So which routes are recommended for Kilimanjaro? There is a great difference between the different routes up Mt. Kilimanjaro. The two most well-known are the Marangu route and the Machame route. The Machame route, is known as the “Whisky route”, or the Marangu route, which is known as the “Coca-Cola route”. There is a great difference between the two most popular routes. The Machame route lets you see more of the mountain, as you are ascending Machame but descending Mweka.
On the Marangu route, you are ascending and descending on the same path. By choosing Machame, you will see more of the scenery, and acclimatisation is done while you are walking, as opposed to resting days where you stay at the huts on the Marangu route. While walking up the Machame route, you are trekking through Karranga Valley for acclimatisation. You will gain minimal height daily while keeping yourself active and enjoying the scenery.
The trek to the summit is hard on both routes, but Machame has its advantages: it is less steep than the Marangu route. On the Marangu route, people spend less time reaching the peak than on the Marangu. Out of the two, we highly recommend the Machame route, as long as it is done in a minimum of 6 days and avoid taking the Arrow Glacier shortcut. For those of you who want to have the comfort of sleeping in huts, the Marangu route is the only option.
There are several other routes up Kilimanjaro, and they tend to be more challenging but just as rewarding. Notice that the Marangu route might be called the Coca-Cola route, but since you stay in huts, it costs more. This is because on the other routes, you stay in tents.
