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Kilimanjaro rising above the savannah
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Kilimanjaro · 6 routes · from Moshi

The roof of Africa.

When you climb Kilimanjaro, the route you choose matters more than most people expect: the days you give your body to adjust count for more than how fit you are. Here are the six, compared honestly.

Compare the routes →When to climb
SummitUhuru Peak, about 5,895 m
Routes6, from 6 to 9 days
StartMoshi, near Kilimanjaro Airport
Best monthsJanuary–February, July–October
You needDays, patience, a good guide
Our recommendationCompare the routesThe routesWhen to climbAltitudeFAQEnquire
IOur recommendation

Lemosho Route, eight days from the west.

Eight days from the quiet western forest to Uhuru Peak — three nights crossing the Shira Plateau before the route turns for the summit, which is the whole argument for choosing it.

A path through moss-hung rainforest on Kilimanjaro's lower slopes
Kibo’s western glaciers seen across the Shira Plateau in the early morning, tents in the foreground8days
8 days · 7 nights · Private climbLemosho RouteLondorossi Gate Shira Plateau Barranco Uhuru Peak Mweka GateBestJan, Feb, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
IICompare the routes

Six ways to climb Kilimanjaro, one summit.

No success-rate figures here: the numbers published for Kilimanjaro are rarely comparable, and they depend on who is walking. What does matter, and what you can compare, is how much time each route gives you to adjust.

RouteLengthFromSleepingTime to acclimatiseCharacter
Lemosho8 days · 7 nightsWestTentsGood: a climb-high day at Lava Tower, time on the Shira plateauQuiet first days, wide views, our recommendation
Machame7 days · 6 nightsSouth-westTentsGood: the Lava Tower day, one day shorter than LemoshoBusiest of the camping routes, steep first day
Marangu6 days · 5 nightsSouth-eastShared hutsShorter: we only run it with the Horombo daySame path up and down; not the easy option it looks
Rongai7 days · 6 nightsNorthTentsSteady, gentle gradientsDrier and quieter, down by the Marangu side
Umbwe6 days · 5 nightsSouthTentsThe least time of any routeSteepest and fastest; for experienced trekkers only
Northern Circuit9 days · 8 nightsWest, then round the northTentsThe most time of any routeLongest and quietest; a long summit day
IIIThe routes
Kibo’s western glaciers seen across the Shira Plateau in the early morning, tents in the foreground — 2400×1600
Kibo’s western glaciers seen across the Shira Plateau in the early morning, tents in the foreground8days
8 days · 7 nights · Private climbLemosho RouteLondorossi Gate Shira Plateau Barranco Uhuru Peak Mweka GateBestJan, Feb, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Kibo’s southern glaciers above the Barranco Valley at first light, giant groundsels in the foreground — 2400×1600
Kibo’s southern glaciers above the Barranco Valley at first light, giant groundsels in the foreground7days
7 days · 6 nights · Private climbMachame RouteMachame Gate Shira 2 Barranco Uhuru Peak Mweka GateBestJan, Feb, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
The A-frame huts at Horombo on Kilimanjaro's Marangu Route, moorland and giant groundsels around them, Kibo's summit in the distance — 2400×1600
The A-frame huts at Horombo on Kilimanjaro’s Marangu Route, moorland and giant groundsels around them, Kibo’s summit in the distance6days
6 days · 5 nights · Private climbMarangu RouteMoshi Marangu Gate Horombo Kibo Huts Uhuru Peak Marangu GateBestJan, Feb, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Tents at Mawenzi Tarn on Kilimanjaro's Rongai Route, the jagged towers of Mawenzi rising directly behind the small lake — 2400×1600
Tents at Mawenzi Tarn on Kilimanjaro’s Rongai Route, the jagged towers of Mawenzi rising directly behind the small lake7days
7 days · 6 nights · Private climbRongai RouteMoshi Rongai Gate Mawenzi Tarn Kibo Huts Uhuru Peak Marangu GateBestJan, Feb, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
The narrow forested ridge of the Umbwe Route climbing steeply towards Kilimanjaro's Breach Wall and the Western Breach glaciers — 2400×1600
The narrow forested ridge of the Umbwe Route climbing steeply towards Kilimanjaro’s Breach Wall and the Western Breach glaciers6days
6 days · 5 nights · Private climbUmbwe RouteMoshi Umbwe Gate Barranco Barafu Uhuru Peak Mweka GateBestJan, Feb, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
The bare northern slopes of Kibo from the high moorland near Moir Hut, the Kenyan plains below in haze — 2400×1600
The bare northern slopes of Kibo from the high moorland near Moir Hut, the Kenyan plains below in haze9days
9 days · 8 nights · Private climbNorthern Circuit RouteLondorossi Gate Shira Plateau Moir Hut School Hut Uhuru Peak Mweka GateBestJan, Feb, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
IVWhen to climb

Two good windows, and two wet ones.

The mountain can be climbed all year, but the long rains (roughly April and May) make the trails wet and the views rare, and the short rains around November are unsettled. January–February and July–October are drier; the second window is colder and busier.

Jan
Dry, clear, cold nights
Feb
Dry, warmer
Mar
Rains building
Apr
Long rains, wet trails
May
Long rains
Jun
Dry, cold, quieter
Jul
Dry, cold, busy
Aug
Dry, busy
Sep
Dry, clear
Oct
Dry, warmer
Nov
Short rains
Dec
Holiday weeks busy
Three bars — the mountain at its bestTwo — good, with trade-offsOne — possible, and wet
VAltitude & acclimatisation

What actually stops people.

Not fitness, most of the time, but altitude — and it can affect anyone, however fit. The body adjusts to thinner air if it is given time, which is why the longer routes are the kinder ones.

01

Slowly

“Pole pole” — slowly, slowly — is the first thing every guide says. Going slower than feels necessary is the single most useful thing you can do.

02

Climb high, sleep low

Days that walk up to a higher point and come down to sleep, like the Lava Tower day, help the body adjust. The elevation profile on each route shows where they are.

03

Listen, and say

Headache, nausea, dizziness and poor sleep are the common signs. Tell your guide; the guides check on everyone each evening. Symptoms that get worse mean going down.

04

Ask your doctor

Whether to take altitude medication, and whether any condition you have matters at altitude, are questions for your own doctor before you travel — not for us.

VIQuestions

The ones we are asked most.

For most people, Lemosho: it gives the body time to adjust and the first days are quiet. Machame is a good shorter choice. If you have ten days, the Northern Circuit. Tell us your dates and experience and we will say which we would pick for you.

You need to be able to walk for several hours a day, several days running, on uneven ground. Fitness helps you enjoy it; it does not protect you from the altitude. People who are very fit sometimes go too fast, which is exactly the wrong thing.

You start around midnight from the high camp, walk slowly by head torch in the cold, and reach the crater rim around sunrise. It is the hardest part of the climb for almost everyone, and the guides set the pace.

Tell your guide. Mild headaches are common; symptoms that get worse mean going down, which is the one treatment that always works. Whether to take altitude medication is a question for your own doctor before you travel.

Tipping the crew is expected and is the cost people most often forget. We send a written guideline with your booking so there is no guesswork on the last day.

Yes, and it is the usual order: climb first, rest a night in Moshi or Arusha, then a safari. The Northern Circuit Express and the longer northern plans both start from Arusha.

Begin here

Tell us your dates and we will tell you honestly.

Which route we would choose for you, how many days, and what the whole climb costs with every park fee on its own line.

Plan your climb →Ask on WhatsApp
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