MOUNT KILIMANJARO TREK
7-Day Lemosho Route
A Remote, Scenic Climb via the Western Approach
The Lemosho Route is a newer route — more remote, and possibly more beautiful, but a bit longer and slightly more expensive. It starts on the western side of the mountain at the Londorossi Gate, a further drive from town, and was introduced as an alternative to the Shira Route. After beautiful forests and moorlands, it crosses the Shira Plateau on day 3 to connect with the Machame Route at Lava Tower, then down toward Barranco Valley via the Southern Circuit. You may be lucky enough to see buffalo, elephant, and other wildlife along the way. Because this route can be done over a longer period for acclimatization, it has a higher summit success rate.
DURATION
7 or 8 Days
DIFFICULTY
Medium
SCENERY
Excellent
TRAFFIC
High
Trip At A Glance
Day 0
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 0
Welcome To Tanzania
Thank you for choosing Chagga Village, a local tour company in Moshi, Tanzania. Make yourself at home and enjoy your African adventure with us. Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, a Chagga Village representative will meet you and transfer you to your overnight accommodation at Chanya Lodge (bed & breakfast). Your head guide will meet you for a briefing, a gear check, and to arrange any equipment you may need to hire.
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
ARRIVALArrival — Kilimanjaro International Airport
Overnight at Chanya Lodge, Moshi (bed & breakfast).DAY 1Lemosho Gate → Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree) Camp
Departing from Moshi, a 45-minute drive will take you through welcoming mountainside villages to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate. You'll wait for your permits to be issued while watching the crews prepare for the journey ahead. Enjoy the beautiful rainforest scenery and winding trails while your guide tells you about the local plants, animals, and wildlife. At these lower elevations, the trail can be muddy and slippery — we recommend gaiters and trekking poles here.NOTEAltitude gained: 396mDISTANCE
4.8km / 3mi
DURATION
3–4 hrs
TERRAIN
Rainforest
ELEVATION
2,389m → 2,785m
DAY 2Mti Mkubwa Camp → Shira 2 Camp
After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, you'll emerge from the rainforest and continue on an ascending path. You'll leave the forest behind now, and the trail climbs steadily with wide views, reaching the rim of the Shira Plateau as temperatures begin to drop.NOTEAltitude gained: 1,110mDISTANCE
7km / 5mi
DURATION
6–8 hrs
TERRAIN
Moorland
ELEVATION
2,785m → 3,895m
DAY 3Shira 2 Camp → Lava Tower → Barranco Camp
Although you end the day around the same elevation as when you began, this day is very important for acclimatization. From the Shira Plateau, you'll continue east up a ridge, passing the junction toward Kibo Peak, then continue southeast toward Lava Tower, known as the “Shark's Tooth” (elevation 4,650m). Shortly after the tower, you'll reach a second junction that leads to the Arrow Glacier. From there, you'll descend to overnight at Barranco Camp.NOTEAltitude gained: 91mDISTANCE
10.1km / 6mi
DURATION
5–7 hrs
TERRAIN
Semi-Desert
ELEVATION
3,895m → 3,986m
DAY 4Barranco Camp → Karanga Camp
After breakfast, you'll continue up a steep ridge along the adventurous Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley and the junction that connects with the Mweka Trail. This is one of the most impressive days to watch the power, agility, and strength of your crew as they move over this wall with apparent ease. Overnight at Karanga Camp.NOTEAltitude gained: 48mDISTANCE
5.2km / 3mi
DURATION
4–5 hrs
TERRAIN
Alpine Desert
ELEVATION
3,986m → 4,034m
DAY 5Karanga Camp → Barafu Camp
You'll continue up toward Barafu Camp. Once you arrive, you'll have completed the South Circuit, which offers a variety of breathtaking views of the summit from many different angles. An early dinner and rest follow as you prepare for summit night. Overnight at Barafu Camp.NOTEAltitude gained: 628mDISTANCE
3.3km / 2mi
DURATION
4–5 hrs
TERRAIN
Alpine Desert
ELEVATION
4,034m → 4,662m
DAY 6Barafu Camp → Summit (Uhuru Peak) → Mweka Camp
Excitement builds as morning comes with an early start, between midnight and 2 a.m. — the most mentally and physically challenging part of the trek. You'll continue toward the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers, staying warm and focused on the accomplishment ahead. Moving in a switchback pattern toward the northwest, you'll ascend through heavy scree toward Stella Point on the crater rim, where you'll be rewarded with a magnificent sunrise. From there, the remaining hour-long ascent to Uhuru Peak is likely to include snow. Congratulations — one step at a time, you'll reach Uhuru Peak, the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the entire continent of Africa. After photos and celebrations, you'll begin the steep descent down to Mweka Camp, stopping at Barafu for lunch and a brief rest. We recommend gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel and volcanic ash on the way down. A well-deserved rest awaits for your last evening on the mountain.NOTEElevation: 4,662m → 5,895m (gained 1,233m), then descending to 3,106m (lost 2,789m). Overnight at Mweka Camp.ASCENT
5km / 3mi · 5–7 hrs
DESCENT
11.5km / 7.1mi · 5–6 hrs
TERRAIN
Glaciers, Snow-Capped Summit
SUMMIT ELEVATION
5,895m
DAY 7Mweka Camp → Mweka Gate → Moshi
After breakfast and a heartfelt ceremony of appreciation with your crew, it's time to say goodbye. You'll continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. As the weather warms up, the terrain becomes wet, muddy, and steep, so we recommend gaiters and trekking poles. From the gate, a vehicle will meet you at Mweka village and drive you back to your hotel in Moshi (about 30 minutes) for a well-earned hot shower, dinner, and celebrations.NOTEAltitude lost: 1,473m. Overnight at a hotel in Moshi (bed & breakfast), before your onward journey home, on safari, or to Zanzibar.DISTANCE
9.1km / 5.7mi
DURATION
3–4 hrs
TERRAIN
Rainforest
ELEVATION
3,106m → 1,633m
DEPARTUREDeparture
Today you'll be transferred to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight home.
What's Included / What's Not Included
What's Included
Crew
- ✓ Lead guide(s) and assistant guide(s) for groups of 2 or more
- ✓ English-speaking guides, trained as Wilderness First Responders
- ✓ Cook, porters, and equipment, including personal client luggage (15kg per client)
- ✓ A porter-to-client ratio of 3–4 to 1
Equipment
- ✓ 2-inch foam sleeping mat and pillow
- ✓ Walk-in dining tent, table, and backed chairs
- ✓ Wash basins with hot water each morning and evening
Food & Drink
- ✓ Three meals a day, plus an afternoon snack during the trek
- ✓ Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options on request
- ✓ Treated drinking water (minimum 3L per day while trekking, with more available at camp)
- ✓ Coffee and tea during the trek
Health & Safety
- ✓ Pulse oximeter and altitude sickness checklists
- ✓ First aid kit and emergency oxygen
Preparation & Fees
- ✓ Kilimanjaro National Park fees and VAT
- ✓ Camping/hut, rescue, conservation, and other taxes
- ✓ Fair and sustainable crew wages
- ✓ Pre-trek briefing with your guide
Accommodation & Transfers
- ✓ Round-trip airport transfer between Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and Moshi
- ✓ Round-trip transfer between Moshi and the park gate
- ✓ Hotel stays in Moshi before and after the trek (2 nights total, bed & breakfast)
What's Not Included
- ✗ Gratuities and tips
- ✗ Personal trekking gear, such as a sleeping bag and clothing
- ✗ Favorite beverages (soda and alcohol at hotels)
- ✗ Additional accommodation or meals resulting from an early descent
- ✗ Tanzania entry visa
- ✗ Travel insurance
- ✗ Domestic or international flights
- ✗ Personal expenses
- ✗ Personal hire gear, such as trekking poles or sleeping bags
- ✗ Personal spending money for souvenirs, etc.
Ethical Climbing
At Chagga Village, we believe the tourism industry has both an obligation and a real opportunity to protect the world's natural habitats, cultural heritage sites, and communities. We actively support environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
As a responsible travel company, we help raise public awareness around the fair treatment of porters on Kilimanjaro, and support fair salaries, proper equipment, food, clothing, and sleeping conditions for our crew.
Every climb is reviewed to make sure crew members receive fair salaries, tips, food, equipment, and sleeping conditions. We're proud of that, and our clients are too — check out our TripAdvisor page to see what people are saying about us.
Recommended Tipping Guide
Tipping is customary on Mount Kilimanjaro for all members of your mountain crew. Although they receive a fair wage, tips make up an important part of their total compensation. Industry recommendations are about $20 a day for the guide, $15 a day for the assistant guide, $12 a day for the cook, and $8 a day for each porter, shared among everyone on the trip.
NOTETo keep tipping fair and transparent, there's a tipping ceremony at the Chagga Village office after your descent, with envelopes provided for each crew member.
All quotations are based on double occupancy, both for pre- and post-trek accommodation and on the trek itself. A single supplement fee applies if you'd like a single room for your pre- and post-trek accommodation.
Know Before You Go
We're completely flexible and happy to customize your trip to suit your time, budget, and interests — just let us know what you have in mind.
