8-Day Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Through Lemosho Route

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

Arusha to Londorossi Gate - Big Tree

After breakfast at your hotel, your guide will brief you on the day. You will drive from Arusha to Londorossi Park Gate for registration and transfer to the Lemosho gate, located on the western side of Kilimanjaro. Once at the gate, you will be registered and need to sign some papers. After registration, you will be driven up a bumpy track that will take you into the dense rainforest to the drop-off point where your trek begins.

You will follow a moderately steep track, which leads you through an amazing and unspoiled natural forest to Mkubwa Camp. As this region is also home to wild game, you will be accompanied by an armed ranger during the first 2 days of your trek.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• On Mt Kilimanjaro

Meals & Drinks:

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

Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1 Camp

Hike time: 5 to 6 hrs
Elevation change: 950m to 3,116m
Estimation distance: 12km
Final elevation: 3,609m / 11,841 ft

On this day, the trek starts on a small trail that passes through the rainforest. As you climb, the forest gradually thins out, and the landscape changes into heath and moorland, where plants like erica and lobelia start to dominate. You will cross the Shira Ridge and reach Shira 1 Camp for dinner and overnight.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• On Mt Kilimanjaro

Meals & Drinks:

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

Shira 1 Camp to Moir Hut Camp

Distance: 14km / 8.5 miles
Trekking time: 5 to 7 hours
Zone: Low-alpine zone, high-alpine zone

From Shira Camp 1, you will continue on your hike across and up the Shira plateau to Moir Hut. The plateau is exposed, so be prepared for strong winds and temperatures getting below zero in the early hours. Also, it is a long day and finishes at a 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 as we advance.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Moir Hut

• Budget mountain hut located on Mt Kilimanjaro

Meals & Drinks:

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

Moir Hut to Lava Tower and then Barranco Camp

Distance: 12km / 7.5 miles
Trekking time: 6 to 7 hours
Zone: High-alpine zone

On day 4, 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 at 3,900 meters, where you will spend the night at a very similar elevation as the previous night.

Climbing high and sleeping low is a good way to acclimatize the body to altitude.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• On Mt Kilimanjaro

+3 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

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

Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Distance: 7km / 4 miles
Trekking time: 4 hours
Zone: High-alpine zone

On day 5, you will be presented with the relatively steep Barranco "Breakfast" climb, a 257-meter scramble up the Barranco Wall. Be prepared to use all 4 limbs as you traverse the wall to the top of the Karanga Valley. From here, you will follow a path that sojourns through many inclines and declines to Karanga Camp (3,960 meters). For those on an 8-day hike, this will be your camp for the night.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• On Mt Kilimanjaro

+2 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

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

Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Distance: 6km / 4 miles
Trekking time: 3 hours
Zone: High-alpine zone

Day 6 is a relatively short and easy trek. Starting at Karanga Camp, the trail quickly joins the Mweka route and heads up to Barafu, the base camp, at 4,680 meters.

We recommend using the easy day to enjoy the scenery, rest your muscles, and prepare your mind for the summit push.

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)

Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak and then Mweka Camp

Distance: 4.5km / 3 miles ascent, 11km / 7 miles descent
Trekking time: 6 to 8 hours to the summit, 5 to 8 hours to Mweka
Zone: Glacial zone and all preceding zones

Day 7 starts at midnight with hot tea, biscuits and a long, zigzagging hike up the heavy scree covering the steep slopes of Kibo. The going is slow and very tough. You will need to dig deep and ensure you maintain a consistent pace to push yourself up to the crater rim.

After about 3 to 5 hours of hiking, you will reach Stella Point (5,739 meters), where you will have a chance to rest and watch dawn break across the Tanzanian landscape. It is a good idea to have some hot tea or hot chocolate at this point as you will need to muster the energy to continue for another 45 minutes to 1 hour around and up the crater rim to Uhuru Peak (5,895 meters). Remember to keep your momentum moving forward, one step at a time. Take as many pictures as possible, then head back to Barafu Camp for a 1-hour rest, then Mweka Camp.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• On Mt Kilimanjaro

+2 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

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

Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate

Distance: 9km / 5.5 miles
Trekking time: 3 to 5 hours
Zone: Rainforest

The final day on the mountain is short but nonetheless tiring. Your body will be exhausted, and your knees will likely be sore from the previous day’s descent. Go slowly and enjoy the wonderful rainforest scenery as you head towards Mweka Gate (1,640 meters).

At the gate, you will need to sign out with the authorities and receive your certificate, either for Stella Point or for Uhuru Peak.

It is customary to tip your trekking team before you depart for your hotel or airport in Arusha.

Main Destination:

Arusha (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

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

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