- Itinerary
8 Days Lemosho Route Kilimanjaro Climbing
8 days
Overview
The Lemosho Route is one of the most scenic route on Kilimanjaro, offering stunning panoramic vistas of the mountain, with the most comfortable acclimatization and the highest summit success rates. It has variations of 6, 7 or 8 days. It begins at the Londorossi Gate on Mount Kilimanjaro’s western side and is an alternative to the Shira Route, which begins at a higher, more difficult altitude.
- Start
- Day 2
- Day 3-5
- Day 6
- End
- Arusha (Day 1)
- Londorossi Gate (Mt Kilimanjaro)
- Mt Kilimanjaro (Mountain)
- Mweka camp (Mt Kilimanjaro)
- Arusha (City) (Day 8)
Arrival
- You’ll be collected from the airport.
- Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.
Day 1: Arrival at the airport to Arusha
After arrival at the airport (Kilimanjaro / Arusha), your private driver guide will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to your accommodation.
At the accommodation, your professional mountain guide will go through your gear and make sure that all the required mountain climbing equipment are there and give you a briefing before your trekking adventure starts on the following day.
- Main Destination:
- Arusha (City)
- Accommodation:
-
- Mid-range lodge located in or near Arusha
- Meals & Drinks:
-
- Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 2: Londorossi Gate (2100 meters) start point 2360 meters to Mti Mkubwa Camp (2820 meters)
After breakfast we drive straight to Kilimanjaro. Getting to Londorossi Gate (2,100 meters) takes approximately 2 hours from Arusha. At the gate you will register with the Kilimanjaro National Park authorities before getting back into vehicles to be transported to the starting point which is a further 12km from Londorossi.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro (Mountain)
- Accommodation:
- Mti Mkubwa Camp
- In or near Mt Kilimanjaro
- Meals & Drinks:
-
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 3: Forest Camp 2750m to Shira 1 Camp 3540m
We continue on the trail leading out of the forest and into a savannah of tall grasses, heather, and volcanic rock draped with lichen beards. As we ascend through the lush rolling hills and cross several streams, we reach the Shira Ridge before dropping gently down to Shira 1 camp. The view of Kibo from across the plateau is amazing.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro (Mountain)
- Accommodation:
- Shira Camp
- In or near Mt Kilimanjaro
- Meals & Drinks:
-
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 4: Shira Camp 1 (3500 meters) to Moir Hut (4200m)
After breakfast, you will continue on your hike across and up the Shira plateau to Shira Camp 2 at 3,850 meters. Here you will join trekkers from the Machame Route whilst enjoying stunning views across the valley below and Western Breach of Kilimanjaro above. The plateau is exposed so be prepared for strong winds with temperatures getting below zero in the early hours.
You then continue up the Shira Caldera and onto an off-the-beaten path to Moir Hut.
Today is long and finishes at high altitude. You may start feeling altitude sickness symptoms. Make sure you monitor yourself closely. Sleeping high on this night will pay dividends on your trek going forward.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro (Mountain)
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- In or near Mt Kilimanjaro
- Meals & Drinks:
-
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 5: Moir Hut (4200 meters) to Lava Tower (4600 meters) and then Barranco Camp (3900 meters)
On day four you will continue trekking through a desert-like landscape as you approach Lava Tower and the Shark’s Tooth formation at 4,600 meters. You will have lunch at Lava Tower before joining the Southern Circuit trail (see map above) which descends to Barranco Camp 3,900 meters where you will spend the night at a very similar elevation as the night before.
Climbing high and sleeping low is a good way to acclimatise the body to altitude.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro (Mountain)
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- In or near Mt Kilimanjaro
- Meals & Drinks:
-
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 6: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp (3960m) to Barafu Camp (4680m)
After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga Valley campsite. Then, we leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position.
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro (Mountain)
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- In or near Mt Kilimanjaro
- Meals & Drinks:
-
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 7: Barafu camp (4600m) to Uhuru Peak (5895m) – Mweka (3100m)
You will wake up around 1130pm, and after some tea and biscuits you start climbing to Uhuru peak into the night. You will head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. At Stella Point (5685m) you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most beautiful sunrise you are ever likely to see. The time you will spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop here for too long, as it will be extremely difficult to start again due to cold and fatigue.
Enjoy your accomplishment and a day to remember for the rest of your life. You will walk back to Barafu from the summit. Here you will have a well earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear, before heading down to Mweka hut (3100m).
- Main Destination:
- Mount Kilimanjaro (Mountain)
- Accommodation:
- Budget camping
- In or near Mt Kilimanjaro
- Meals & Drinks:
-
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Day 8: Mweka camp (3100m) to Mweka Gate (1980m)
After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short 3 hour and scenic hike back to the Park gate. At Mweka gate you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. From the Mweka Gate you will continue down into the Mweka village, normally a muddy 3 km (1 hour) hike. At the Mweka Gate, meet Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Officials gives you the Certificate of Achievement. After signing out you will be transferred to your hotel to freshen up.
- Main Destination:
- Arusha (City)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
-
- Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
End of tour
- Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
- You’ll be dropped off at the airport.
-
IncludedPorterageRescue feePark fees(For non-residents)All activities(Unless labeled as optional)All accommodation(Unless listed as upgrade)A professional driver/guideAll transportation(Unless labeled as optional)All Taxes/VATRoundtrip airport transferMeals(As specified in the day-by-day section)Drinking water(On all days)
-
Not IncludedClimbing gearInternational flights(From/to home)Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tourTips(Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park feesSome meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)