8-Day Kilimanjaro Climbing - Lemosho Route

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Arusha to Lemosho Gate

Your adventure begins with a drive from Moshi/Arusha to the Londorossi Gate (about 2–3 hours). After registration and meeting your mountain crew, you continue driving through beautiful forest tracks to the Lemosho trailhead.

From here, you start trekking through lush montane rainforest, home to colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, and a variety of birdlife. The trail is gentle but can be a bit muddy, especially in the rainy season. After about 3–4 hours of hiking, you arrive at Mti Mkubwa Camp (Big Tree Camp), located at 2,650 meters.

Here, you will enjoy your first hot dinner on the mountain and overnight camping under the stars.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• On Mt Kilimanjaro

Meals & Drinks:

• Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included)
• Drinking water & beer and wine (Other drinks not included)

Mount Kilimanjaro

After breakfast at Mti Mkubwa, the trail leaves the rainforest behind and gradually enters the heath and moorland zone. The hike begins with a steady climb, crossing several streams and following a ridge that opens up into breathtaking views of the Shira Plateau.

This is a beautiful and scenic day, as you ascend above the tree line and start to see the dramatic landscape of Kilimanjaro. Weather permitting, you may catch your first clear glimpse of Kibo Peak.

The trek takes about 5–6 hours, covering gentle slopes before reaching Shira 1 Camp (3,500m) on the western edge of the Shira Plateau.

You will rest here, have dinner, and spend the night camping under the stars.

Trekking time: 5–6 hours
Elevation: 2,650m → 3,500m.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• On Mt Kilimanjaro

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Mount Kilimanjaro

Today is a shorter and easier acclimatization day across the Shira Plateau, one of the most beautiful and unique high-altitude landscapes of Kilimanjaro. The hike is relatively gentle, giving you time to adjust to the altitude and enjoy the stunning scenery.

Along the way, you may see giant lobelias and senecios, plants unique to the high-altitude zones of East Africa. If the skies are clear, you will enjoy incredible views of Kibo Peak ahead and Mount Meru in the distance behind you.

After about 3–4 hours of hiking, you arrive at Shira 2 Camp (3,850m), where you will rest and spend the night. Depending on your energy and how you feel, a short acclimatization hike can be taken in the afternoon.

Trekking time: 3–4 hours
Elevation: 3,500m → 3,850m.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• On Mt Kilimanjaro

+2 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Mount Kilimanjaro

Today is an important acclimatization day. After breakfast, you begin a long trek eastwards, gradually ascending through the alpine desert zone. The landscape becomes more barren, with fewer plants, but the views of Kilimanjaro’s glaciers and volcanic rock formations are spectacular.

You will climb steadily up to the Lava Tower (4,600m), a massive volcanic rock formation. Here, you stop for lunch and spend some time at this higher altitude, which helps your body adjust to the thin air.

Afterward, the trail descends down into the beautiful Barranco Valley, filled with giant groundsels and lobelias, before reaching Barranco Camp (3,960m). This "climb high, sleep low" approach is one of the best ways to increase your chances of a successful summit.

At camp, you will enjoy dinner and rest with the dramatic Great Barranco Wall rising above you.

Trekking time: 6–7 hours
Elevation: 3,850m → 4,600m (Lava Tower) → 3,960m.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• On Mt Kilimanjaro

+3 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Mount Kilimanjaro

Your day begins with the exciting climb of the Great Barranco Wall. Although it looks intimidating, the trail is not technical, and with the help of your guides you will steadily make your way to the top, rewarded with stunning views back down into the valley.

From the top, the trail continues with a series of gentle ascents and descents across ridges and valleys. You will pass through alpine desert landscapes with scattered giant senecios and lichens clinging to the rocks.

After crossing a few streams, you make the final climb to reach Karanga Camp (4,035m), set on a rocky plateau. This is a shorter hiking day, giving you time to rest, acclimatize further, and prepare for the push towards higher camps.

Trekking time: 4–5 hours
Elevation: 3,960m → 4,035m.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• On Mt Kilimanjaro

+2 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Mount Kilimanjaro

After breakfast at Karanga, the trail steadily climbs into the high alpine desert zone, with the landscape becoming more barren and rocky. Vegetation is sparse here, and the air becomes noticeably thinner as you approach higher altitude.

The path leads upward along ridges and volcanic scree slopes until you finally reach Barafu Camp (4,640m), the final base camp before your summit attempt. The name Barafu means “ice” in Swahili, reflecting the cold, exposed environment.

From camp, you have sweeping views of the jagged Mawenzi peak and the summit of Kibo, your goal for the next day. You will have an early dinner, prepare your gear (headlamp, warm clothing, snacks), and rest for a few hours.

At midnight, you will wake up to begin your summit push to Uhuru Peak.

Trekking time: 3–4 hours
Elevation: 4,035m → 4,640m.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• On Mt Kilimanjaro

+5 Photos

+4 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Mount Kilimanjaro

The surrounding vegetation becomes greener as you continue your descent and soon you will arrive at the Mandara Hut (2,700 m), where a hot lunch awaits you. The journey back to the park gate gives you another chance to observe the beautiful tropical rainforest and spot anything you have missed on the way up, like the Impatiens kilimanjari flower, which is endemic to the rainforest on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. Arriving at the gate you will say goodbye to your mountain crew and be taken back to the Meru View Lodge. At the lodge you can enjoy a shower and celebrate your success in reaching the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. Dinner and overnight at Meru View Lodge.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• On Mt Kilimanjaro

+2 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Mount Kilimanjaro to Arusha

After breakfast, you will either be transferred to Kilimanjaro Airport. Alternatively, you can extend your trip and go on safari tour or relax by the Indian Ocean.
Breakfast.

Main Destination:

Arusha (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water & beer and wine (Other drinks not included)

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.