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
- Springlands Hotel
- Kilimanjaro Intl. Airport
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
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.
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:
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."
Check out the benefits of climbing with Kopa Tours, explore the different climbing routes we have available, and compare the costs to climb Kilimanjaro.