Climb the
Pretti|
Kilimanjaro Route.

Kopa Tours - Climbing up Mount Kilimanjaro on Machame Route

Mount Kilimanjaro  â€“ flat-mountain cute icon
The Tallest Free-Standing Mountain
on the Planet.
Are You Ready for the Commitment?
CHOOSE YOUR PATH

Hikers climb up to Barranco campsite,
their guide safely escorting them along the route.
Mountain Landscape

What is the Best Route to Climb Kilimanjaro?

What is the Best Route up Kilimanjaro

There is no single "best" route up Mount Kilimanjaro. The best route for you depends on your personal tastes. You should take into consideration:

  • 🏞️ Scenery of the Route
  • 🥾 Foot Traffic Levels
  • ⏱️ Duration of Climb
  • đź’Ş Difficulty of the Route

Nearly 50,000 adventurers climb Kilimanjaro each year - they do so using the following routes (as a percentage):

  • Machame Route - 46%
  • Marangu Route - 40%
  • Lemosho Route - 8%
  • Other Routes - 6%

We provide to you Google Maps Routes, Elevation Charting, as well as a Quick Compare table so that you can make the decision that is best for you.

Google Maps

  • Lemosho Route
  • Machame Route
  • Marangu Route
  • lodging-alt cute icon Springlands Hotel
  • plane-alt cute icon Kilimanjaro Intl. Airport

Quick Compare

RouteDuration (days)PriceSceneryFoot TrafficElevation Gain (ft)MileageRating
Machame6 or 7 days$$$ExcellentHigh16,221‬ feet37 miles
Lemosho8 days$$$$ExcellentMedium13,859‬‬ feet40 miles
Marangu5 days$$GoodHigh13,295‬ feet‬35 miles

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Want a Personalized route recommendation?

Take the Route Quiz! In 3 minutes you'll get a tailored recommendation of which route you should climb.


Explore the Routes

Machame Route 
Most Popular 6 or 7 day hike

Hike the most popular trail on Mount Kilimanjaro.

Lemosho Route 
Highest Success Rate 8 day hike

Climb the most scenic route on Mount Kilimanjaro.

Marangu Route 
Sleep in  Tents  Huts! 5 day hike

Sleep in a cozy bunk bed, every night. The most affordable route!

Each itinerary takes a different route up the mountain  --  some more accessible, some more scenic.

Any questions? Want an expert opinion? Call us now at 866-816-KOPA or email us at contact@kopatours.com!

Still wondering about the absolute basics of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro?
Discover information on finding flights, fitness training, and altitude acclimatization!

Which Route has the
Highest Success Rate

Mount Kilimanjaro exposes climbers to seriously high altitudes. The summit is up at 19,341 feet! That altitude can take its toll on tourists.

Kopa Tours' strict adherence to safety and mountain readiness has allowed us to achieve a 98% success rate in summiting Kilimanjaro.

Kopa Tours has a 98% summit success rate

Science shows that the cause of altitude sickness is just as mental, as it is physical. Anxiety is an independent predictor of acute mountain sickness.

Feeling safe on the mountain is just as important as being safe on the mountain. It is our priority as your tour operator to keep both your health and your spirits high. Kopa Tours works with the most seasoned of mountain guides - many of our guides have been working the mountain for 30+ years! Health checks are performed nightly - we track your heart rate and oxygen levels using state-of-the-art pulse oximeters, to make sure you are feeling good every step of the way.

As far as which route to take, all 3 can take you to the summit. Choose from any option:

  • Machame for the most popular trail
  • Marangu for the comfortable rest in cabins
  • Lemosho for the most gradual increase in elevation

Elevation Profile(s)

Festo, one of our seasoned mountain guides, taking a break on the way up Kilimanjaro
Festo, one of our experienced mountain guides.

How do I know Kopa Tours is right for me?

Picking the right tour operator is extremely important- to ensure that you are safe, secure, and taken care of. Additionally, there are many different costs to climb Kilimanjaro. Anywhere from:

  • $1,000
  • $2,000
  • $5,000 and above!

A lot goes into the final price .. tourist taxes paid to the Tanzanian government, National Park Fees, (food + tent) supply costs, and of course salaries for your guides & porters.

Most every operator will get you up & down from the mountain safely. The difference in price comes down to how well the staff is treated. Any climb that charges less than < $1,500 likely has to cut corners on porter pay. We ensure the following working conditions for our guides and porters:

  • A proper minimum wage in accordance with the Labor Institutions Wage Order of 2013 GN No. 196 of the United Republic of Tanzania.
  • Proper climbing gear, shelter, and meals during climbs.
  • A bank deposit via the Diamond Trust Bank for direct deposit enrollment.
  • A 30 lb limit placed on the weight of load for porters to carry (this will be weighed both at the hotel and at the Kilimanjaro entrance gate).

Kopa Tours has a set of core values we live by - we strive to do everything we do with humility, grit, and trust. We like to call our promise to you "The Kopa Pledge."

Kopa Tours logo

Check out the benefits of climbing with Kopa Tours, explore the different climbing routes we have available, and compare the costs to climb Kilimanjaro.