A cleaning robot and a control method thereof in which a cleaning path desired by the user is recognizable by the cleaning robot, thereby being capable of cleaning a cleaning area desired by the user in a pattern desired by the user. The cleaning robot includes a running unit to run the cleaning robot, a storage unit for storing a running path, along which the cleaning robot has learned, and a control unit to recognize the learned running path of the cleaning robot when a path learning operation is required, to store the recognized learned running path in the storage unit, and to drive the running unit. When a cleaning operation of the cleaning robot along the stored learned running path is required, the control unit controls the running unit to cause the cleaning robot to perform the required cleaning operation while running along the stored learned running path. The user can directly input, to the cleaning robot, a cleaning path desired by the user, in order to cause the cleaning robot to perform a cleaning operation while running along the learned running path. Accordingly, it is possible to accurately inform the cleaning robot of various areas associated with the cleaning operation, for example, an area to be repeatedly cleaned at several times, or an area to be prevented from being cleaned.