Ask ten guides their favourite route up Kilimanjaro and eight will name Machame or Lemosho. Both approach from the south-west, both use the scenic Barranco–Barafu traverse, and both can deliver you to Uhuru Peak at sunrise. The differences are in the first three days — and they matter more than most climbers realise.
Machame: the classic for a reason
Machame is usually climbed in 6 or 7 days. It is direct, dramatic, and affordable — the rainforest start, the Shira plateau, the Lava Tower acclimatisation day, and the hands-on scramble up the Barranco Wall. The 7-day version builds in a genuine climb-high-sleep-low profile and noticeably better summit rates than the 6-day.
- Duration: 6–7 days (always choose 7 if you can)
- Scenery: excellent from day one
- Crowds: the most popular route on the mountain
- Cost: the best value of the scenic routes
Lemosho: the connoisseur’s line
Lemosho starts further west and takes 7 or 8 days, crossing the wild Shira plateau before joining the southern circuit. The first two days are remote enough that you may see more colobus monkeys than people. The 8-day profile is the gentlest acclimatisation of any standard route, which is why it posts the best summit success rates on the mountain.
- Duration: 7–8 days
- Scenery: the most varied on the mountain
- Crowds: quiet until it merges with Machame on day 3–4
- Cost: higher — more days, longer transfers
How we advise our climbers
If budget or holiday time is tight: 7-day Machame. If you can spare one more day and want the quietest start and the best acclimatisation: 8-day Lemosho. If anyone in your group is over 50, has never been above 3,500 m, or simply wants maximum margin — Lemosho, every time.
Nobody remembers saving one day on the mountain. Everybody remembers the sunrise from the summit.
Whichever route you choose, the crew matters more than the line on the map: licensed guides, honest daily health checks, and porters who are properly paid and equipped. That is non-negotiable on every climb we run.
