5 days · Trek 5-Day Marangu Route Kilimanjaro Climb
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania · extreme
5 day Marangu Route Kilimanjaro climb on the Coca-Cola Route. Hut accommodation, expert guides and all fees.
From, per person
$1,250
Planning
Machame or Lemosho
How the two southern and western routes differ.
Machame starts in the south. Lemosho starts further west and is usually walked over more days. Both are camping routes we sell as separate packages. Open each route page for the trips on it.
They finish at the same peak
Machame and Lemosho are both camping routes to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m. Neither uses the Marangu huts. The choice is the start gate, the number of days on the mountain, and how gradually the trail climbs.
Machame starts at Machame Gate on the south side and finishes at Mweka Gate. Lemosho starts further west, at Londorossi Gate, crosses the Shira plateau, and joins the southern trail before the summit. Both descend through Mweka.
What the extra days are for
Lemosho is usually sold as a longer walk because the western approach adds nights before the trail meets Machame. Those nights are time on the mountain, not a different summit.
On Machame, the longer packages keep a night at Karanga between Barranco and the high camp. A shorter Machame drops that night. Read the day list on the package. The camp names on that list are the ones that trip uses.
How to choose
Open both route pages and compare the trips we actually run: days, where you sleep, and the price on each package. The route page does not set a fare of its own.
If you want the shortest camping itinerary we publish, start with Machame. If you want more days before the summit night, start with Lemosho and read the day count on that package.
Read more on this
Guide · 3 min
Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro: The Definitive Itinerary, Trail Guide and Why It's the Best Route
Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro guide: itinerary options, Shira Plateau, the 7 vs 8-day choice and a comparison with Machame.
Guide · 4 min
Machame Route Kilimanjaro: Complete Day-by-Day Guide and Everything You Need to Know
Machame Route Kilimanjaro guide: day-by-day itinerary, Barranco Wall, Lava Tower acclimatisation and the 6-day vs 7-day options.
Guide · 3 min
Altitude Sickness on Kilimanjaro: Symptoms, Prevention and What Your Guide Won't Tell You
AMS symptoms, Diamox dosage, HACE vs HAPE: the complete altitude sickness guide for Kilimanjaro trekkers. What your guide should catch.
Questions that come next
- Climbers who write trip reports often say the eighth day made summit night feel more manageable, because you spend an extra night near 4,000 m. If you are nervous about altitude, are older, or have spare days, take the eight. If you are fit, have recent altitude experience and are short of time, seven works.
- Six days works best on Machame, Rongai or a six-day Marangu, if you are fit and have recent altitude experience. If you can find a seventh day, Machame or Lemosho gives your body a much easier ride. See six days or seven.
- Many people reach the top in their forties, fifties and sixties, and plenty are not athletes. What decides it is time and preparation, not youth: choose a long route (seven or eight days), train with hills and long loaded walks for at least two or three months, and walk slowly on the mountain. If you have a heart, lung or blood-pressure condition, see your doctor before you book.
- It helps. Around a full moon the trail is visible without a head torch for much of the climb, and it feels less lonely and less cold. It also means more people choose those dates, so book earlier. Check the moon calendar for your month; you can still summit on a dark night with a good head torch.
- Ask for the company's Tanzanian business licence and TATO membership, check them on the official register, and read recent reviews on more than one site. Ask how many people are in the crew and how porters are paid and equipped. A fair operator answers these quickly and writes the answers down.
Plan with us
Tell us your dates, we reply with a plan
Open a trip
5 days · Trek 
6 days · Trek 6-Day Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro Climb
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania · extreme
6 day Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro climb via Shira Plateau, Lava Tower and Barranco Wall to Uhuru Peak.
From, per person
$1,700
6 days · Trek 6-Day Machame Route Kilimanjaro Climb
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania · extreme
6 day Machame Route Kilimanjaro climb via the classic Whiskey Route. Full camping, expert guides and park fees.
From, per person
$1,600
6 days · Trek 6-Day Umbwe Route Kilimanjaro Climb
Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania · extreme
Umbwe Route Kilimanjaro: the steepest, most direct 6-day climb for fit, experienced trekkers. Honest difficulty rating before you book.
From, per person
$1,600
