The Lemosho Route approaches Kilimanjaro from the remote west, starting at Londorossi Gate, crossing the wide Shira Plateau, and joining the Machame Route at Lava Tower and the Barranco Valley for the push to the summit. It sees far less traffic than Machame for its first three days, with a genuinely good chance of buffalo or elephant sign in the forest on Day 1.
This 6-day version is the compressed "for pro" itinerary: it skips the overnight at Shira 1 Camp, covering Mti Mkubwa to Shira 2 in one long day across the plateau (around 14 km, 6-8 hours), and it skips Karanga Camp the same way our 6-Day Machame Route Climb does, covering Barranco to Barafu in a single long day (around 9 km, 6-8 hours). That's two demanding days either side of the Lava Tower crossing, suited to fit, experienced trekkers who are comfortable with long days and want the scenery and lower traffic of Lemosho without adding extra nights. Trekkers who'd prefer a more gradual pace, with Shira 1 restored as its own night, should look at our 7-Day Lemosho Route Climb.
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| 1 person $2,529 Per person for 2 people $1982 Per person for 3 people $1870 Per person for 4+ people $1758 |
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Your SafariBando representative meets you at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and transfers you to your hotel in Moshi. In the evening, your mountain guide runs through the route, weather expectations, and a full equipment check, so any missing gear can be rented locally before you set off.
Distance: Airport transfer, approx. 45 minutes
Activity: Arrival, equipment check and pre-climb briefing
Accommodation: Hotel in Moshi
Meals: Dinner
After breakfast, it's around a 3.5 to 4 hour drive from Moshi around the western side of the mountain to Londorossi Gate (2,250m), with completion of park registration on arrival. The trail enters dense montane forest, home to colobus and blue monkeys, with a genuine chance of buffalo or elephant sign on the path, this side of the mountain sees far fewer climbers than Machame. The walk to Mti Mkubwa ("big tree") Camp is short and gentle, a good first introduction to life on the mountain.
Distance: Approx. 6 km, 3-4 hours walking (plus 3.5-4 hour drive from Moshi)
Activity: Drive to Londorossi Gate, then trek through montane forest
Accommodation: Mti Mkubwa Camp (tented camp, 2,820m)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The longest day before the summit push. The trail climbs out of the forest onto open moorland and crosses the Shira Ridge onto the wide, rolling Shira Plateau, with sweeping views back toward Mount Meru and forward to Kibo's summit dome. Rather than stopping at Shira 1 Camp on the eastern edge of the plateau, this itinerary continues across it to Shira 2 Camp, gaining altitude gradually over a long distance, good acclimatization despite the length of the day.
Distance: Approx. 14 km, 6-8 hours walking
Activity: Long trek across the Shira Plateau, passing Shira 1 to reach Shira 2 Camp
Accommodation: Shira 2 Camp (tented camp, 3,850m)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
From Shira 2, the trail climbs across semi-desert terrain to Lava Tower (4,600m), a striking volcanic plug where you'll stop for lunch, this high-altitude break is a key acclimatization point, putting the 'climb high, sleep low' principle to work before you descend through a dramatic valley of giant senecios to Barranco Camp, sheltered beneath the Barranco Wall. This is also where the Lemosho route joins the Machame route for the remainder of the climb.
Distance: Approx. 8 km, 5-7 hours walking
Activity: Acclimatization stop at Lava Tower, then descend to Barranco Camp
Accommodation: Barranco Camp (tented camp, 3,960m)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The day opens with the Barranco Wall, a steep but non-technical scramble that looks more intimidating than it is, gaining around 300m in roughly an hour. Beyond the wall, the trail undulates across ridges and valleys with constant views of Kibo, descending into and back out of the Karanga Valley, before a final climb across the barren Karanga-Barafu ridge to Barafu Camp, the summit base camp. On this 6-day itinerary the trail continues past Karanga rather than stopping there overnight.
Distance: Approx. 9 km, 6-8 hours walking
Activity: Scramble up the Barranco Wall, then trek via the Karanga Valley to Barafu Camp
Accommodation: Barafu Camp (tented camp, 4,640m)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & early Dinner
After an early dinner and a short rest at Barafu Camp, you depart around midnight. The ascent climbs steep scree switchbacks to Stella Point (5,756m) on the crater rim, then follows the rim to Uhuru Peak (5,895m), usually arriving around sunrise. After photos and a short rest, you descend back through Barafu to Mweka Camp, dropping over 2,700m in altitude on tired legs.
Distance: Approx. 15 km (5 km ascent, 10 km descent), 10-12 hours
Activity: Summit climb to Uhuru Peak via Stella Point, then descent to Mweka Camp
Accommodation: Mweka Camp (tented camp, 3,100m)
Meals: Breakfast (early), Lunch & late snack on return
A final, more gentle descent through rainforest brings you to Mweka Gate, where you'll receive your summit certificate (Gilman's Point or Uhuru Peak certificates are issued depending on your highest point reached). Your driver transfers you back to your hotel in Moshi for a well-earned hot shower, a proper bed, and a celebratory dinner.
Distance: Approx. 8 km, 3-4 hours walking, plus approx. 1.5 hour drive back to Moshi
Activity: Descent to Mweka Gate, summit certificate ceremony, transfer to Moshi
Accommodation: Hotel in Moshi (second night)
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch (on the mountain)
After breakfast, you're free until your transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for your onward flight. If you'd rather not end the trip on the mountain, this is also the natural point to roll straight into a Northern Circuit safari, many climbers combine this climb with our 4-Day Tanzania Lodge Safari to Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro for a full climb-and-safari trip.
Distance: Airport transfer, approx. 45 minutes (or onward to your next safari)
Activity: Free morning, then departure transfer or onward safari
Accommodation: N/A, end of Kilimanjaro programme
Meals: Breakfast
This is the most compressed Lemosho format we offer, and it's noticeably more demanding than our 7-day version. Day 3 (Mti Mkubwa to Shira 2, around 14 km, 6-8 hours) and Day 5 (Barranco to Barafu via Karanga, around 9 km, 6-8 hours) are both long days, and Day 6 is the standard 10-12 hour summit night and descent. We recommend this itinerary for trekkers who are already fit, have hiked multi-day trips before, and are comfortable with consecutive long days at altitude. If that doesn't describe you, the 7-day version is the better choice.
The two main dry windows are late June to October and late December to mid-March, with the most stable weather and clearest views across the Shira Plateau. January and February tend to be slightly warmer. April, May and November are the rainy seasons, the forest sections on Days 1 and 2 become muddier and visibility on the plateau and summit ridge is more often obscured by cloud.
Lemosho generally has a strong summit success rate compared with shorter routes, because Days 2 to 4 gain altitude gradually across the Shira Plateau before the Lava Tower crossing. That said, this 6-day version compresses two of those days, skipping Shira 1 and Karanga as overnight stops, which removes some of that gradual benefit. It typically performs similarly to our 6-Day Machame Route Climb, in the 85 to 90 percent range, rather than matching the higher success rates of our 7-day Lemosho itinerary, which restores the Shira 1 night.
The price covers two nights at a hotel in Moshi (before and after the climb), all park fees, camping fees and rescue fees, a certified English-speaking guide with the required number of porters and a cook, all camping equipment including private tents and a mess tent, all meals on the mountain, and safety equipment including a pulse oximeter and emergency oxygen. International flights, Tanzania visa, travel insurance, alcoholic drinks, tips for the mountain crew and any optional add-ons are not included. See the full "What's included" and "Not included" sections on this page for the complete breakdown.
The first two days are identical, the drive to Londorossi Gate and the short walk to Mti Mkubwa. From there, the 7-day version splits the crossing of the Shira Plateau into two days with a night at Shira 1 Camp in between, then follows the same Lava Tower and Barranco Wall stages as this itinerary before also splitting Barranco-to-Barafu with a night at Karanga. This 6-day version compresses both of those splits into single long days. The route and scenery are the same either way, this version simply covers it in one fewer day, at the cost of two more demanding days.
Both routes join at Lava Tower and follow the same path from Barranco Camp to the summit, so the second half of the climb is identical. Lemosho's first two to three days are on the quieter western side of the mountain, crossing the Shira Plateau from Londorossi Gate, while Machame approaches more directly from the south through Machame Gate. Lemosho is generally considered more scenic and less crowded in its early stages, at a similar price point to the equivalent Machame itinerary.
Most nationalities can obtain a Tanzania tourist visa online via the eTA system before travel, or on arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO). The visa costs USD 50 for most nationalities and USD 100 for US citizens. Yellow fever vaccination is only required if you're arriving from a yellow-fever-endemic country. Malaria prophylactics are recommended for your time at lower altitudes around Moshi. Comprehensive travel insurance covering high-altitude trekking and medical evacuation is required for all climbers, we cannot accept bookings without it.
Your guide carries a pulse oximeter and checks oxygen saturation levels at each camp, along with emergency oxygen for serious cases. Mild altitude symptoms are managed with rest, hydration and, if needed, a controlled descent to a lower camp. For serious cases, porters and guides are trained in stretcher evacuation to the nearest gate, and we can arrange membership with the Flying Doctors Service for air evacuation as part of your booking on request.
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