All our Kilimanjaro treks conform to porter standars KPAK
Kilimanjaro routes: 4 Routes 1 Mountain
Gilman’s Point, approaching the summit of Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro is an inactive volcano in North Eastern Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and often called “The most beautiful mountain on earth”. Steamy lowland forest, heather uplands, rocky upper slopes and the snowy summit – 4 seasons in one week.
Here are the four best Kilimanjaro routes, carefully selected to offer you a variety of challenges and scenic experiences.
See our related article on The best season to climb Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro “pub facts”
Height: 5,895m (19,340ft). The highest free standing mountain in the world (that means it’s not part of a longer mountain range.)
Distance from Equator: 205 miles south of the equator.
Number of habitats traversed: 5 – rainforest, heath, moorland, alpine desert, glaciers.
First to climb: German geographer Hans Meyer & Austrian Ludwig Purtscheller (1889)
Number of people attempting to reach the summit each year: approx 25,000
Machame Route 6 or 7 days
Pros: direct route; great flora, fauna and geology
Cons: Can be busy and hard if you opt for the 6 day trek
Baranco camp
The Machame route, otherwise known as the “Whiskey Route” is popular and undeniably a beautiful route to the summit. This is a tent-only Kilimanjaro routes and addresses the dilemma of acclimatisation well because you climb high and sleep low. Can be quite busy and is one of the most popular routes. Success rate is high although at times it can be steep and rather tough….especially the 6 day version. The 7 day option spends the extra night in the Karanga Valley and splits up an 8 hour day into two shorter days.
Summary:
| Day | Location | Altitude | Trek Time | Board |
| Day 1: | Arrive Moshi | BB | ||
| Day 2: | Machame Camp | 3,100m | 5 Hours | FB |
| Day 3: | Shira Camp | 3,840m | 4 Hours | FB |
| Day 4: | Barranco Camp | 3,950m | 6 Hours | FB |
| Day 5: | Barafu Camp | 4,630m | 8 Hours | FB |
| Day 6: | Summit day | 5,895m* | 11 Hours | FB |
| Day 7: | Final descent | 1,829m | 4 Hours | B |
* 5,895 is the altitude of Uhuru Peak. We camp at Mweka Camp at 3,110m.
GUANANTEED Machame Trek Dates
| Climb ref | Start 2020 |
End 2020 |
| STT KG142 | 9 Jan | 17 Jan |
| STT KG147 | 8 Feb | 16 Feb |
| STT KG142 | 7 Mar | 15 Feb |
| STT KG157 | 19 Jun | 27 Jun |
| STT KG164 | 5 Aug | 13 Aug |
| STT KG175 | 20 Sep | 28 Sep |
| STT KG179 | 17 Oct | 25 Oct |
| STT KG181 | 5 Dec | 13 Dec |
Umbwe 6 days
The summit
Pros: You’ll have the trail to yourself on the first day
Cons: First day is rather difficult!
The Umbwe route is one of the lesser-used routes because it begins with a rather steep ascent and in places the trail can be difficult to follow. However this ensures trekker-traffic is kept at a minimum and the route can be an enjoyable option if you prefer your wilderness empty of other climbing groups. The views from the Umbwe trail are some of the most spectacular on the mountain especially on day 2 when the vistas across the heather fields are breathtaking.
| Day | Location | Altitude | Trek Time | Board |
| Day 1: | Arrive Moshi | BB | ||
| Day 2: | Umbwe cave | 2,800m | 5 Hours | FB |
| Day 3: | Barranco Camp | 3,900m | 4 Hours | FB |
| Day 4: | Karanga | 4,200m | 4 Hours | FB |
| Day 5: | Barafu Camp | 4,630m | 4 Hours | FB |
| Day 6: | Summit day | 5,895m* | 11 Hours | FB |
| Day 7: | Final descent | 1,829m | 4 Hours | B |
* 5,895 is the altitude of Uhuru Peak. We camp at Mweka Camp at 3,110m.
Lemosho Route 8 days
Pros: Best option for scenery, acclimatisation, low trekker-traffic and overall enjoyment.
Cons: A long option and thus is a little bit more expensive.
This is Venture Co’s recommended route because the acclimatization is so good and steady [in fact, our success rate on this route is 100%! All those who set out on this route, summit.]
The longest and least-used Kilimajaro route to the summit. Lemosho is perfect for those looking for a quieter trail and a more peaceful atmosphere. It also appeals to those climbing Kilimanjaro for the second (or subsequent) time. The variety of habitats on this route is outstanding and there is the potential of seeing big game on the lower reaches. Due to this you’ll be accompanied by an armed game scout for the first day. With the 7 day option we trek from Mkubwa to Shira 2 and do not stay at Shira 1 (not recommended).
| Day | Location | Altitude | Trek Time | Board |
| Day 1: | Arrive Moshi | BB | ||
| Day 2: | Mkubwa | 2,750m | 3 Hours | FB |
| Day 3: | Shira 1 | 3,500m | 5 Hours | FB |
| Day 4: | Shira 2 | 3,850m | 2 Hours | FB |
| Day 5: | Baranco | 3,860m | 6 Hours | FB |
| Day 6: | Karanga | 4,200m | 4 Hours | FB |
| Day 7: | Barafu | 4,600m | 4 Hours | FB |
| Day 8: | Summit Day | 5895m* | 11 Hours | FB |
| Day 9 | Descent | 1829m | 4 Hours | B |
* 5,895 is the altitude of Uhuru Peak. We camp at Mweka Camp at 3,110m.
GUANANTEED Lemosho Trek Dates
| Climb ref | Start 2020 |
End 2020 |
| STT KG 144 | 17 Jan | 26 Jan |
| STT KG 149 | 21 Feb | 1 Mar |
| STT OG 102 | 3 Mar | 11 Feb |
| STT KG 159 | 3 Jul | 12 Jul |
| STT KG 166 | 14 Aug | 23 Aug |
| STT KG 171 | 2 Sep | 11 Sep |
| STT KG 177 | 3 Oct | 12 Oct |
| STT KG 183 | 12 Dec | 21 Dec |
Rongai Route 6 days
Rayson the guide – a star!
Pros: Little traffic on the ascent
Cons: Miss out on the Western side of the mountain, which is it’s best face.
The Rongai route approaches the mountain from the North, near the Kenyan border, offering a different Kilimanjaro perspective. This remote and least-frequented Kilimanjaro route is straight forward and offers several variations. You begin just south of the Kenyan/Tanzanian border and trek through attractive traditional farmland and delightful forest. It used to be possible to sleep in caves on nights 3 and 4 but this is no longer permitted due to some irresponsible behaviour from some trekkers in years gone by; you make camp just outside. You’ll meet few climbers during the first 4 days.
| Day | Location | Altitude | Trek Time | Board |
| Day 1: | Arrive Moshi | BB | ||
| Day 2: | Simba camp | 2,880m | 4 Hours | FB |
| Day 3: | 2nd Cave | 3,450m | 4 Hours | FB |
| Day 4: | 3rd Cave | 3,870m | 4 Hours | FB |
| Day 5: | Kibo | 4,750m | 5 Hours | FB |
| Day 6: | Summit Day | 5,895m* | 11 Hours | FB |
| Day 7: | Descent | 1,700m | 3 Hours | B |
* 5,895 is the altitude of Uhuru Peak. We camp at Mweka Camp at 3,110m.
Footnote: you may have heard about the Marangu route, the “Coca Cola” route, which is a 5-day option. In our opinion this is an inadvisable manner to treat Kilimanjaro because you gain altitude far too fast and have insufficient time to acclimatize. We do not recommend it and do not organise this route.
See our related article on The best season to climb Kilimanjaro
Loo with a view