Lemosho route
Best Kilimanjaro Route Itinerary for Lemosho Route with price and dates!
Price
$2650
Age
10-80
Duration
8 Days
Lemosho
ROUTE AT A GLANCE
Pricing by route: for New Year and Christmas, the price is $200 more per person.
Duration
7 or 8 days
Distance
~70km-42 miles total (ascent + descent)
Start gate
Lemosho Gate, 2100m, (6,889 ft)
Summit
Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m (19,341 ft)
Highest camp
Barafu Camp, 4,673 m (15,331 ft)
Difficulty
Moderate
Accommodation
Camping throughout
Success rate
Highest of all routes
Best season
January–March, June–October
Trail traffic
Low to moderate on western approach, higher from Shira Plateau onward
LEMOSHO
WHO THIS ROUTE IS FOR
Lemosho is our most-recommended route for first-time Kilimanjaro climbers. If you’re planning your first attempt at this mountain and don’t have prior experience above 4,500 m (14,764 ft), this is the route that gives you the best chance of reaching Uhuru Peak.
The 8-day duration allows a gradual ascent through Kilimanjaro’s western wilderness — terrain that sees a fraction of the traffic on the southern routes — before joining the main trail at Shira Plateau. More days means more time to acclimatize. More time to acclimatize means a better summit outcome.
If you have prior high-altitude experience and want the most complete Kilimanjaro circumnavigation, the Northern Circuit (9–10 days) is the next step up.
THE ROUTE: Lemosho begins at Lemosho Gate on Kilimanjaro’s western side — accessible by 4WD through tea and coffee plantations below the mountain. The first days move through some of the most pristine forest on Kilimanjaro: montane rainforest where colobus monkeys move through the canopy above you and the light filters green through ancient trees. >
By day three you reach the Shira Plateau — the remnant of an ancient caldera — and the landscape opens to a vast, windswept highland at 3,840 m (12,598 ft). From here, Lemosho joins the Machame trail, following the same corridor through Lava Tower (the key acclimatization day), Barranco Wall, Karanga, and up to Barafu Camp for the summit push.
The summit night and descent follow the same pattern as Machame. What Lemosho adds is two days of remote, forested, lower-altitude terrain at the start — two days that make the difference between arrival at Shira Plateau feeling strong versus gasping.
8-DAY ITINERARY – LEMOSHO ROUTE KILIMANJARO
Day 1 — Lemosho Gate to Mti Mkubwa Camp
Lemosho Gate (2,100 m / 6,889 ft) → Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,650 m / 8,694 ft) ~3–4 hours hiking | Elevation gain: ~550 m / 1,805 ft
A shorter first day, by design. You’ve likely arrived in Tanzania recently; this is not the time to push. The forest on this western approach is exceptional — denser and less-trafficked than the Machame Gate side. Mti Mkubwa means “Big Tree” in Swahili. You’ll understand the name when you see it.
Day 2 — Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1 Camp
Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,650 m / 8,694 ft) → Shira 1 Camp (3,500 m / 11,483 ft) ~5–6 hours hiking | Elevation gain: ~850 m / 2,789 ft
The forest begins to thin and the heather zone opens ahead of you. By midday you’re crossing open moorland. Shira 1 sits on the edge of the plateau — the last tree line is behind you, the vast Shira caldera spreads ahead, and Kibo cone rises unmistakably in the east.
Day 3 — Shira 1 to Shira 2 Camp
Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,650 m / 8,694 ft) → Shira 1 Camp (3,500 m / 11,483 ft) ~5–6 hours hiking | Elevation gain: ~850 m / 2,789 ft
A gentler day across the plateau. This is deliberate acclimatization time — lower gain, higher altitude, your body quietly adjusting. Shira 2 is the junction point where Lemosho meets the Machame trail. From here, the route architecture is shared.
Day 4 — Shira 2 to Barranco Camp (via Lava Tower)
Shira 2 Camp (3,840 m / 12,598 ft) → Lava Tower (4,630 m / 15,190 ft) → Barranco Camp (3,960 m / 12,992 ft) ~7–8 hours hiking | Elevation gain: ~790 m / 2,592 ft (net gain before descent)
The defining acclimatization day. You climb 790m above your sleeping altitude, spend time at Lava Tower for lunch, then descend 670m to Barranco Camp. The “climb high, sleep low” principle is built into every Kilimanjaro route that earns a high success rate — Lemosho executes it better than most because by Day 4 you’ve already had three days of gradual ascent.
Day 5 — Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp (via Barranco Wall)
Barranco Camp (3,960 m / 12,992 ft) → Karanga Camp (4,035 m / 13,238 ft) ~4–5 hours hiking | Elevation gain: ~75 m / 246 ft
The Barranco Wall scramble. Hands-on, exposed in places, memorable always. Your guide will be with you through every step. Above the wall, the southern face of the mountain stretches toward Karanga — a short but satisfying day.
Day 6 — Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
Karanga Camp (4,035 m / 13,238 ft) → Barafu Camp (4,673 m / 15,331 ft) ~4–5 hours hiking | Elevation gain: ~638 m / 2,093 ft
The vegetation is gone. The world is rock, scree, and altitude. Barafu — “ice” in Swahili — is your high camp. Arrive early afternoon. Rest. Eat. Your guide will brief you on the night ahead. Sleep by 7pm.
Day 7 — Summit Day and Descent to Mweka Camp
Barafu Camp (4,673 m / 15,331 ft) → Stella Point (5,756 m / 18,885 ft) → Uhuru Peak (5,895 m / 19,341 ft) → Mweka Camp (3,100 m / 10,171 ft)
~14–16 hours total | Elevation gain: ~1,222 m / 4,010 ft (to Uhuru Peak), followed by descent of ~2,795 m / 9,170 ft to Mweka Camp
Midnight or 1am departure. The cold, the headlamps, the slow rhythm — pole pole — this is summit night on Kilimanjaro. Stella Point arrives on the crater rim. Uhuru Peak is 45 minutes further. The descent to Mweka Camp happens the same day; you reach camp in late afternoon, exhausted and satisfied.
Day 8 — Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
Mweka Camp (3,100 m / 10,171 ft) → Mweka Gate (1,640 m / 5,381 ft) ~3–4 hours hiking | Elevation loss: ~1,460 m / 4,790 ft
Forest again. Green, warm, alive. A short final walk. Certificates at the gate, handshakes with the crew. Transfer to Moshi.
WHY LEMOSHO PRODUCES THE HIGHEST SUCCESS RATE
Three structural advantages set Lemosho apart from 6-day routes:
More days below 3,500 m / 11,483 ft
The first two days on Lemosho sit between 2,360 m / 7,743 ft and 3,500 m / 11,483 ft — gradual ascent through forest at an altitude your body handles well. This early acclimatization builds a foundation that shows up on summit night.
The Shira Plateau crossing
Day 3 is a gentle crossing at 3,500–3,840 m / 11,483–12,598 ft — essentially a rest day at altitude. You’re moving, you’re acclimatizing, but the load is low. This day doesn’t exist on Machame.
More time before the hard section
By the time you reach Lava Tower (4,630 m / 15,190 ft) for your key acclimatization push (Day 4 on Lemosho vs. Day 3 on Machame), your body has had four nights of increasing altitude rather than two. That difference compounds at the top.
DIFFICULTY & FITNESS and Lemosho
Lemosho is a moderately difficult trekking route. Daily hiking time ranges from 3 to 8 hours depending on the day, with the summit push reaching 14–16 hours. The Barranco Wall requires scrambling; summit night demands sustained aerobic output at extreme altitude.
Fitness benchmark: comfortable running 10km in an hour, three times a week. If you’re not there yet, the good news is that Lemosho’s longer timeline is forgiving — but it doesn’t replace the preparation. We’ll give you a training plan after you book if that’s helpful.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Every Kilimanjaro Sky Lemosho Route climb includes:
- 1 lead guide + 1 assistant guide per 2 clients
- Quality, waterproof mountain sleeping tents
- Cook and assistant cook
- 3–4 porters per client (20kg maximum, weighed at Lemosho Gate)
- All meals throughout the 8 days — breakfast, lunch, dinner, trail snacks
- Pulse oximeters, supplemental oxygen cylinders, full medical kit
- Camping equipment — tents, sleeping mats, dining tent, cooking equipment
- Emergency oxygen
- Clean drinking water
- TANAPA park fees and rescue levy
- Kilimanjaro Airport transfers
- Accommodation in Moshi on arrival and before departure
- Portable Toilet
- Lemosho Gate 4WD transfer (included)
- Certificate of completion
Not Included
- Flights
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
CTA: Inquire about Lemosho Route dates and pricing → [Contact]
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LEMOSHO ROUTE FAQ
Lemosho Route Frequently asked questions
