The Most Direct Route
Umbwe Route
A steep, solitary line straight up through the forest for trekkers who already know altitude.
- Duration
- 6 or 7 days
- Distance
- 54 km / 34 mi
- Summit
- 5,895 m / 19,341 ft
- Start gate
- Umbwe Gate
- Finish gate
- Mweka Gate (1,640 m)
- Sleeping
- Four-season sleeping tents at every camp
- Difficulty
- Very hard: steep from the first step, recommended only for experienced high-altitude trekkers
- Summit success
- Lower on industry estimates, and the route is recommended for experienced, well-acclimatised climbers only.
- From
- $1,980 per person
- Best months
- Jan, Feb, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
The route
A steep, solitary line straight up through the forest for trekkers who already know altitude.
Where other routes ease you in, the Umbwe tips you straight into the climb. It heads steeply up through dense rainforest from the gate, with barely a flat step, and it holds that angle until it meets the southern circuit at Barranco Camp. It is the shortest standard line to the glaciers, and the toughest.
That is the appeal and the risk. On its lower slopes you will see few other trekkers, and the forest is largely yours until the trail merges with the busier Machame line at Barranco. The cost is how fast the altitude arrives: height is gained in two quick days, and that is the main reason we recommend the seven-day version over the six-day one.
Our seven-day plan adds a rest day at Barranco Camp before the Wall, so your body has real time to adjust ahead of the summit push. Even so, we point the Umbwe at climbers who have been high before, know how they react, and want the most physically honest way up rather than the gentlest.
- The most direct line from forest floor to summit on the mountain
- Dense rainforest with colobus monkeys in the canopy
- Peaceful lower slopes before the route joins the southern circuit
- A dedicated rest day at Barranco Camp in the seven-day plan
- The Barranco Wall, a 250 m scramble first thing in the morning
- Views of the summit from nearly every angle along the southern circuit
Day by day
The climb, day by day
Day 1
Umbwe Gate to Umbwe Cave Camp
Umbwe Cave Camp
The steepest first day of any standard route. A forestry track climbs hard and without pause through dense rainforest, and colobus monkeys may be spotted overhead. Allow five to six hours.
Start slowly and sip water often; your legs will feel this one by camp.
- 11 km / 7 mi
- 2,850 m / 9,350 ft
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 2
Umbwe Cave Camp to Barranco Camp
Barranco Camp
The forest gives way to moorland as the path follows Umbwe Ridge upward. By afternoon you reach Barranco, where the route joins the southern circuit and the camp turns noticeably busier. Four to five hours on the trail.
Mild headaches are normal after two fast days, but report anything stronger to your guide.
- 6 km / 4 mi
- 3,900 m / 12,795 ft
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3
Rest and acclimatisation day at Barranco Camp
Barranco Camp
The day that sets the seven-day plan apart from the quicker version. You stay at camp, take a gentle walk around the valley at your own pace and let the altitude settle before the Wall.
A short walk helps more than lying still, so rest actively.
- 3,900 m / 12,795 ft
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4
Barranco Wall to Karanga Camp
Karanga Camp
The morning begins with the Barranco Wall, a scramble up a 250 m cliff that looks harder than it feels once you use hands and feet. Beyond it, the trail runs into the Karanga Valley with a last steep stretch to camp. Three to four hours.
Many climbers feel stronger today thanks to the extra night at Barranco.
- 5 km / 3 mi
- 3,995 m / 13,107 ft
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5
Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
Barafu Camp
A short walk completes the southern circuit, with the summit in view from almost every side, then climbs through alpine desert to Barafu, the main high camp. Your guide runs the summit briefing before an early dinner and a try at sleep. Three to four hours.
Rest even if sleep will not come; midnight arrives quickly.
- 4 km / 2 mi
- 4,673 m / 15,331 ft
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6
Summit night to Uhuru Peak, then down to Mweka Camp
Mweka Camp
Setting out around midnight, you climb a steep, loose path beside the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers to Stella Point and sunrise on the rim, then continue through snow to Uhuru Peak. The descent runs a long way down to Mweka Camp, ten to thirteen hours in all.
Tired legs make the long descent harder than it looks, so pace yourself coming down.
- 18 km / 11 mi
- 3,110 m / 10,203 ft
- Meals
- Early snack, breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7
Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
Mweka Gate
The final three to four hours drop through rainforest to Mweka Gate, where your summit certificate is presented. A driver then takes you back to your hotel in Moshi.
- 10 km / 6 mi
- 1,640 m / 5,381 ft
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch
Gallery
On the mountain
Photo credits: Sergei Andreichuk, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; KpokeJlJla, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons; Roryjm0, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
What's included
- Kilimanjaro National Park entry, camping and rescue fees, plus the conservation levy
- An English-speaking lead guide, with assistant guides at roughly one per three climbers
- One porter per climber to carry your duffel (15 kg limit)
- A mountain cook and three hot meals a day at every camp
- Four-season sleeping tents, foam mats, a mess tent, a kitchen tent and a private toilet tent
- Emergency oxygen cylinder carried by the team
- Pulse-oximeter health checks morning and evening at each camp
- Airport and hotel transfers, plus transport to and from the trailhead
- Kilimanjaro summit certificate
- VAT and all Tanzanian taxes on the services above
Not included
- International flights
- Tanzania visa
- Personal travel and medical insurance (compulsory)
- Personal clothing and trekking gear
- Gratuities for the crew
Pricing
Price per person
The more climbers who share the crew and park costs, the lower the price for each. Prices are in US dollars.
Any group size
$1,980
per person
Prices are per person and cover what is listed under what is included. Park fees are set by the authorities and can change, so the quote you accept is the price that applies. Gratuities and personal gear are not included.
Free guide
The Kilimanjaro Route Guide
Every route compared: distances, gates, camps, altitudes and the best months, in metric and imperial.
6
Routes compared
43
Daily stages mapped
5,895 m
Uhuru Peak (19,341 ft)
What is inside
- Every route side by side: days, distance, start and finish gates, and where you sleep
- A day-by-day table for each route with elevation and distance, in metric and imperial
- The best months to climb, shown as a month strip for every route
- What a climb typically includes, and what to ask any operator
- Straight answers to the questions climbers ask most
Who it is for. Anyone weighing up a Kilimanjaro climb who wants to compare the routes properly before choosing one.
- Free PDF, sent to your inbox
- Distances in metric and imperial
Questions
Good to know
We do not advise it. The route is the steepest of the standard options and gains height quickly, so we recommend it for trekkers who have high-altitude experience and know how their body responds.
The faster plan has no rest day. The seven-day plan adds a full day at Barranco Camp before the Wall, which gives you far more time to adjust before the summit push.
The lower slopes see far fewer climbers than Machame or Lemosho. Once the route joins the southern circuit at Barranco Camp, you share the trail with other parties.
About 54 km in total, finishing at Mweka Gate (1,640 m).
June to October and January to February are the preferred windows.
In four-season tents at each camp, with a kitchen tent, mess tent and private toilet tent set up by the crew.
Climb Umbwe Route
Tell us your dates and fitness, and we will recommend the route and pace that suit you.