisation.
Lemosho Route
- The Lemosho is a beautiful route that departs from the West side of Mount Kilimanjaro
- Due to its route profile the Lemosho can be completed on a seven or eight day itinerary and offers lots of opportunities to properly acclimatize. Because of it’s versatile route profile it is one of the best Kilimanjaro routes and has high summit success rates
- It is also recommended as the starting point is relatively remote and hence provides trekkers with a rather untouched and wild start to their Kilimanjaro adventure. Spotting large wildlife, like antelope, buffalo and even elephant is unusual but not impossible
- The route also provides unparalleled and spectacular views of the dramatic gorges that characterize the western side of Mount Kilimanjaro
- The Lemosho offers trekkers the experience of hiking across the Shira Plateau – one of the largest high altitude plateaus in the world
- Trekkers on the Lemosho typically converge with Machame route on day 3 at Barranco camp and use the Barafu camp route to the summit; however, it is now quite common for Lemosho trekkers to veer north before Lava Tower to join the Northern Circuit (see details below) which circles the north side of Mount Kilimanjaro and follows the summit passage via Gilman’s Point.
- The Lemosho route can also be used by trekkers planning to climb the Western Breach to the summit
- Like the Machame Route, the Lemosho is fully catered camping only
Northern Circuit Route
- The Northern Circuit is the longest route on Mount Kilimanjaro, and has one of the highest summit success rates as the route offers lots of climb high, sleep low opportunities, and time to acclimatise
- The route departs from same start point as Lemosho but then joins the Northern Circuit near Lava Tower, before traversing the north slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro
- The summit passage is via Gilman’s Point
- The route can be completed on an eight or nine day itinerary
- If you are looking for a quiet and wild Kilimanjaro experience, then this route is for you.
Rongai Route
- The Rongai route is the only northern start point to Kilimanjaro, beginning on the North East side of Kilimanjaro National Park
- The Rongai offers a true wilderness experience on the early stages of the climb, and like the Lemosho route it is possible to see large wildlife like buffalo, antelope and elephant
- The Northern slopes tend to be dryer than the southern slopes which makes the Rongai a great Kilimanjaro Route for trekking during the wet season.
- However, because the northern slopes are dryer they can also be considered less scenic. That being said, a northern approach is often characterized by clear views of Kilimanjaro – something that is not that common from the southern side
- The Rongai is also a flatter route for the first few days which makes for easy trekking. The route is usually completed on a seven day itinerary but has limited climb high, sleep low opportunities which means that acclimatisation opportunities are not as good as on other Kilimanjaro routes
- Typically the Rongai route uses the passage from School Hut up past Hans Meyer Cave and Gilman’s Point to Uhuru Peak
- The route descends via the Marangu route, hence the route has fully catered camping until the last night on the mountain – beers at Horombo Hut anyone?
Marangu Route
- The Marangu route was Nicknamed the ‘Coca-Cola’ route as Coke used to be sold along the way in tea huts
- The route is often selected by unprepared, inexperienced climbers as a result of the reputation for being the “easiest” Kilimanjaro route, attributing to the lower success rate
- It is also the shortest Kilimanjaro route with a relatively poor acclimatization profile, which is a major contributor to the low success rates on the Marangu.
- The six day itinerary does give trekkers an opportunity to climb high, sleep low; however the elevation is moderate and not as effective as other climb high, sleep low opportunities that are present on other Kilimanjaro routes
- Out of all the Kilimanjaro routes, the Marangu route is the only one with dormitory style accommodation in huts for the whole duration of the climb. The huts come with mattresses and basic amenities, making them a popular choice for budget tour operators who don’t have the right equipment to tackle the other Kilimanjaro routes
- The Marangu offers beautiful views from the Saddle but can be considered less scenic than other Kilimanjaro routes due to ascent and descent on same trail
Umbwe Route
- The Umbwe Route has a short and steep beginning profile up to Barranco camp where trekkers join climbers from the Lemosho, Shira and Machame route
- Some Umbwe route trekkers don’t join the southern circuit at Barranco but instead continue north, up to Lava Tower and then onto the Western Breach
- The Umbwe has poor acclimatization opportunities due to its rapid ascent and therefore success rates can be low on this Kilimanjaro route
- Fully catered camping only
Kilimanjaro Summit Routes (Passages)
As alluded to above, there are three summit passages on Kilimanjaro.
Stella Point
The first is via the southern slopes of Kibo, up to Stella Point and then west around the crater rim to Uhuru Peak. This approach is used by trekkers on the Lemosho, Shira, Machame and Umbwe Routes. It is the easiest summit passage as it only take one hour from Stella Point to Uhuru Peak.
Gilman's Point
The second passage approaches from the Eastern side of Kibo, up to Gilman’s Point and then west around the crater rim to Uhuru Peak. Trekkers on the Rongai and Marangu Route, and Northern Circuit use this passage to the summit. It takes around two hours from Gilman’s Point to the summit proper, making this a harder passage.
Crater Camp (Western Breach)
Thirdly, trekkers can use the more technically challenging approach to the summit via the Western Breach. Trekkers who use the Western Breach usually approach from the Umbwe Route up to Lava Tower, before taking a steep ascent past Arrow’s Glacier and up the Western Breach to Crater Camp and Uhuru Peak. The Western Breach can also be approached using the Machame, Shira and Lemosho Route.
Which route is best to climb Kilimanjaro?
When planning your Kilimanjaro climb, it’s essential to consider six key factors to determine the best route for you.
- Acclimatization
- Difficulty of the summit night
- How busy the route is
- What are the accommodation options
- Safety
- What is the success rate
Acclimatization on Kilimanjaro
When climbing to high altitudes, the golden rule is to “walk high and sleep low.” Adhering to this principle reduces the risk of altitude sickness and enhances your chances of reaching the summit. For optimal acclimatization, the Machame and Lemosho routes are highly recommended, as they naturally facilitate this approach.
Difficulty of the summit night
The toughest summit nights are on the Rongai route and the Marangu route: they reach the crater rim of Kilimanjaro on the North, opposite Uhuru Peak and more than 2 hours from the summit itself. The best routes to climb Kilimanjaro to avoid this are the Machame and Lemosho routes as they reach the crater at Stellar point less than an hour’s walk from the summit. An extra hour on what is already a very long day is often the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
How busy the route is
The amount of climbers on the mountain varies a lot depending on the season and on the day of the week but even taking this into account if you want to have the mountain more to yourself the best route to climb Kilimanjaro is the Rongai route. This route starts in the North and is used by a lot less climbers than the very popular southern routes.
Accommodation on the climb
The only route that you do not have to camp on is the Marangu route so if you hate tents this is the best route to climb Kilimanjaro for you. Be warned though the huts are very basic and noisy.
Kilimanjaro Routes Safety
We consider all of the routes except the Arrow Point route to be relatively safe if walked sensibly. We do not offer climbs on the Arrow Point route as the risk of falling rock is unmanageable . This is definitely not the best route to climb Kilimanjaro.
Which route has the highest Summit Success rate
The top Kilimanjaro routes are the 9-Day Northern Circuit, the 8-Day Lemosho, and the 7-Day Machame. Both options provide excellent acclimatization opportunities, resulting in a low incidence of altitude sickness. Additionally, summit success rates on these routes are high, and each offers breathtaking scenic views.
We operate group climbs starting every week through the year with different routes each week. If you are looking for a particular route you can see when we are running that route below.
