Duration: | 8 Day(s) - 7 Night(s) |
Tour Category: | Ice Climbing |
Mount Kilimanjaro may be Africa's highest peak—and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world—but what's captured the imagination of generations of adventurous travelers is its topographical drama. Kilimanjaro rises in near isolation from the flat equatorial scrublands; an ascent takes you from subsistence farmland through lush tropical rain forest, open moors, alpine desert, and finally to the snowcapped peak.
Kilimanjaro is one of the world's most accessible mountains to summit, requiring no ropes or technical climbing experience, but it's a serious physical undertaking. You can climb Kilimanjaro in as little as five days, although swift ascents make altitude sickness much more likely. A six- to eight-day route allows your body time to become acclimated.
There are six established routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro - Marangu, Machame, Lemosho, Shira, Rongai and Umbwe. The Marangu, Machame, and Umbwe routes all approach from the south of the mountain. The Lemosho and Shira routes approach from the west. The Rongai route approaches from the north.
To find the best route for you, considerations should be taken for the route's scenery, difficulty, traffic, and its altitude acclimatization characteristics, as depicted in the table below. East African Voyage has assigned overall ratings to each route:
Kilimanjaro Route
Min.Days
Rec. Days
Difficulty
Scenery
Traffic
Rating
Marangu Route
5
6
medium
good
high
**
Machame Route
6
7
high
excellent
high
***
Lemosho Route
6
8
high
excellent
medium
****
Shira Route
6
7
high
excellent
medium
***
Rongai Route
6
7
medium
very good
low
****
Umbwe Route
5
7
very high
very good