How do I go about choosing my best Kilimanjaro route?

To choose the best hiking route for your Kilimanjaro climb, it is important to assess your personal preferences and priorities:

• Do you prefer the most stunning scenery or authentic wilderness away from the crowds?
• Do you prefer a climb with the least amount of walking and easy slopes, or are you looking for a bigger physical challenge?
• Do you have time constraints, or are you OK to take a longer route of 8 days (or more) in order to maximize your summit success chance?
• Do you have budget constraints, or do you prefer to pay a premium for a longer climb, a private tailor-made arrangement (as opposed to an open group climb), and/or a luxurious climb off-the-beaten-track?

Once you have some clarity about your personal preferences and priorities, it becomes easier to find the right route for you:

• If scenery is most important to you and you don’t mind the crowds, then the Machame or Lemosho Route will be the clear winners.
• If you are looking for the easiest possible route with the least amount of climbing uphill, then the Grand Traverse will be the way to go.
• If you want the maximize your summit success chance, then the Grand Traverse, Lemosho Route and Northern Circuit will be your best choice.
• If time or budget limits you to no more then 6 or 7 climbing days, then either the Shira or Machame Routes will be a good compromise for those prioritizing scenery over solitude, and Rongai for those in search of wilderness.
• If you have no choice but to climb during rainy season, then the huts along the Marangu Route will provide shelter from the rain, and the Rongai Route has a lower chance of rain overall.
• If you are confident of your physical abilities, and you either have considerable experience in high altitudes or are planning to pre-acclimatized on another mountain, then you may prefer a more challenging and direct summit approach via the shorter 5-day Marangu, Rongai or Umbwe Routes.