Choosing a Kilimanjaro route, which will satisfy your personal requirements as well as contribute towards your eventual summit success, is important. There are six Mount Kilimanjaro routes: six routes up Kilimanjaro and two down. (Yes, that sounds like there are eight routes. But one of the ascent routes can also be used for descent, so there are in fact only seven routes.) Several of these trails meet after a few days climbing and share the same path over the last days.

As a result there are only three dedicated routes from the base of Kibo—the main peak—to the Kilimanjaro crater rim. (One of them, the Western Breach route, is a challenging and dangerous route and not used much. Which leaves only two.)The routes to climb Kilimanjaro approach the mountain from different sides and they vary considerably in length, difficulty, traffic levels and other aspects.