Kilimanjaro National Park
Five climate zones, seven routes, 5,895 m. Park fees alone are around $956 for a seven-day climb. We show you exactly how that is calculated.
Full Kilimanjaro guide
Pick your path
Choose your route
The mountain is not technical: the challenge is altitude. The longer the route, the better your body acclimatises and the higher your chance of standing on Uhuru Peak.
7–8 days
Highest
Best scenery & acclimatisation
Lemosho
A quiet start through forest, joining Machame higher up. The best acclimatisation profile of any route.
6–7 days
High
The "Whiskey Route" · most popular
Machame
Scenic, steep in places, a solid acclimatisation profile. The route most climbers choose.
9 days
Highest
Quietest trails, longest route
Northern Circuit
Almost a full circle of the mountain. The longest route, with very few other groups on the trail.
6–7 days
Good
Driest in the rainy months
Rongai
Approaches from the drier north side. The best choice if you are climbing outside the main dry season.
5–6 days
Lower
Huts instead of tents
Marangu
The only route with hut accommodation. Same path up and down, and the shortest option.
If you have the days available, take the longer route. The extra night is the cheapest insurance you can buy against altitude sickness.
Every Kilimanjaro route in detail
The mountain has seven official routes; we run climbers on the five with the best combination of scenery, acclimatisation and reliability. Here is what each one is actually like, day by day.
Lemosho Route
Lemosho starts on the remote western side of the mountain, through untouched rainforest with a real chance of spotting colobus monkeys before the crowds from other routes join in on day three. It has the highest summit success rate of any route because the extra distance gives your body more time at altitude before the summit push.
- Day 1: Londorossi Gate (2,250m) to Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,750m), through montane forest
- Day 2: Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1 Camp (3,500m), climbing onto the Shira Plateau
- Day 3: Shira 1 to Shira 2 Camp (3,850m), your first clear views of Kibo
- Day 4: Shira 2 to Barranco Camp (3,960m) via the Lava Tower (4,630m) for acclimatisation
- Day 5 onward: Barranco Wall, Karanga Camp, Barafu Camp, then a midnight summit push to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) and descent to Mweka Camp
Best for: first-time high-altitude trekkers who want the strongest odds of reaching the summit and don't mind paying for two extra days on the mountain compared to Marangu.
Machame Route
Machame is the most-climbed route on the mountain for good reason: it is genuinely scenic, well-maintained, and its acclimatisation profile is solid without adding the extra days Lemosho needs. Camping only, no huts, and it merges with the Lemosho trail after day three.
- Day 1: Machame Gate (1,800m) to Machame Camp (3,000m), through rainforest
- Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira Camp (3,850m), climbing above the treeline onto moorland
- Day 3: Shira to Barranco Camp (3,960m) via the Lava Tower (4,630m), the key "climb high, sleep low" acclimatisation day
- Day 4 onward: the Barranco Wall scramble, Karanga Camp, Barafu Camp, then the midnight summit push to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) and descent
Best for: trekkers with some hiking experience who want the classic Kilimanjaro route without the extra time and cost of Lemosho.
Northern Circuit Route
The Northern Circuit is the newest and longest route on the mountain, at 9 days minimum, and circles almost the entire massif via its quiet northern slopes before joining the summit push from Barafu. Because it spends more days at altitude than any other route, it has an excellent summit success rate.
Best for: climbers who want the mountain to themselves, have the extra days and budget, and are prioritising summit success and scenery over a shorter trip.
Rongai Route
Rongai is the only route that approaches from the north, near the Kenyan border, which makes it the driest option and the best choice if you are climbing during the shoulder or rainy season when the southern routes are wetter. It is also one of the quietest routes, camping only.
- Day 1: Rongai Gate (1,950m) to Simba Camp (2,650m), through pine forest
- Day 2: Simba Camp to Second Cave / Kikelelwa Camp (3,600m), across moorland
- Day 3: Kikelelwa to Mawenzi Tarn Camp (4,330m), with Mawenzi Peak directly overhead
- Day 4 onward: crossing the Saddle to Kibo Hut / School Hut, then the midnight summit push to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) via Gilman's Point, descending to Horombo Hut
Best for: climbers travelling in November or April–May, or anyone who prefers a quieter, less-trodden trail over Machame's more scenic but busier route.
Marangu Route
Marangu is the oldest route on the mountain and the only one with hut accommodation instead of tents at every camp, which is why it is sometimes called the "Coca-Cola Route". You go up and come down on the same path, which makes it the shortest option but also the one with the lowest summit success rate, since there is less time built in for acclimatisation.
Best for: climbers who want to avoid camping, are on a tighter schedule, or are climbing with older or younger family members who will appreciate a bed and a roof each night. We recommend adding an extra acclimatisation night if your schedule allows it.
What every climb includes
The same transparent pricing as our safaris, with no hidden extras once you are on the mountain.
Beyond Kilimanjaro
Other mountains
Mount Meru, 4,566 m
Three or four days inside Arusha National Park, walking with an armed ranger past buffalo and giraffe. The best possible acclimatisation before Kilimanjaro.
Ol Doinyo Lengai, 2,962 m
The Maasai's "Mountain of God", an active volcano climbed overnight to reach the crater rim at sunrise. Steep, hot and genuinely demanding.
Usambara & Udzungwa
Green mountains, waterfalls and villages, walked over two to four days at low altitude. A good option in the rainy season or with children.
Go deeper
Read the full park guide
Everything about Kilimanjaro National Park in one place: all seven routes compared with success rates, the 2026 park fees itemised, altitude sickness explained, and how porters should be treated.
Arusha NP & Mount Meru
Meru at 4,566 m is the best acclimatisation available before Kilimanjaro, and a superb, almost empty mountain in its own right.
Full Arusha NP guideBefore you book
Do I need climbing experience?
No. Kilimanjaro is a long walk, not a climb: there is no rope work or technical ground. What it demands is stamina for six to nine days of walking and the ability to cope with thin air. Train by walking uphill for several hours at a time.
When is the best time to climb?
January to early March and June to October. April, May and November are the wet months: the mountain is still climbable, but the paths are slippery and the views often closed in. Rongai is the driest route in marginal conditions.
What about altitude sickness?
Mild headaches and breathlessness are normal above 4,000 m. Our guides check oxygen saturation twice daily and carry a first-aid kit. The rule on our climbs is simple: if a guide judges that you must descend, you descend. Nobody is pushed to continue.