Kilimanjaro routes compared: Machame and Lemosho

In short

Seven routes lead up Kilimanjaro: Marangu, Machame, Lemosho, Shira, Rongai, Northern Circuit and Umbwe. All finish at Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m, the summit of the Kibo crater. Permanent huts exist only on the Marangu route; on the other 6 routes you sleep in tents. The most important difference is time: the more days you allow, the more room remains for acclimatisation, how your body adjusts to the altitude.

The seven routes at a glance

The park authority TANAPA lists eight gates for Kilimanjaro National Park and seven mountain routes to the summit. According to the authority, the ascent takes 5 to 9 days depending on the route; there is no fixed standard duration per route.

According to KINAPA, Mweka Gate is the descent gate for the Machame, Umbwe, Lemosho and Londorosi routes; Rongai descends via Marangu Gate. Marangu is the only route where you come down the same way you went up.

• Marangu: the only route with permanent park huts.
• Machame: tent route from Machame Gate.
• Lemosho: tent route starting at Lemosho Gate.
• Shira: according to KINAPA, shares the western access with Lemosho via Londorosi.
• Rongai: tent route from Rongai Gate.
• Northern Circuit: leads via the north side of the mountain.
• Umbwe: tent route from Umbwe Gate.

A 2022 study of 1,237 hikers on several routes shows that more days on the mountain predicted summit success.

Machame and Lemosho compared

Wildfinder offers both routes, and both are tent routes. They start at different gates: Machame at Machame Gate, Lemosho in the west via Londorosi. They meet at Barranco Camp at the latest and from there follow the same path to the summit; the descent on both is via Mweka Gate. The difference lies in the first few days.

Here you can see at which camps you spend each night with Wildfinder. The Machame Route takes 7 days with 6 nights, the Lemosho Route 8 days with 7 nights; the summit night starts at Barafu Camp on both routes.

One study provides an example of what the first days can look like. On a 7-day trek via Lemosho (Limmer and Platen 2018), the group slept first at Mti Mkubwa Camp at 2,750 m and Shira 1 Camp at 3,510 m, then reached Barranco Camp. A day on which you sleep at a lower altitude than you reached during the day can delay altitude sickness, but according to a study of 28 trekkers on the 6-day Machame route (Meyer 2012) it does not protect against it: on summit day, 86% had AMS symptoms. The WMS rule on sleeping altitude can be found further down.

According to the KINAPA anniversary publication (2023), Machame is the most used route, accounting for 40% of climbers, while Lemosho, Shira and Londorosi together account for 18%. Based on these shares, you can expect less traffic on Lemosho in the first days; from Barranco Camp at the latest you share the trail with the Machame groups. Both routes start in the mountain forest that surrounds Kilimanjaro between about 1,800 and 2,800 m. Lemosho passes Shira in the west, the oldest peak of the massif, which collapsed to form the Shira Plateau.

For both routes you need stamina for several long hiking days in a row and for the summit night; you do not need climbing skills. Good fitness does not protect you from altitude sickness: according to the CDC, training and fitness do not change the risk; what matters at altitude is the number of days and your sleeping altitude. Wildfinder rates Machame as demanding and Lemosho as moderate to demanding.

• Machame: suits you if you plan 7 days and the lower price matters; in return there is more traffic on the trail.
• Lemosho: suits you if you can plan one more day: 8 days, less traffic in the first days, based on the KINAPA shares, but more expensive. In the 2022 study, more days on the mountain predicted summit success; in the 2014 study, two additional days to reach the summit did not reduce the frequency of altitude sickness symptoms, see the studies further down.

Hut or tent

Only on the Marangu route are there permanent park huts: Mandara Hut, Horombo Hut and Kibo Hut. On all other routes, according to TANAPA, you camp at established campsites with toilet facilities.

For porters, a park authority rule applies: a maximum of 25 kg per porter, including the porter’s own luggage. What belongs in your rucksack is in the packing list for Tanzania.

Why the number of days matters

Acclimatisation is how your body adapts to the lower oxygen levels at altitude. What matters is the sleeping altitude, the altitude at which you spend the night, not the highest point of the day.

The Wilderness Medical Society (WMS), a professional body for wilderness medicine, recommends in its 2024 guidelines (as summarised in the BMJ): above 3,000 m, your sleeping altitude should rise by no more than 500 m per day, and for every further 1,000 m of sleeping altitude gain, allow an additional acclimatisation day. The Yellow Book of the US health authority CDC restates the same WMS recommendation.

More days therefore mean gentler daily stages and room for rest days. According to KINAPA, visitors must allow at least 5 days for ascent and descent, expressly for the purpose of acclimatisation. The 2019 version of the WMS guideline classified climbs under 7 days as high risk; the 2024 version classifies risk by sleeping altitude on the first day and altitude gain per day.

Recognising altitude sickness

According to the WMS, acute mountain sickness (AMS) is marked by a headache plus at least one further symptom: nausea or vomiting, fatigue or dizziness. Two forms are dangerous. High-altitude cerebral oedema (HACE) is signalled by worsening AMS symptoms, along with unsteady gait, severe lethargy and confusion. For high-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE), the CDC names as early signs chest tightness, coughing, disproportionate shortness of breath on exertion and declining performance; later, shortness of breath at rest, possibly with bloody sputum.

Report any symptoms to your guide immediately, even if they seem harmless. According to the WMS, the most effective countermeasure is descent; with signs of HACE or HAPE, you go down immediately.

A medicine can help prevent AMS: acetazolamide. The 2024 WMS guideline recommends it for prevention. Whether it is an option for you is something to check with your doctor before you travel.

Drink enough, but do not force fluids. According to the WMS, excessive fluid intake does not prevent altitude sickness and can dangerously lower the sodium level in the blood. Dehydration can also produce symptoms that resemble AMS. More on this is in the chapter on altitude sickness in the CDC Yellow Book.

What studies say about summit success

First a caveat: the studies cannot be directly compared with each other. Diagnostic criteria, the use of acetazolamide and the composition of the groups differ, as the authors themselves point out.

• 2009, Marangu, 181 participants, Davies and colleagues: summit success was 61.3%. 77% of hikers had AMS symptoms; the rate was similar in the 4-day and 5-day profiles.
• 2014, data from 917 guests of a single operator over 10 years, Eigenberger and colleagues: 70% had at least one symptom of altitude sickness. 2 additional days to reach the summit did not reduce the frequency of AMS symptoms.
• 2016, Rongai, 6 days, 175 participants, Lawrence and Reid: AMS in 52.6%, summit success 88%.
• 2022, several routes, 1,237 hikers, Croughs and colleagues: 8.6% showed severe altitude sickness symptoms, 1.1% had to go to hospital, 87.9% reached the summit.

The figures vary widely and say more about the group studied than about your tour. One thing is clear: symptoms of altitude sickness are common on Kilimanjaro; severe cases were rare in the large 2022 cohort.

Which route suits you

Which route suits you depends on your time, your fitness and your budget. Wildfinder offers all seven routes; duration, starting price and rating are in the table.

• You have little time: bear in mind that the WMS classifies risk by sleeping altitude and altitude gain per day. Every additional day lowers the daily altitude gain.
• You want a permanent hut instead of a tent: then Marangu is your only option.
• You want plenty of time to acclimatise: the longest tours with Wildfinder are the 9-day Northern Circuit and the 8-day Lemosho route.
• You are undecided between Machame and Lemosho: the comparison of the two routes shows duration, price, altitude profile and the difference your fitness makes.
• You are travelling with a child under 10: according to an older TANAPA brochure, children under 10 may not climb higher than 3,700 m. The summit would therefore be ruled out, but a visit to the park would not.

Talk to the team in Arusha about which variant suits the number of days you have and your fitness. Your guide will pick you up at Kilimanjaro Airport and take you to the start of the route. Your guides are trained in dealing with altitude sickness and monitor your condition. If you develop symptoms, they respond immediately and organise a rapid descent in an emergency. Durations and prices of Wildfinder’s tours are on the Kilimanjaro Climb page. For advice on when to go, read the guide best time to visit Tanzania.

Park authority fees

The following figures come from the official TANAPA tariff document. The cover page states the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024; TANAPA has not published a newer version so far, and the tariff remains valid according to Wildfinder.

• Conservation Fee, the park fee: 70 USD per person per day for adults aged 16 and over, 20 USD for children aged 5 to 15. Children under 5 pay nothing.
• Hut fee on the Marangu route: 60 USD per night, children 20 USD.
• Camping fee on the other routes: 50 USD per night, children 10 USD.
• Rescue Fee, the contribution for rescue operations: 20 USD per person per climb, non-refundable. It applies to Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.

All the fees mentioned exclude 18% VAT.

As of: October 2026. Park authority tariffs and fees may change.

Frequently asked questions about the Kilimanjaro routes