There is no single best route up Kilimanjaro. The best route is the one that suits your time, fitness, budget and taste for scenery and quiet.
The main factors
- Time on the mountain. More days means more time to adapt to altitude, which improves your chances.
- Scenery. Some routes cross the Shira Plateau, others circle the north.
- Crowds. Machame and Marangu are the busiest. Lemosho, Rongai and the Northern Circuit are quieter.
- Sleeping. Marangu uses huts. The others use tents.
Quick comparison
- Machame: 6 to 7 days, scenic and popular
- Marangu: 5 to 6 days, huts, same route up and down
- Lemosho: 7 to 8 days, quiet and pretty
- Rongai: 6 to 7 days, from the north, drier and gentle
- Northern Circuit: 8 to 9 days, the longest and quietest
- Umbwe: 5 to 6 days, steep and short, for experienced climbers
Our advice
For most people, a longer route is a better route. Seven days or more gives your body time to adapt. See our Kilimanjaro section for the full details of each route.