Watching the sun rise from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the best experiences in Africa. All the cold, wind, sleep deprivation, lack of oxygen, and exhaustion are worth it for that magical ten minutes on the Roof of Africa. But if you want to summit safely, it’s important to choose one of the Kilimanjaro climbing routes with a high success rate.
At almost 6,000 meters/20,000 feet, altitude is the biggest challenge you’ll face on a Kili climb. Severe acute mountain sickness is a risk, and many hikers turn back because they can’t acclimatize. Different routes offer different acclimatization profiles that can impact your summit chances.
Unfortunately, there are no up-to-date official statistics on summit rates. You’ll see numbers in the 90%’s from many operators. But when I skimmed the official paper log book at the end of my climb, it looked like only about 60% of hikers within a day of me had reached Uhuru Peak.
In this post, you’ll learn how to choose one of the Kilimanjaro routes that’s best for you, based on my extensive research, conversations with dozens of guides and trekkers, and my own experience reaching Uhuru Peak.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you decide to purchase through these links, I receive a percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you.
Overview of the Kilimanjaro climbing routes
There are five viable ascent routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, each with their pro’s and con’s. Here’s a basic overview of each.
Marangu (aka the “Coca Cola route”)
Marangu is the classic, and the easiest Kilimanjaro route. Hikers ascend gradually up the southwestern slopes, sleeping at huts along the way to protect them from the elements. It even used to be possible to buy Coca Cola’s along the way, hence the nickname (this is no longer allowed to cut down on litter). Additionally, it’s the cheapest way to climb Kili.
Sounds great, right?
Well, there are two big problems with the Marangu Route.
First, the acclimatization profile for the traditional five-day itinerary is not safe. Five days is simply not enough time for your body to adjust to the lack of oxygen. And the trek goes steadily up, instead of using a hike high/sleep low profile that helps with acclimatization.
Therefore, altitude sickness is extremely common on this route — almost everyone gets at least mildly ill. Although companies publish better statistics for marketing, the guides will tell you about half of trekkers fail to summit.
If you want to do Marangu, do it in six or seven days. Your guides can take you on some lovely day hikes to help you acclimatize along the way. True, more days on the mountain adds cost. But your crew is smaller because you stay in huts instead of camping — so a six-day Marangu trek is still cheaper than any other route.
The other downside to Marangu is the crowds. This is the only route where you ascend and descend on the same trail — which means twice as many people.
Machame (aka the “Whiskey route”)
Machame is the second-most-popular of the routes up Kilimanjaro. The trail takes you past the mountain’s most famous features: Lava Tower, the Barranco Valley, and the Barranco Wall. Like all the other routes except Machame, hikers camp at sites with access to shared restrooms, but no running water. All gear is carried by porters.
Machame is traditionally completed in six days, so it’s a good compromise between budget and safety. The acclimatization profile allows a relatively short itinerary because almost every day, you’ll hike at least 300 meters higher than your camp that night. However, seven-day routes on Machame increase the likelihood of summiting.
Machame is more difficult than Marangu because of all the up and down each day. It also requires some not-too-crazy scrambling using hands and feet. But that’s what makes it so good altitude-wise, so it’s worth it!
This route also allows you to use a different trail to descend — you’ll go down Mweka. The camp in the forest where you stay on your last night is the best camp on Kili.
Machame is crowded, especially since the Lemosho route meets it on the second day. But this is really the only downside.
Lemosho: The best Kilimanjaro route for scenery
My choice of Kilimanjaro trekking routes was Lemosho. It’s widely considered the most beautiful route. If you get lucky with the weather, after your first day, you’ll have constant 360-degree views.
Additionally, Lemosho offers an excellent acclimatization profile. You start lower than many other routes and climb slowly. You spend three nights at the same elevation, only climbing higher during the day. This is the main reason guides say Lemosho has a 90%+ summit success rate.
Lemosho can be done in 7-9 days — most companies recommend 8 days. This makes it more expensive, but a little quieter. I did it in 7 days and had no acclimatization issues until I was just below the summit. But I’m slightly jealous of people who had 8 days — you spend the extra day hiking to stunning Cathedral Point.
As far as negatives, this route doesn’t have many. Lemosho is one of the more challenging climbs up Kili. It has the same up and down as Machame, with the added traverse of the Shira Plateau — which makes the second and third days very long. But the Shira Plateau is the scenic highlight, so I’d say it’s worth it!
Also, Lemosho meets Machame on Day 3 and the routes stay together through the descent, so the last couple days are crowded. And the weather is a little rougher — in particular, the Shira Plateau can be stormy in a place that you absolutely do not want to be caught in a storm. For that reason, I would not recommend Lemosho in rainy season.
The Northern Circuit: The best route for Kilimanjaro to avoid altitude issues
The newest of the Kilimanjaro routes is the Northern Circuit. This option combines the best of several other routes. You start along Lemosho, summit Lava Tower, traverse the northern side of the peak, and summit from School Hut. Then you descend along Mweka.
The Northern Circuit is by far the safest route for acclimatization on Kilimanjaro. It has lots of hike high/sleep low opportunities all the way up through summit night (unlike Machame/Lemosho, which are great up until the last 2 days of climbing). Most hikers do it in nine days, which further aids the adjustment.
Plus the Northern Circuit is fairly easy. The approach to the summit is gentler. On the other hand, you reach the crater rim at Gilman’s Point — two hours from Uhuru Peak — which means a long, cold, windy slog at the end of an already long climb. This is more of a mental challenge than a physical one, but it also means you’re less likely to make it to the peak for sunrise.
This is also the least crowded route up Kilimanjaro. After you pass Lava Tower and before you reach School Hut, you’ll be on a stretch of trail that isn’t shared with any other routes.
If scenery is your main reason for climbing Kili, consider adding a night at Crater Camp, among the glaciers very close to the summit. This costs more, it’s very cold and windy, and most people find it uncomfortable to sleep at this altitude. But you’ll have a much shorter summit night, and you’ll be able to thoroughly explore the glacier zone.
The only con for the Northern Circuit is the added cost and time involved. You could squeeze it into eight days, but most companies don’t offer that option out-of-the-box so it’s harder to find a group to go with.
Rongai: The Best Route for Climbing Kilimanjaro in Rainy Season
As the only route that approaches the mountain from the north, the Rongai route is in a drier microclimate. (But folks I met who did it during the short dry season got rain every day, so don’t count on being dry.)
Additionally, Rongai is very remote and quiet compared with the southern approaches. You might even be the only group at your camps. This makes the forest section extra-special, and you’re more likely to see wildlife like monkeys and even elands.
This route is typically done in 7 days, with a descent on the Marangu route. The trail is gentle the entire way. It shares the Gilman’s Point approach to the summit with Marangu and the Northern Circuit.
The biggest downside to choosing Rongai is a very long drive on your first day. Additionally, it’s not quite as scenic as the southern approaches. And since very few people choose this route, you may have trouble joining a group trek.
Other routes that are too dangerous to seriously consider
There are three additional trails on Kilimanjaro. However, they present serious acclimatization risks. They should only be attempted by trekkers with significant experience at elevation who are extremely confident they won’t get sick, and you need special permission from the National Park for two of them.
The Shira Route follows a similar itinerary to Lemosho. However, unlike Lemosho — where you gain about 5,000 feet on foot over two days between the gate and the Shira Plateau — you drive almost all of that elevation gain on the Shira route. This means you start the trek at about 12,000 feet/3,600 meters. Almost all hikers coming from Moshi will experience altitude sickness with an elevation gain that rapid. You may not feel sick for 1-2 days, but it’s unlikely your body will recover from going too high, too fast until you descend.
There are a few scenarios in which you could consider Shira: if you’ve climbed Mt. Meru immediately beforehand and are already acclimatized, or if you’re willing to do it as a 7-9 day trek (involving multiple nights at the lower camps). However, it’s still riskier than Lemosho for no real benefit. On top of that, the route is a long 4×4 drive away from the national park gate — companies add a big transport supplement to your bill if you want to do Shira.
The Umbwe Route used to be open for ascent, but is now only available as a descent route. This trail is basically straight vertical up the mountain, with only one place to sleep along the ascent– making it impossible to acclimatize properly. Porters use this route to resupply the higher camps, but they aren’t summiting. Mountaineering expeditions using the Western Breach route can sometimes get permission (but it’s a bad idea and if you aren’t convinced by the next paragraph, you’re at least better off ascending via Lemosho).
The Western Breach is closed to casual tourism due to ice melt, which has caused the Arrow Glacier to drop extremely dangerous rockfall into a narrow gorge you have to climb. Several climbers died after being hit by rockfall in 2006, there was another fatal accident in 2015, and conditions are actually getting worse, not better. On top of that, it’s a technical climb requiring the use of ropes. Even if you are an experienced mountaineer, this route puts your entire crew — most of whom are not trained mountaineers — at risk. Expect to pay upwards of $1,500 more than other routes for the ~ privilege ~. (But really, just don’t go.)
Factors to help you choose between Kilimanjaro routes
If you’re wondering which is the best route to climb Kilimanjaro, only you can answer that question for yourself. Here are a few of the factors to consider.
Summit chances vs. saving money
There is no way around it. More time on the mountain = higher cost = higher summit chances.
If you trek with a budget company, every day adds about $200 in hard costs, plus $50 in tips. But it also makes you more likely to reach Uhuru Peak.
For me, climbing Kilimanjaro was already going to be expensive. That was unavoidable. So I didn’t want to shell out the typical 6-day route price of $1,600 only to fail the summit. I knew I wouldn’t be able to let it go. I’d need to come back and try again, shelling out another $1,600+. So I figured, I might as well tack on the $250 for a seven-day route the first time.
If you have a strict budget ceiling, or you’re more interested in experiencing the scenery than bagging the peak, you might be fine taking the risk of a short route.
A six-day route is a reasonable balance between cost and certainty of summiting. You don’t need longer than seven days (or eight if you’re staying at Crater Camp), but if you’ve had problems at altitude before, you might want to play it safer.
Remember: age, weight, gender, race, and fitness level have no relationship to altitude sickness. A healthy 22-year-old can fail to summit while an out-of-shape 70-year-old can do just fine. The only predictor of altitude sickness is previous experience having altitude sickness. (Genetics may have some influence, but not in a way that would be apparent from a routine doctor visit.)
Crowds vs. beauty
I’m not going to lie — Kilimanjaro is an extremely crowded trek, no matter which route you take. Think about it: even if there are only a handful of other groups on your itinerary, each group has a crew of 10-20+ people. So say 3 groups are on the same itinerary, and each group has two trekkers. That’s up to 66 people already!
However, some routes are more crowded than others. Machame and Marangu are the busiest, while the Northern Circuit and Rongai routes are quieter. Lemosho is marketed as quieter, but I actually found the first two camps — before the intersection with Machame — to be the busiest ones on my trek.
There is a reason for the crowds, though — Lemosho and Machame are stunningly beautiful. Rongai and Marangu just don’t have the same scenic appeal.
Additionally, it’s easiest to form a trekking group to save costs on the more popular routes. If you’re planning a remote route, you’ll probably have to pay for a private tour. This is fine if you’re going with a group of 4+ people, but it gets really expensive for solo travelers and couples, especially when you factor in tips.
If you want the best balance of remoteness and scenery, the Northern Circuit route is the way to go.
Best acclimatization profile vs. best weather
Hiking high and sleeping low is good for avoiding Acute Mountain Sickness. But on Kilimanjaro, it’s bad for avoiding the cold and rain.
See, Kili has a cloud shelf that sits at right about 3,800 meters. It vanishes around 6 pm every evening and reforms every morning around 10 am.
Below the cloud shelf, you’ll stay warm and dry. Above the cloud shelf — i.e. on summit night — you’ll be cold and dry. In the middle of the cloud shelf, you’ll face cold, rain, wind, hail, thunder, snow, ice, and every other weather phenomenon you can imagine.
Welcome to 80% of the Lemosho, Machame and Northern Circuit routes.
You could get lucky and have mostly warm, dry days. It happens to some people, especially in the long dry season. Or, you could have 3 inches of accumulated hail dumped on you in 35 minutes at Lava Tower and have to dig your tent out of the snow at base camp. In dry season. (Speaking from experience!)
Routes like Rongai and Machame stay out of the cloud shelf for longer, and don’t go through it as frequently. On the flip side, the steady-up ascent isn’t as good for avoiding altitude sickness.
Camping vs. huts
If you aren’t a fan of camping, the Marangu route should be at the top of your list. It’s the only one of the Kilimanjaro trek routes that has huts to sleep in and dining halls to eat in.
Shelters with four walls and a roof have major benefits. For one, you’ll be protected from the wind and rain. It’s also nice to be able to socialize with other trekkers at meals. And the lower-elevation huts even have running water and flushing toilets.
On the other hand, sleeping in a massive dormitory isn’t my idea of comfort. Generally I sleep better in a tent where I have my own space. And the tents they give you on Kilimanjaro are really nice — I had a three-person, four-season mountaineering tent all to myself.
Even on camping treks, the trekking companies provide a “mess tent” with tables, chairs, and a four-sided tarp to keep the elements out. It’s not warm, exactly, but it’s a huge step up from backcountry camping.
This one comes down to personal preference.
Consider the difficulty
The culture around Kilimanjaro has a very “anyone can do it” vibe. And I agree with that — Kili is probably the world’s most accessible expedition-style summit.
But, but, BUT. Kilimanjaro is still a big, serious mountain. It’s on lists of the 7 summits that also include Everest and Denali.
As you’re thinking through the different Kilimanjaro climbing routes, choose one that aligns with your hiking, camping and backpacking experience. Marangu in six-seven days is a good route for first-time overnight trekkers — it’s probably the best Kilimanjaro route for beginners. The Northern Circuit or Rongai would work for people who know they enjoy cold-weather camping enough to do it for 7-9 days.
Lemosho and Machame are harder treks — they’re more enjoyable if climbing 3,000 feet/1,200 meters in a day is in your wheelhouse and you have backpacking experience in winter conditions. Plenty of less-experienced people still summit via these routes, so if they’re at the top of your list after factoring everything else in, go for it. It’s just a little less enjoyable if you’re uncomfortable and in pain the whole time.
Don’t ignore the dangers
Climbing Kilimanjaro is not a day hike in your local forest. Your guide will carry bottled oxygen on summit night. You will see trekkers, porters or guides in trouble. You will see helicopter evacuations — lots of them. People die on this mountain every year, and if you talk to your crew, you will hear stories that hit alarmingly close-to-home.
None of the routes on Kilimanjaro offer fail-safe acclimatization profiles. Technically after your first night, you’re already at a high enough altitude that you shouldn’t climb more than 1,000 feet/300 meters a day. Due to terrain, an ascent this slow is not possible on Kili.
The good news is, almost none of the dangers on Kilimanjaro have anything to do with experience or fitness level. So really, anyone can do it!
But don’t be shocked when summit night feels like the hardest thing you’ve ever done, or when you want to curl up in your warm sleeping bag instead of shivering through sunset, or when your pounding headache makes you want to skip the pose for an epic photo. As you’re deciding on your route, factor in how much discomfort you’re willing to trade for the experience.
And on the mountain, do what you can to minimize the discomfort. Follow your trekking company’s packing recommendations. Read up on Acute Mountain Sickness. Visit your doctor and ask about diamox to help with the altitude. Re-waterproof your rain gear.
Whichever route you choose, summiting Kilimanjaro is worth the struggle
Whether you reach Uhuru Peak, Stella or Gilman’s Point, or somewhere else on the upper slopes, trekking on Kilimanjaro will surely be a highlight of your trip to Tanzania. For many people, it ends up on a top-ten-experiences-of-all-time list.
I’m 100% satisfied with my experience on the Lemosho route, and I wouldn’t have done it any other way. The mix of challenging hiking, interesting and diverse features, minimizing AMS symptoms, and staying at enough different campsites to get a good feel for the mountain was right for me. I even enjoyed the extreme weather — it added to the expedition feel of the adventure. (Plus, nothing bonds a group of strangers together like diving for emergency shelter in a hailstorm…)
After trekking for five days on Lemosho, I found summit night to be brutal, but it wouldn’t even come close to the hardest hikes I’ve done. I got the “dizziness during exertion” version of altitude symptoms, but was acclimatized enough to avoid the dreaded “nausea-vomiting-headaches” version. I never considered quitting.
But my hiking style isn’t your hiking style. So choose the route you’re most drawn to, or the one you can afford, or the one with a particular feature you want to see, or the one that will challenge you. At the end of the day, whatever part of the mountain you see is better than not seeing the mountain at all.
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Wow! So many considerations to think about. Excellent guide.
What an experience, I’d love to do it someday! Love your pictures, thanks for sharing 🙂
Tanzania is a dream trip of mine. Not sure I’m brave enough for that hike, though! Beautiful pictures!
Thank you! I had literally been planning my trip to Tzn since I was five years old lol, it’s an incredible country,
Great guide on the different climbing routes for Mount Kilimanjaro. That is quite the adventure!
A useful guide on the various Kilimanjaro climbing routes. Kudos to you for making it! Did you try the Himalayas? I would love to read about your experience.
Yeah, I did the Manaslu circuit in Nepal! Another amazing experience at altitude.