You can climb Kilimanjaro with us on all of the routes authorised by the Kilimanjaro Park Authorities. We do not offer climbs on what is called the Rongai variation as this is dangerous for our porters, nor climbs via Arrow Point as this is too dangerous for climbers with falling rock.

Our summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each route is below. For more detail and daily itineraries just click on the routes to the left. Our favourite is the Machame route over 7 days - a beautiful journey, great acclimatisation and the highest success rates.

If you want a really unique wilderness experience look at the crater camp option- less than 1 % of climbers get to do this and all our climbers who do it rave about it.

For advice on how long each route takes and recommended climbing times see how many days.

Machame

» Machame - from £1145

Recommended
  • Highly recommended, best success rate.
  • Allows "walk high, sleep low" for better acclimatization.
  • Stunning scenery climbing through five diverse climatic zones.
  • Ascent and descent is via different routes.
  • Fully catered camping.

Lemosho Shira

» Lemosho or Shira - from £1345

  • An excellent route to climb Kilimanjaro by with a high success rate.
  • Allows climbers to "walk high, sleep low" enabling better acclimatization.
  • Remote and spectacular approach with dramatic gorges and views of west Kilimanjaro.
  • Shira route offers higher start point therefore is less good for acclimatisation.
  • Fully catered camping.

Crater Camp

» Crater Camp - from £1545

  • Get away from the crowds and sleep on the roof of Africa.
  • Fantastic option if you are fit and acclimatise well.
  • Visit Kilimanjaro's remaining glaciers.
  • See the sunset over Africa and be first to the rim for the sunrise.
  • Avoid the busy overnight hike to the summit.

Marangu

» Marangu - from £995

  • Shortest route to the summit which means less time to acclimatise.
  • Much lower success rate.
  • Dormitory style accommodation which can be noisy.
  • Less scenic due to ascent and descent on same route.

Rongai

» Rongai - from £1195

  • Only northern approach route to Mount Kilimanjaro's summit.
  • Offers a true wilderness experience on the early stages of the climb.
  • Very tough final summit night.
  • Less natural acclimatisation with no opportunities to "walk high, sleep low".
  • Fully catered camping.

Umbwe

» Umbwe - from £1195

  • Steep, short route with very low success rate.
  • Poor acclimatization due to rapid ascent.
  • Very remote and quiet for the first two days.
  • Fully catered camping.

More information

Route more information

There are six ascent routes to climb Mount Mt Kilimanjaro: Machame, Lemosho, Shira, Rongai, Marangu and Umbwe. Each of these routes eventually meet with a path circling the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro known as either the Northern Circuit or the Southern Circuit Three trails then lead up from this circular path to Mt Kilimanjaro's crater rim: the Western Breach Route (also known as Arrow Glacier Route), Barafu Route, and the Rongai route. The Shira, Lemosho, Machame and Umbwe routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro can use either the difficult Arrow Glacier Route or the easier (but longer) Barafu Route. The Marangu and Rongai trails summit via the Rongai Route. You can deviate from these routes and design your own combination of Mt Kilimanjaro climb with special permission from KINAPA but these routes are not authorised and are not serviced by the rescue team.

In an attempt to control the number of people walking on each route up Kilmanjaro, KINAPA introduced regulations regarding the descent routes and which ones you are allowed to take. In general, the main rule is that those ascending Kilimanjaro from the south or south-west (ie by taking the Machame, Umbwe, Lemosho or Shira routes) must descend by the Mweka trail and if you have climbed the mountain from the south-east or north (ie on the Marangu or Rongai/Loitokitok trails) you must descend by the Marangu Route. Those trekkers who wish to deviate from these rules again should first seek permission from KINAPA.

The Marangu route because Marangu used to be the most popular route because it is the only one that offers sleeping huts on the way. This is no longer the case as camping now provides better accommodation than the old huts.

Marangu is the shortest route, measuring 22 miles to the top but only about 35% of the people successfully climb Mount Kilimanjaro via this route due to the quickness of the ascent and the inability to acclimatise well.

The trek begins in the south-east area of the mountain at Marangu Gate. The route takes five days minimum to complete, although six days is more practical and recommended. The sleeping huts along the route have a dining hall and bunk beds, equipped with mattresses and pillows. The descent is done on the same path, contributing to Marangu's overcrowded feeling. It is a cheaper Kilimanajro climb due to the close proximity of the gate to Moshi, the gateway town, and because it is a shorter route.

Scenically, Marangu is not a desirable route compared to all the other routes because it confines climbers to one area of the mountain, thus limiting the variety. Of course, there are still great views of the rain forest, Mawenzi, and it's equally spectacular for everyone at Uhuru.

The Machame to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is also known as the "Whiskey Route". This is because Machame is a more difficult route, and does not have sleeping huts for accommodation. Machame is the most popular route on the mountain and has the highest success rates.

The climb begins in the south-west area of Mt Kilimanjaro at Machame Gate. The route takes six days minimum to complete, although seven days is recommended. The descent is down Mweka, on the south-east side of the mountain. Because of the ascent in the west and descent down the north, Machame offers great vistas of Kilimanjaro. Additionally, Machame visits stunning places such as Shira Plateau, Barranco, and Lava Tower.

Machame is ideal for those who want a more difficult climb, and are confident in their ability to hike over extended periods of time on sometimes steep terrain. Climbers using Machame place a premium on varied scenery, but also accept heavy traffic.

The Rongai Route up Mt Kilimanjaro is the only route that approaches Kilimanjaro from the north, near the Kenyan border. Rongai seems an easier route but it does not allow climbers to "walk high, sleep low" and the summit night is particularly long. This route has low traffic and walks through remote wilderness areas. It is probably the only route where seeing wildlife in the first days is possible.

The route takes six days minimum to complete, although seven days is recommended. The descent is down Mweka, on the south-east side of the mountain. Because the starting point is far from Moshi, it is more expensive to climb this route due to the added transportation cost of getting climbers to the gate. Scenically, Rongai is beautiful because it travels through an unspoiled rain forest and remote wilderness area. However, it is not as scenically varied as Machame, Lemosho and Shira.

The Shira Route to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro is a beautiful route that begins in the west, at Shira Gate. What is unique about Shira is that the first section of the trail is not hiked, but rather driven. Therefore, climbers using Shira will miss out on hiking through one of Kilimanjaro's ecological zones, the rain forest. The gate is located at 11,500 feet, which is a hefty altitude gain for someone who slept at Moshi, at 2,500 feet, on the previous night.

The route takes six days minimum to complete, although seven days is recommended. The descent is down Mweka, in the south-east. Because the starting point is far from Moshi, it is more expensive to climb this route due to the added transportation cost of getting climbers to the gate. Scenically, Shira is beautiful because it crosses the spectacular Shira Plateau, and then combines with the Machame route to share its viewpoints around the southern circuit. Shira has low traffic until it combines with Machame.

Shira is ideal for those who are confident in their ability to acclimatize to altitude, and to walk over steeper paths for extended periods.

The Lemosho Route is nearly identical to the Shira route described above, but with one notable difference - the first section of the trail is hiked. Instead of being dropped off at Shira Gate, Lemosho users will trek through the rainforest on day one and exit the rainforest on day two. This schedule means that the Lemosho Route is a longer route, usually taking seven to eight days to complete.

Lemosho is a longer route, but the added days on the lower slopes of the mountain make this an ideal route for altitude acclimatization. The descent is down Mweka, in the south-east. Because the starting point is far from Moshi, it is more expensive to climb this route due to the added transportation cost of getting climbers to the gate. Scenically, Lemosho is considered the most varied and most beautiful because it begins in the rainforest, crosses the spectacular Shira Plateau, and then combines with the Machame route to share its viewpoints around the southern circuit. Lemosho has low traffic until it combines with Machame.

Lemosho is ideal for those who place a premium on proper altitude acclimatization, who are confident in their ability to walk over steeper paths for extended periods, and want a lesser used route. However, Lemosho is also more expensive than the other routes.

The Umbwe Route is the least used route on Kilimanjaro. For good reason; it is the most difficult route on the mountain. Umbwe is a steep, constant, straight climb to the top but does not give climbers much time to adjust to the altitude and the success rate is very low.

The route takes six days minimum to complete, although seven days is recommended. The descent is down Mweka, on the south-east side of the mountain. Umbwe is not as scenically varied as Machame, Lemosho and Shira, because the path up and down are nearby.

Umbwe is for those who are experienced at altitude and thus are confident that the punishing schedule of Umbwe will not impede their ability to adjust to altitude. Umbwe is also for those who want a secluded hike.

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.

Climb route Climb start date Number of days Climb Program
Lemosho route Saturday, January 14, 2012 7 Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, February 04, 2012 7 Climb Mount Kilimanjaro 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, February 25, 2012 8 Mt Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, March 17, 2012 8 Mount Kilimanjaro Hike 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, April 07, 2012 7 Climb Kilimanjaro 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, April 28, 2012 7 Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, May 19, 2012 9 Climb Mount Kilimanjaro 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, June 09, 2012 9 Mt Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, June 30, 2012 7 Mount Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, July 21, 2012 7 Climb Kilimanjaro 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, August 11, 2012 9 Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, September 01, 2012 9 Climb Mount Kilimanjaro 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, September 22, 2012 7 Mt Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, October 13, 2012 7 Mount Kilimanjaro Hike 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, November 03, 2012 9 Climb Kilimanjaro 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, November 24, 2012 9 Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Lemosho route Saturday, December 15, 2012 7 Climb Mount Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, January 21, 2012 7 Hike Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, February 11, 2012 7 Climb Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, March 03, 2012 7 Hike Mount Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, March 24, 2012 7 Mt Kilimanjaro Hike 2012
Machame route Saturday, April 14, 2012 7 Trek to Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, May 05, 2012 7 Climb Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, May 26, 2012 7 Climb Mt Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, June 16, 2012 7 Hike Mount Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, July 07, 2012 7 Mt Kilimanjaro Hike 2012
Machame route Saturday, July 28, 2012 7 Trek to Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, August 18, 2012 7 Climb Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, September 08, 2012 7 Climb Mt Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, September 29, 2012 7 Hike Mount Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, October 20, 2012 7 Mt Kilimanjaro Hike 2012
Machame route Saturday, November 10, 2012 7 Trek to Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, December 01, 2012 7 Hike Kilimanjaro 2012
Machame route Saturday, December 22, 2012 7 Climb Mt Kilimanjaro 2012
Rongai route Saturday, January 07, 2012 7 Climb Kilimanjaro 2012
Rongai route Saturday, January 28, 2012 7 Kilimanjaro Hike 2012
Rongai route Saturday, February 18, 2012 7 Mount Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Rongai route Saturday, March 10, 2012 7 Hike Mt Kilimanjaro 2012
Rongai route Saturday, March 31, 2012 7 Kilimanjaro Trek 2012
Rongai route Saturday, April 21, 2012 7 Climb Kilimanjaro 2012
Rongai route Saturday, May 12, 2012 7 Kilimanjaro Hike 2012
Rongai route Saturday, June 02, 2012 7 Mount Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Rongai route Saturday, June 23, 2012 7 Hike Mt Kilimanjaro 2012
Rongai route Saturday, July 14, 2012 7 Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Rongai route Saturday, August 04, 2012 7 Climb Kilimanjaro 2012
Rongai route Saturday, August 25, 2012 7 Kilimanjaro Hike 2012
Rongai route Saturday, September 15, 2012 7 Mount Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Rongai route Saturday, October 06, 2012 7 Hike Mt Kilimanjaro 2012
Rongai route Saturday, October 27, 2012 7 Kilimanjaro Climb 2012
Rongai route Saturday, November 17, 2012 7 Climb Kilimanjaro 2012
Rongai route Saturday, December 08, 2012 7 Kilimanjaro Hike 2012
Rongai route Saturday, December 29, 2012 7 Mount Kilimanjaro Climb 2012

Less information