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+255 764 501 774
hello@travelrouteafrica.com
P.O.Box: 6714, Moshi, Tanzania
Before climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, it’s best to know that there are seven well-established routes that you can choose for your trekking adventure. But, which is the best route to scale Mount Kilimanjaro? The answer to this question depends on your experience, fitness, and the views you want to see. If you’re an inexperienced climber, the best route for you is the Marangu route. It’s the easiest route and only takes five days to trek. However, if you’re an adventurous person and want to see the best views in Kilimanjaro, the Machame route will suit you best!
Start planning your tailor-made trip by contacting one of our Tanzania specialists
There are seven established routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro – Marangu, Machame, Lemosho, Shira, Rongai, Northern Circuit and Umbwe. The Marangu, Machame, and Umbwe routes all approach from the south of the mountain (Mweka is used only for descent). The Lemosho, Shira and Northern Circuit routes approach from the west. The Rongai route approaches from the north. The illustrations below depict a three-dimensional view of Kilimanjaro’s climbing routes and a close up of the approaches to the summit.
Thus, we made this guide to help you come up with the best route possible for your Kilimanjaro climb.
Kilimanjaro Climbing Tours is one of the best hiking experience in the world! Choose your Best Kilimanjaro Hiking Adventures with us. In our opinion, the best Kilimanjaro routes are the Lemosho, Machame and Northern Circuit routes. We like these routes because they’re beautiful and varied, and don’t require you to descend along the same path. They also enjoy high summit success rates, and of course we want our climbers to enjoy standing at the summit! If we had to choose just one Kilimanjaro route, it would be a toss up between the Lemosho route and the Northern Circuit, because they’re less crowded than the Machame.
The Machame Route is one of the most scenic routes on the mountain and is also one of the western approaching routes.
Difficulty: Medium Distance: 62 km Duration: 6-8 days Success rate: High
The Marangu Route is the oldest and the most established route on Kilimanjaro. Sometimes referred as the tourist route
Difficulty: Low Distance: 72 km Duration: 5-6 days Success rate: Low
The Lemosho Route is considered the most scenic route, on Kilimanjaro and is also one of the newest routes.
Difficulty: Medium Distance: 70 km Duration: 7-8 days Success rate: High
The Rongai Route is a medium difficulty route. It’s a particularly good choice if you are climbing during the wet season.
Difficulty: Low Distance: 73 km Duration: 6-7 days Success rate: Medium
The Umbwe route is the shortest and steepest route up Kilimanjaro. It’s the least used trail, probably for its poor acclimatization profile
Difficulty: High Distance: 53 km Duration: 5-6 days Success rate: Low
Northern Circuit is also a western approaching route, the only one that circles the mountain on the northern side also is less crowded.
Difficulty: High Distance: 98 km Duration: 8-10 days Success rate: High
The Shira route is similar to the Lemosho except that its starting point is much higher. Approaching from the far western side of the mountain
Difficulty: Medium Distance: 56 km Duration: 6-8 days Success rate: High
Our favorite out of all routes, considering the scenery, difficulty, and traffic, is a combination of the Lemosho route and the Machame route. The Lemosho route takes around 8 days to trek while the Machame route takes around 7. These routes offer some of the best views of the mountain with less traffic and good acclimatization opportunities. If you need help planning your route, safari or any itineraries for your adventure in Tanzania, contact Travel Route Africa and our team of experts will assist you every step of the way.
+255 764 501 774
hello@travelrouteafrica.com
P.O.Box: 6714, Moshi, Tanzania
