8 Days Kilimanjaro Hike Vs Lemosho Route
The Lemosho Route is one of the most beautiful and scenic trails to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. It offers a longer and more gradual ascent, which gives trekkers an amazing opportunity to acclimatize well while taking in the vast array of landscapes—from lush rainforests to alpine desert and snow-capped summit.
Our 8-day Kilimanjaro hike package provides a once-in-a-lifetime experience while ensuring comfort, safety, and consultation with professional guides that will assist you on the way to Uhuru Peak (5895 m), the Roof of Africa.
8 Days Kilimanjaro Hike vs. Lemosho Route Highlights.
Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport – Transfer to Hotel in Arusha.
Day 2: Lemosho Gate (2100 m) – Big Tree Camp (2780 m).
Day 3: Big Tree Camp to Shira 1 Camp (3,500 m).
Day 4: Shira 1 Camp to Moir Camp (4200 m)
Day 5: Moir Camp to Barranco Camp (3,960 m).
Day 6: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp (4,035 m).
Day 7: Karanga Camp – Barafu Camp (4,673 m).
Day 8: Barafu Camp, Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), and down to Mweka Camp (3,100 m).
Detailed itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport – Transfer to Hotel in Arusha.
On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be warmly received by our professional team from Nyumbu Beyond Journeys and transferred to your hotel in the lively town of Arusha in the shadow of Mount Meru. After check-in you will then meet your mountain guide, who will provide you with a full briefing about the climb, an opportunity for him to check your trekking gear, and the chance for you to ask any questions you may have.
For the rest of the day, you are free to relax in the hotel, enjoy the hotel’s services, or explore the town. The first night is an opportunity to have a good rest before the big adventure begins!
Day 2: Lemosho Gate (2100 m) – Big Tree Camp (2780 m).
After breakfast, you’ll then drive to the Lemosho Gate on the western slopes of Kilimanjaro; it is about a 3-to-4-hour drive through local villages and scenic countryside. Upon arriving at the gate, you will register with the park authorities and then meet your porters and cooks and begin your hike through the montane forest.
The hike on this first day is easy with a good chance of seeing monkeys, birds, and possibly small antelopes. By late afternoon, you will arrive at Big Tree Camp (2850 m), where your tents will already be set up. Dinner will be served under the forest canopy, and you will spend your first night on the mountain with the sounds of the bush around you.
Day 3: Big Tree Camp to Shira 1 Camp (3,500 m).
After breakfast, you begin your ascent out of the forest and into the heather and moorland zone. The trail begins as you gain altitude, and the views open up to the beautiful Shira Ridge and the plains below.
By the afternoon, you will arrive at Shira 1 Camp, situated on a moderate slope with stunning views of the area. It is now, however, that you will begin to experience high altitude for real, and it is a lovely setting to watch the sun set behind Mt. Meru.
Day 4: Shira 1 Camp to Moir Camp (4200 m)
Wake up early in the morning and enjoy breakfast, and then we will hike across the stunning Shira Plateau, one of the most gorgeous areas on Kilimanjaro. The terrain is relatively flat, making it a nice, easy day for acclimatization purposes, with enough time to enjoy fascinating volcanic rock formations and open moorland with beautiful plants, including giant lobelias and others.
After some hours, you will reach Moir Camp, situated at the base of a large lava ridge. You will have lunch and then go for a short acclimatization hike above camp before you descend and have dinner and sleep.
Day 5: Moir Camp to Barranco Camp (3,960 m).
After breakfast we will start to trek towards Lava Tower (4,600 m), a large rock outcrop formed by the volcanic process, where we will have lunch. The section of the day is formatted as a part of the acclimatization process for your body to adapt to a higher altitude.
After Lava Tower, we descend into the spectacular Barranco Valley, packed with giant groundsels and fantastic views of the Western Breach. This descent helps your body to adjust more effectively to the altitude in accordance with the “climb high, sleep low” principle. Then by late afternoon we arrive at Barranco Camp for dinner and a comfortable evening.
Day 6: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp (4,035 m).
Today’s climbing begins with the infamous Barranco Wall. A little scramble to get onto the trail, safe and exhilarating. You will climb to one of the best vantage points at this elevation without travelling too high. At the top of the wall we will hike along ridges and through valleys to reach Karanga Camp.
This is a relatively short day, so there is time for a rest and lunch, then an acclimatization hike in the afternoon. Karanga offers stunning views, including the southern Kibo glaciers.
Day 7: Karanga Camp – Barafu Camp (4,673 m).
After breakfast, you will continue ascending towards Barafu Camp, the base for your summit attempt, where the landscape becomes barren and rocky enough to make you feel like you are on another planet (for better or worse).
When you arrive at Barafu, you will eat lunch and rest while your guides prepare you for the midnight ascent to Uhuru Peak. Dinner will be served early, followed by an early bedtime of around 7 PM so you can get a few hours of sleep ahead of the summit push.
Day 8: Barafu Camp, Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), and down to Mweka Camp (3,100 m).
This is the day of your trek you have been eagerly anticipating but also the most demanding of your adventure. You will wake in the early hours, around midnight perhaps, to begin your final ascent to Uhuru Peak, climbing scree and ice while the temperature is below freezing. You should take steady and slow steps in order to be at Stella Point (5,756 m) to watch and enjoy an awe-inspiring sunrise. From there, it will be an even shorter hike around the rim of the crater to Uhuru Peak, the highest point of Africa.
After your celebration and taking some time to get a few photos, you will start your descent to Mweka Camp, where you will stop at Barafu for breakfast. After breakfast, you will have a long walk down, taking you through the different ecological zones until you reach the forest again.
End of 8 Days Kilimanjaro Hike Vs Lemosho Route
Package inclusions.
– Airport transfers.
– Two nights in Arusha hotel (before and after the climb)
– Park entrance fees and government taxes
– Professional English-speaking mountain guides, cooks, and porters
– All meals during the trek (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
– Drinking water and hot beverages on the mountain
– Camping equipment (Tents, chairs, tables, and mattresses)
Package exclusions.
– International and domestic flights
– Tanzania entry visa
– Personal climbing gear (sleeping bags, boots, poles,)
– Travel and medical insurance
– Tips for guides, cooks, and porters
– Additional hotel stays before or after the climb.
– Alcohol and personal expenses
