7-Day Lemosho Route Itinerary

The Lemosho route can be climbed in a few as 6 days and up to 8 days.  The most common itinerary for the Lemosho route is the 7 day climb.  

Arrival Day

We will gather in the evening at your hotel for an introduction to guide and for a pre-climb briefing, plus an equipment check.  We will also confirm that you have the appropriate medical coverage and travel insurance.

Day 1

Lemosho Route:  Londorossi Gate (2,360 meters / 7,743 feet) to Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,750 meters / 9,023 feet)

• Approximate Hiking Time: 3 hours
• Distance: 5.4 kilometers (3.4 miles)
• Elevation Gain: 390 meters (1,280 feet)
• Habitat: Montane forest

After eating breakfast at your hotel in Moshi Tanzania, your guide will brief you on your climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. You will drive two hours from Moshi to Londorossi Park Gate. In the village near Londorossi Gate, we will receive a packed lunch and can buy mineral water for the first day’s hike.

After lunch the final 45 minutes of the drive leading up to the Londorossi Gate will be on a bumpy forest road requiring 4WD vehicles. At the entrance to Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, the guides and porters will organize the supplies and register with the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA). Note: It typically takes 30 minutes to 1.5 hours for the porters to get sorted and everyone checked into the National park.  We apologize it isn’t faster, but this is Africa and some government procedures take extra time. 

After all the paperwork is finalized, we are ready to begin our climb up Kilimanjaro!  We start with a 3-hour hike into the rain forest. Be on the lookout for Colobus monkeys along the way!

You will stop for an afternoon lunch break and we will arrive at Mti Mkubwa Camp aka “Big Tree Camp” (2750 meters / 9,023 feet) in the early evening. Your Chacha Tours Africa porters will arrive at the campsite early and they will set up all the tents prior to your arrival.  Our porters will also gather and boil water for drinking and have warm water ready for washing.

The chef will prepare a snack like popcorn or something light before preparing your nutritious and delicious dinner.  There will be time to get to know your staff, relax, or play some cards before bedtime.  It is not uncommon for temperatures on Mount Kilimanjaro to drop to freezing at night so make sure you have warm clothes. 

Day 2

Lemosho Route:  Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,750 meters / 9,023 feet) to Shira 2 Camp (3,840 meters / 12,605 feet)

• Approximate Hiking Time: 6.5 hours
• Distance: 8 kilometers (5 miles)
• Elevation Gain: 1,090 meters (3,582 feet)
• Habitat: Moorland

After an early morning breakfast, you will begin your ascent out of the rainforest and into the heather moorland zone - low growing grasses and shrubs in acidic soils. Today there is a fair amount of elevation gain so be prepared for some challenging hiking.  We will cross many small streams and cross over a plateau that leads to Shira 2 Camp (3840 meters / 12,605 feet).  

This is a beautiful campsite and we will be next to a tranquil stream with spectacular views of the Western Breach of Kilimanjaro and its glaciers. If there are clear skies this is a great place for some beautiful photos. 

Similar to the first night, your tents will be ready prior to your arrival at camp and the porters will prepare drinking and warm water for freshening up. You will enjoy evening snacks and a delicious dinner prepared by your chef. Be prepared for a cold night as temperatures almost always drop below freezing at this exposed camp.

Day 3

Lemosho Route: Shira 2 Camp (3,840 meters / 12,605 feet) via Lava Tower (4,630 meters / 15,190 feet) to Barranco Camp (3,950 meters / 12,959 feet)

• Approximate Hiking Time: 7 hours
• Distance: 15 kilometers (9.3 miles)
• Elevation Gain: 790 meters (2,585 feet)
• Elevation Descent: 680 meters (2,231 feet)
• Habitat: Semi-arid desert

Following an early morning breakfast, you will leave the moorland environment and enter the semi-arid desert and rocky landscape. After approximately 5 hours of hiking, we will come face to face with the Lava Tower (4630 meters / 15,190 feet). After reaching the peak of the Lava Tower we will enjoy our packed lunches and adventurous hikers have the option of climbing the massive Lava Tower - weather permitting. At this point of the climb, it is normal for hikers to start feeling the effects from the altitude sickness, shortness of breath, nausea, or headaches.

After lunch, we will descend from Lava Tower (4630 meters / 15,190 feet) to the Barranco Campsite (3950 meters / 12,959 feet). Climbing to a higher elevation and then descending to a lower elevation for sleeping is a great way to acclimatize.  This technique allows our bodies to adjust to the thin air at high altitude and recover at night.

The descent to Barranco camp from Lava Tower will take approximately 2 hours.  Barranco camp is located in a valley below the Breach and the Great Barranco Wall.  At camp you will enjoy warm water for washing upon your arrival.  You will be hungry and we will enjoy a delicious dinner.  If it is a clear evening this is one of the best locations for enjoying a beautiful Tanzanian sunset.

Day 4

Lemosho Route: Barranco Camp (3,950 meters / 12,959 feet) to Karanga Camp (3,950 meters / 12,959 feet)

• Approximate Hiking Time: 4-5 hours
• Distance: 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles)
• Elevation Gain: 725 meters (2,378 feet)
• Elevation Descent: 725 meters (2,378 feet)
• Habitat: Alpine desert

Today is a short hiking day that is designed for extra acclimatization and a day to recuperate you tired legs. After an early morning breakfast, the trek begins by conquering the Great Barranco Wall! Although it may look intimidating at first glance, you will find that this class 2 hike is much easier than it looks. At the top of the Wall, you will have a view of the Heim Glacier and we will be above the clouds. From here the trail continues as we repeatedly go up and down in the Karanga Valley. We will spend the night at Karanga Camp (3,950 meters / 12,959 feet) and enjoy another delicious dinner and washing at the Karanga Camp.

Day 5

Lemosho Route: Karanga Camp (3,950 meters / 12,959 feet) to Barafu Hut / Camp (4,600 meters / 15,091 feet)

• Approximate Hiking Time: 2-3 hours
• Distance: 4 kilometers (2.5 miles)
• Elevation Gain: 650 meters (2,132 feet)
• Habitat: Alpine

After breakfast, we will begin our ascent to the Barafu Hut. The trail intersects with the Mweka Route, which is the trail we will use to descend after summiting Kilimanjaro.  

As we continue hiking on the Mweka Route for another hour or so, we will reach the Barafu camp. You will really appreciate how hard your porters are working because they will have to carry all the water for cooking and drinking from the Karanga Camp, which is a 3-hour hike and 650 meters / 2133 feet climb.  Unfortunately, there is no accessible water at the Barafu Camp on Mount Kilimanjaro.

The word “barafu” in Swahili means ice and this camp is located on a rocky, exposed ridge. Tents will be exposed to the wind and surrounded by rocks.  It is very important for all hikers to familiarize themselves with the campsite before dark to avoid getting lost.  An early dinner will be served so hikers can rest up before attempting the summit.

Your guide will brief you in details on how to prepare for your Kilimanjaro summit attempt. Depending on how fast you hike will depend on when you will need to wake up in the evening of your summit attempt.  This is a very cold campsite and it is often difficult to sleep at this elevation.  Please try your best to rest as much as possible as tonight we will be going to sleep early!

Day 6

Lemosho Route: Mount Kilimanjaro Summit attempt from Barafu Camp (4,600 meters / 15,091 feet) to Summit Uhuru Peak (5,895 meters / 19,341 feet) to Mweka Camp (3,100 meters / 10,170 feet)

• Approximate Hiking Time: 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak, 7-8 hours to descend to Mweka Camp
• Distance: 7 kilometers ascent (4.34 miles ascent) then 23 kilometers descent (14.3 miles descent)
• Elevation Gain: 1,295 meters (4,250 feet)
• Elevation Descent:  2,795 meters (9,171 feet)
• Habitat: Stone scree, sometimes snow-covered, and ice-capped summit

Your Chacha Tours Africa guide will wake you around 23:30 (11:30 PM) for tea and biscuits. You will then begin your Kilimanjaro summit attempt. The route heads northwest and you will slowly ascend over stone scree.

During the summit attempt, many climbers feel that this is the most mentally and physically challenging part of the climb. This summit day can be very cold and it is normal to feel the effects of the high altitude. 

After hiking for about 6 hours, you will reach the rim of the crater called Stella Point (5,685 meters / 18,651 feet). After enjoying a magnificent sunrise, you will continue ascending for about 2 more hours on a snow-covered trail to the summit of Kilimanjaro called Uhuru Peak (5,895 meters / 19,341 feet).

If successful, you will reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, which is an incredible accomplishment! We will be able to spend a short time here taking photographs and drinking tea before descending back to Barafu Camp. The hike down to Barafu Camp typically takes about 3 hours.

At camp, you will enjoy some much-earned rest and feast on a hot lunch prepared by your chef. After eating and resting, you will continue descending to the Mweka Hut (3100 meters / 10,179 feet). The Mweka Trail will lead you through the scree and rocks to the moorland and eventually into the rain forest. You will feel the air getting denser as we descent and you will love the feeling of being able to breathe easy again. 

It is incredible that just a few hours ago you were standing at the summit of Kilimanjaro and now you will be relaxing at the Mweka Camp.  We will share stories with hot tea and celebrate your incredible accomplishment of reaching the Roof of Africa.  You will most definitely rest soundly tonight and your feet will be very sore.

Day 7

Lemosho Route: Mweka Camp (3,100 meters / 10,170 feet) to Mweka Gate (1,980 meters / 6,496 feet)

• Approximate Hiking Time: 2-3 hours
• Distance: 15 kilometers (9.3 miles)
• Elevation Descent: 1,120 meters (3,674 feet)
• Habitat: Rain Forest

Following a hot breakfast, your staff will have a big celebration full of dancing and singing. Now is a good time to present your tips to the guides, assistant guides, chef(s), and porters. After celebrating, you will descend for three hours back to the Mweka Gate. The Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Authority requires all hikers to sign their names before receiving certificates of completion. Climbers who reached Stella Point (5,685 meters / 18,651 feet) will receive green certificates and climbers who reached the summit of Uhuru Peak (5,895 meters / 19,341 feet) will receive gold certificates. After receiving your certificates, we will continue the short descent into the Mweka village, which is about a 1-hour hike (3 kilometers / 1.86 miles). We will eat a hot lunch and then drive back to the hotel for a long overdue shower and possibly more celebrations of your successful summit of Mount Kilimanjaro!

Download a PDF version of the 7-Day Lemosho Route itinerary for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro