Six main routes lead up Kilimanjaro. They differ in length, scenery, how crowded they are, whether you sleep in tents or huts, which side of the mountain you approach from, and (most importantly) how well they let you acclimatize. There is no single “best” route; there is the route that best fits your priorities, your budget and, above all, the number of days you are willing to spend. A wildfire in the park closed the Lemosho and Londorosi routes from 28 September 2026 and Rongai from 5 October; TANAPA reopened all three on 8 October 2026. Fires do break out in the dry season, so check with your operator shortly before you climb.
The comparison below is a starting point. The days shown are the number of days we recommend walking on the mountain (one more than the nights you camp) for the well-acclimatized version of each route, not the aggressive minimum (see How many days do you need?). Each route has its own hub and stage-by-stage chapters later in this guide.
| Route | Days on the mountain (recommended) | Sleep | Approach | Character | Summit via |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machame | 7 (6 minimum) | Camping | South | The most popular route; scenic, good “walk high, sleep low” profile | Stella Point |
| Lemosho | 8 (7 minimum; 9–10 via Crater Camp) | Camping | West | Remote, beautiful start; excellent acclimatization; high success | Stella Point |
| Marangu | 6 (5 is a bare minimum we don’t recommend) | Huts | South-east | The only hut route; same trail up and down; shortest days | Gilman’s Point |
| Rongai | 7 (6 minimum) | Camping | North | The only northern approach; drier, quieter, gentler grade | Gilman’s Point |
| Umbwe | 6–7 | Camping | South | Steepest and most direct; quiet and hard; for the fit and acclimatized | Stella Point |
| Northern Circuit | 9 | Camping | West then north | Longest route; best acclimatization; quietest; near-360° of the mountain | Gilman’s Point |
Which route suits you?
Machame (the “Whiskey route”) is the most popular for good reason: it is scenic, camping-based and has a natural walk-high-sleep-low shape that helps you acclimatize. It is also busy in high season. Lemosho starts remotely on the western side, is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and successful routes, and shares Machame’s upper trail; its longer variations add a night at Crater Camp just below the summit.
Marangu, the “Coca-Cola route”, is the only route with hut accommodation and follows the same trail up and down. It is often sold as the cheapest and easiest option, but its standard schedule is short, which makes it one of the harder routes on which to acclimatize well, we recommend the longer version with an extra night. Rongai is the only route to approach from the drier northern side; it is quieter and has a gentle grade, and it joins the Marangu side for the summit and descent.
Umbwe is the steepest and most direct line, short, quiet and demanding, best suited to people who are already fit and, ideally, already acclimatized. The Northern Circuit is the longest route of all: it loops around the quiet northern slopes for a near-complete circuit of the mountain and gives the strongest acclimatization profile, at the cost of more days and a higher price.
We have deliberately not quoted summit-success percentages for each route. The figures published by operators vary wildly and are not independently verifiable, and they mostly reflect how many days a route is sold with rather than the trail itself. The honest, verifiable rule is simpler: on any of these routes, more days on the mountain means better acclimatization and a better, safer climb.
See also: How many days do you need?
Maps & profiles
Routes that are closed
The Western Breach, also called the Arrow Glacier route after the camp at its foot, is not one of the six. It is the steep way through the gap in Kibo's western crater wall: from Lava Tower you climb to Arrow Glacier Camp at about 4,850 m15,912 ft, then scramble up loose rock and old ice straight onto the crater floor beside the Furtwängler Glacier, a short walk from Uhuru Peak. Climbers reached it from any of the western and southern routes, so an ascent "via the Western Breach" started on Machame, Lemosho or Umbwe and left the shared trail at Lava Tower.
The park authorities closed it because of rockfall from the thinning ice above the breach. A rockfall killed three climbers at Arrow Glacier Camp in January 2006; the route reopened under conditions in late 2007, and a climber was killed by rockfall there in 2015. As of early 2026 it is closed with no reopening date given, and a few operators hold special permission to use it. It is the most dangerous way up the mountain. If an operator offers it, ask what their permission says, whether helmets are worn, and at what hour you would cross the breach: rockfall is worst once the sun reaches the ice. The ascents on our finishers' list that were made this way keep the route as the climber wrote it.
The Mweka trail, through the forest above Mweka village, is a descent only: Machame, Lemosho, Umbwe and the Northern Circuit all come down it, and the park allows no ascent on it. See Descent via Mweka.
