The seven ascent routes
Here are the seven established routes leading to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Lemosho Route – The most beautiful Kilimanjaro route, and very popular. It goes up the Western Slope.
Machame route – the most popular Kilimanjaro route. It goes up the southern slope.
Marangu route – The Marangu is the only route to offer hut accommodation. It ascends the eastern slope.
Rongai route – The Rongai is the only route that approaches the summit from the north.
Shira Route – The Shira has the highest starting elevation. It starts on the Western Slope.
Northern Circuit – The Northern Circuit is the newest and longest Kilimanjaro route. It starts on the west but then wraps around the north of the mountain.
Umbwe route – The Umbwe is the shortest, steepest and hardest Kilimanjaro route. It goes up the southern slope.
Which is the best Kilimanjaro route?
In our opinion, the best Kilimanjaro routes are the Lemosho, Machame and Northern Circuit. We think most operators would agree with us here.
We like these routes because they're beautiful and varied and don't require you to descend along the same path. They also enjoy high summit success rates; of course, we want all of our climbers to enjoy standing at the summit!
If we had to choose just one Kilimanjaro route, it would be a toss-up between the Lemosho and the Northern Circuit because they're less crowded than the Machame.
Our goal is not to send as many climbers to Kilimanjaro as possible. Instead, we want to have happy clients returning with memories to last a lifetime and a successful summit under their belt.
We, therefore, regularly promote and recommend three Kilimanjaro routes to our clients:
Machame Route (the seven-day itinerary)
Lemosho route (the eight-day itinerary)
Northern Circuit Route (a nine-day climb)
These are the most scenic routes overall whilst also offering the greatest variety. In addition, all three offer great opportunities to acclimatise.
We also recommend the seven-day Rongai route for those who want to avoid the steep Barranco Wall but don't have the time, money or inclination to tackle the nine-day Northern Circuit.
Which is the easiest Kilimanjaro route?
The Northern Circuit is the easiest Kilimanjaro route, in our opinion.
The first reason we say this is that it's the longest route (nine or 10 days), and so it gives your body ample time to adjust to the high altitude. Those who ascend the mountain too quickly often develop altitude sickness and don't make it to the summit.
Another reason for arguing that the Northern Circuit is the easiest Kilimanjaro route is that you climb down a little in elevation on Days 5 and 6. This is an excellent way of helping your body to adjust to the high altitude. It's in keeping with the 'climb high, sleep low' strategy. This strategy is a big reason why the Northern Circuit enjoys a very high summit success rate.
The third reason for calling the Northern Circuit the easiest Kilimanjaro route is that it doesn't have any particularly steep sections. Its trail leads you up the mountain slowly and steadily. Many of the other routes involve steep sections, like the Barranco Wall.