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Overview
The honest versionLemosho approaches from the remote western side of Kilimanjaro. You enter at Londorossi Gate, spend the first day in old, wet rainforest with a real chance of seeing colobus monkeys, then climb onto the Shira Plateau, a wide cold shelf that was once a volcano of its own. From there the route swings round the south of the mountain and joins the Machame trail before the summit push from Barafu Camp.
Three things set it apart. Time: eight days gives your body room to adjust, and every extra day above 3,000 m means more red blood cells carrying oxygen. The Lava Tower day: climbing to 4,630 m for lunch and sleeping lower at Barranco is the classic "climb high, sleep low" and has turned many would-be turn-backs into summiters. Quiet: for the first two or three days you will barely see another group.
It is not technical. No ropes, no climbing gear. It is a high-altitude walk-up, and the difficulty is the length of the days and the cold, long summit night.
Best for. First-time high-altitude trekkers who want the strongest odds of reaching the summit and can spare eight days on the mountain.
Worth knowing. The 7-day version drops success to roughly 75–80%. We do not recommend shortening it to save a day: if you are short on time, choose a 7-day Machame instead.
Day by day
One camp at a time-
Day 1
Londorossi Gate to Mti Mkubwa Camp
- Starts at2,250 m
- Sleep2,780 m
- Walking3–4 hrs
- ZoneRainforest
After the morning transfer and park paperwork at the gate, you walk through old, wet montane forest. It is beautiful (colobus monkeys, turacos, the smell of wet bark) and almost always muddy, so gaiters earn their place.
Camp is called Big Tree, Mti Mkubwa in Swahili. The tents are already up and hot tea is waiting. This is when most climbers realise how hard the crew has been working.
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Day 2
Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1 Camp
- Starts at2,780 m
- Sleep3,500 m
- Walking5–6 hrs
- ZoneForest to heath
The trees shrink and the ground opens up. By afternoon you are on the Shira Ridge with Kibo in front of you for the first time. Some climbers feel slightly short of breath on the uphill sections: that is normal. Walk slowly and drink.
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Day 3
Shira 1 to Shira 2 Camp
- Starts at3,500 m
- Sleep3,850 m
- Walking3–4 hrs
- ZoneMoorland
A short, gentle day across the Shira Plateau, deliberately kept easy as a recovery day. Spend the afternoon on a short walk above camp and admire the giant lobelia and senecio, which look like something from another planet in the afternoon mist.
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Day 4
Shira 2 to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp
- Starts at3,850 m
- Sleep3,960 m
- Walking6–8 hrs
- ZoneAlpine desert
The acclimatisation day. You climb steadily to Lava Tower at 4,630 m and eat lunch in the cold. A headache and mild nausea are common here.
Then you walk down to Barranco, and within twenty minutes your head clears and your appetite returns. That contrast is the point: your body has now met 4,600 m and will remember it on summit night.
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Day 5
Barranco Wall to Karanga Camp
- Starts at3,960 m
- Sleep3,995 m
- Walking4–5 hrs
- ZoneAlpine desert
The Barranco Wall looks intimidating from camp but is a scramble over rocks with both hands free, no ropes. The porters carry their loads over it and will probably overtake you. At the Kissing Rock, take your pack off and pass it through.
You arrive at Karanga by lunchtime. Rest this afternoon.
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Day 6
Karanga to Barafu Camp
- Starts at3,995 m
- Sleep4,673 m
- Walking3–4 hrs
- ZoneAlpine desert
A short day at high altitude. Barafu means "ice" in Swahili and the camp has earned the name: exposed, windy and cold. Eat early, listen to the summit briefing and try to sleep. You leave around midnight.
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Day 7
Summit night: Uhuru Peak to Millennium Camp
- Starts at4,673 m
- Sleep3,950 m
- Walking12–15 hrs
- ZoneSummit and descent
This is the day. You walk by headlamp at a pace that feels far too slow at the start and exactly right by 4 am. At dawn you reach Stella Point (5,756 m) as the sun rises over Mawenzi, then follow the crater rim for 45 to 90 minutes to Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m.
You have about fifteen minutes at the top, then you turn round. The descent is the part people forget to prepare for. You rest at Barafu and continue down to Millennium Camp, where the air is thicker and everything feels human again.
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Day 8
Millennium Camp to Mweka Gate
- Starts at3,950 m
- Sleep1,640 m
- Walking4–6 hrs
- ZoneRainforest
The last walk, down through the forest to Mweka Gate, where your certificate is handed over (gold for Uhuru Peak, green for Stella Point). The crew gathers to say goodbye, then it is back to Arusha for a hot shower and a long sleep.
Day 4 and day 7 decide your climb. If you handle the Lava Tower descent comfortably and sleep at least a little at Barafu, your odds are good. If you struggle badly on day 4, your guide will talk to you that evening about whether to continue.
How it compares
Choose with confidenceThe mountain is not technical: the challenge is altitude. In our experience each extra day on the mountain adds roughly 10% to your chance of reaching the summit.
| Route | Days | Summit success | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemosho | 7–8 | 90–95% on 8 days | Best overall if you have the time. |
| Machame | 6–7 | 85–90% on 7 days | Scenic and popular. Take the 7-day version. |
| Northern Circuit | 9 | 90–95% | The quietest trails and the best odds. |
| Rongai | 6–7 | 80–85% on 7 days | Dry and quiet. Good outside the main season. |
| Marangu | 5–6 | 50–60% on 5 days | Huts instead of tents. Add the extra night. |
What is included
No surprisesEvery quote lists park fees, crew, meals, equipment and transfers line by line, so you know exactly what you are paying for.
Included
- Park fees, camping or hut fees and rescue fees
- Certified mountain guide, assistant guides, cook and porters
- All meals on the mountain and drinking water
- Tents, sleeping mats, mess tent and cooking equipment
- Pulse oximeter checks and a first-aid kit carried by the guide
- Transfers between Arusha and the trailhead
- Two nights in Arusha, before and after the climb
Not included
- International flights and visa
- Travel insurance covering trekking to 6,000 m (compulsory)
- Personal equipment and sleeping bag (rental available)
- Tips for the mountain crew
- Portable oxygen or personal porter, if requested
For a 7-day Lemosho climb, park fees alone come to roughly $956 per person, completely separate from guide, porter, food and equipment costs. We calculate them for you and include them in the quoted price.
Park fees, itemised How tipping works
Altitude
The only real obstacleYou cannot train altitude, buy it, or will your way through it. But you can prepare for it, recognise it and respect it. Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is the body reacting to lower oxygen pressure, and most climbers feel a mild version of it.
Mild AMS: normal, manageable
- A headache that responds to ibuprofen or paracetamol
- Feeling slightly nauseous, not wanting to eat much
- Trouble sleeping
- Mild dizziness when standing up quickly
You stay on the mountain: drink more, eat what you can and slow down. It usually clears within 24 hours.
Moderate to severe AMS: descend now
- A headache that does not respond to painkillers
- Repeated vomiting
- Trouble walking in a straight line
- Confusion, slurred speech or unusual behaviour
- Gurgling breath or breathlessness at rest
If any of these appear, your guide descends with you immediately, with no discussion. The mountain will still be here next year.
Our guides check oxygen saturation twice a day, carry a first-aid kit, and follow one rule: if a guide judges that you must descend, you descend. Portable oxygen can be added on request. Tell your guide how you feel, every time you are asked.
Fitness
Be honest with yourselfYou do not need to be an athlete, but you do need to be ready to walk for 6 to 8 hours a day on uneven ground, several days in a row, and to sleep in a cold tent afterwards.
8 to 12 weeks before you fly
- Three or four cardio sessions a week: running, cycling or swimming
- One long hike every weekend, building from 2 to 7 hours with a loaded daypack
- Stair work twice a week. The descent is what hurts knees, so train them
- Squats, lunges, core and calf strength
- One back-to-back hiking weekend before you travel, then taper in the last week
We have guided climbers from 14 to 71 years old. Fitness matters. Attitude matters more. Walking slowly is fine; ignoring your own body is not.
When to climb
Pick your monthKilimanjaro has two dry seasons. Outside them it can be climbed, but the rainforest turns to mud and the summit is more often in cloud.
Our favourite windows: late January to February, and September. Avoid March to May unless you pick Rongai, the driest approach.
What to bring
Layers, not bulkWe send a full gear list after booking and rent out the expensive items (sleeping bag, down jacket, poles), so nobody buys them for one climb. The short version:
Clothing
- Three or four moisture-wicking base layers
- Fleece or softshell mid-layer and an insulated down jacket
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Insulated trousers for summit night
- Warm hat, sun hat, buff, liner gloves and insulated gloves
- Five or six pairs of wool or synthetic socks
- Broken-in waterproof hiking boots and gaiters
Equipment
- Four-season sleeping bag, rated -10°C or lower (rentable)
- Trekking poles and a headlamp with spare batteries
- Daypack of 30 to 40 L and a duffel bag for the porters
- Insulated water bottle or bladder with an insulated tube
- Power bank of 20,000 mAh or more
- Hand warmers for summit night
Health
- Sunscreen SPF 50+ and lip balm
- Wet wipes, hand sanitiser and toilet paper
- Personal medication, including altitude medication if your doctor prescribes it
- Ibuprofen, anti-diarrhoea tablets, blister plasters and electrolyte sachets
The item climbers forget most: an insulated water bottle for summit night. Water freezes in ordinary bottles above 5,000 m, and not drinking is the fastest route to altitude sickness.
Our crew
The people who get you thereThe crew is the reason you summit, not the gear or the route. The people who cook your food, carry your water and check on you at 4,800 m deserve to be treated as the professionals they are.
- Porters and guides are paid fairly, and we explain how on request
- Porter loads stay within the 20 kg park limit
- Every crew member gets proper meals, a tent, a sleeping mat and warm clothing
- Crew insurance is standard, including emergency evacuation
- Tips are shared openly, and you are welcome to watch the handover at the gate
The best moment of any climb is not the summit photo. It is shaking the hand of every porter at the gate and thanking them by name.
Safety
Prepared for the worstKilimanjaro is a serious mountain. We take safety quietly and constantly, because we have seen what happens when operators do not.
On every climb
- Pulse oximeter readings twice a day for every climber
- A first-aid kit carried by the guide
- Radio or phone contact with our Arusha office
- A clear descent plan, and the authority to use it
Before you arrive
- Travel insurance that covers trekking to 6,000 m. Most standard policies do not, and it is compulsory on our climbs
- Emergency evacuation cover
- A medical check if you are over 60 or have any heart or breathing history
- A conversation with your doctor about altitude medication
Questions
Asked every weekFor most first-time climbers, yes: it balances scenery, success rate, crowds and time. The only route we rate equally is the Northern Circuit, which is longer and costs more.
It usually combines two camps into one, which cuts acclimatisation time. In our experience success drops from around 90–95% to 75–80%. The saving rarely justifies the risk of failing.
Choose Lemosho if you can spare the extra day and want fewer people on the trail for the first half. Choose Machame if you cannot. Both are excellent and they share the same trail from day 4.
Very quiet for the first two or three days. It gets busier after the routes merge near Lava Tower and on the Southern Circuit.
The climb itself takes 5 to 9 days depending on the route. Add a day to arrive and rest in Arusha before you start, and a day at the end. Most climbers plan 8 to 12 days door to door.
Yes. No technical skills or ropes are needed. You must be reasonably fit and train for at least eight weeks. We have taken plenty of first-time hikers to the summit, and plenty of marathon runners who underestimated the altitude have turned back.
Nights at high camp drop to about -10°C. On summit night, with wind chill, expect -20°C or colder. Good layering matters more than thick layers.
Better than most people expect. Our cook prepares three hot meals a day, with porridge, eggs and fruit for breakfast, a hot lunch and a three-course dinner. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and halal diets are fine with notice.
There are basic long-drop toilets at every camp, and a private toilet tent can be arranged. There is no electricity, so bring a large power bank and keep batteries in your sleeping bag overnight, because cold drains them quickly.
Your guide descends with you straight away. Reaching Stella Point or Gilman's Point earns a green certificate and Uhuru Peak a gold one. Turning back is a decision made in your interest, never a failure.
Very often, and we recommend the safari first so you start the mountain rested. If you climb first, we build in at least two rest days before the safari.
Compare the other routes
Not sure this is the right one? Every route has its own character.