Kilimanjaro Expeditions

Seven established routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro give many options for you. The climbing routes- Marangu, Machame, Lemosho, Shira, Rongai, Northern Circuit and Umbwe-each have advantages and disadvantages.

Although we call it "climbing" Mt. Kilimanjaro, there is no mountain climbing involved. These routes are simple, straight-forward hiking routes, only taking on difficulty due to a combination of steepness and altitude.

While the southern Mweka route is only used for descent, the Marangu, Machame, and Umbwe routes all approach from the south. The Lemosho, Shira and Northern Circuit routes approach from the west, and the Rongai route approaches from the north. The following map shows the routes in a basic layout.

% of Climbers by Route
Machame (45%)
Marangu (40%)
Lemosho (8%)
Rongai (5%)
Shira (1%)
Northern Circuit (0%)
Umbwe (0%)

Reported success rate by number of days
5 days—27%
6 days—44%
7 days—64%
8 days—85%
all routes—45%

The shortest climbs are the Marangu, Machame and the Rongai routes, with the Marangu route being the overall shortest in time, but not in distance (72 km). At 62 km, the Machame route is the shortest in distance (except for the Shira route, 56 km, which takes longer). Kilimanjaro Bliss prefers the Rongai route as a shorter route because of less climbers. The Machame route sees the most climbers of all routes.

The best route is the one that suits you best. Because the summit success rate increases dramatically for 8 and 9 day climbs, we prefer the longer routes for your success. With a 6 day climb, there is a 56% chance you will NOT be able to summit due to acclimatization problems. For a 5 day climb, that increases to 73%, or almost no chance of summiting.

Although the Machame and Rongai routes can be done in six days, we typically schedule 7 days for these route for greater acclimatization, and they are the most suitable for 7 days. All the 7 day routes are Machame, Rongai, Lemosho and Shira. Some of these are better at 8 or 9 days, but doable within 7 days. Still, a 7 day climb has a 36% failure to summit rate.

The best 8 and 9 day climbs are the Lemosho and Shira routes. The 9-day Lemosho Northern Circuit is a more technical route that gives great views north toward Kenya and Maasai Mara.

The summiting success of a shorter route up Mt. Kilimanjaro can be aided by climbing Mt. Meru before taking on Kilimanjaro. Mt. Meru is another volcanic cone near Arusha. Its summit is at 4566 m, so it is as high as the base camp before summiting on Mr. Kilimanjaro. This climb takes four or five days, but it would bag another peak for you before tackling Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is also a great trip on its own. The climb passes through an number of ecological zones in Arusha National Park, and is like a walking game-drive.

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