- 8 Days
- 7 Nights
Lemosho Route
Sketch
Mandara Hut, Horombo Hut, Kibo Hut, Uhuru Peak
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Londorossi Gate (2,200 m) → Big Tree Camp (2,600 m)
Your journey begins with a scenic drive from Moshi through the rolling foothills to Londorossi Gate, where park rangers welcome you to Kilimanjaro National Park. After registration, you plunge into a verdant Montane Rainforest, where shafts of sunlight dance through oak and camphor trees.
The chorus of turacos and colobus monkeys serenades your 3–4-hour trek, which culminates at Big Tree Camp. Here, pitched among ancient tree ferns and giant heathers, you’ll sip hot tea and savor your first mountain sunset.
Day 2: Big Tree Camp → Shira 1 Camp (3,505 m)
Exiting the forest canopy, you climb onto the windswept Shira Plateau, an ancient lava flow that feels like another world. Along the 6–7-hour trail, giant lobelias and groundsel dot the grasslands, and panoramic views of Kibo’s glaciated summit cone emerge.
Arriving at Shira 1 Camp, you’ll be greeted by soft high-altitude breezes and suffused with rose-gold twilight, the perfect backdrop for an evening of storytelling and gentle acclimatization.
Day 3: Shira 1 Camp → Shira 2 Camp (3,845 m)
Today’s short, strategic ascent (3–4 hours) to Shira 2 Camp lets your body adjust to the thinning air. The terrain here straddles the boundary between heath and the alpine desert fringe: cracked volcanic soil interspersed with magnificent rock outcrops.
You’ll wander among the Lent Hills’ twisted boulders, pausing for photos of distant Mawenzi and the sheer drop toward the Kenyan plains. A leisurely afternoon by your tent refines your summit-success strategy.
Day 4: Shira 2 Camp → Lava Tower (4,630 m) → Barranco Camp (3,950 m)
Implementing the acclaimed “climb high, sleep low” strategy, you ascend to Lava Tower, a dramatic volcanic plug streaked with ochre and rust.
After a nourishing lunch at 4,630 m, you descend below the Barranco Valley to camp at Barranco Camp, nestled in an amphitheater of towering cliffs. As twilight deepens, the valley’s sheer walls glow amber—an unforgettable sight that underscores Kilimanjaro’s geologic grandeur.
Day 5: Barranco Camp → Karanga Camp (4,035 m)
Following breakfast, you tackle the Barranco Wall—a 100 m scramble that feels more like an alpine playground than a mountain trail. Handholds are plentiful, and your guide’s encouragement turns each ledge into an exhilarating conquest.
Beyond the Wall, the path crosses the stark Alpine Desert Zone, unfurling sweeping crater-rim vistas. By early afternoon you arrive at Karanga Camp, where you’ll rest and review gear for the imminent summit push.
Day 6: Karanga Camp → Barafu Camp (4,640 m)
Today’s 3–4-hour trek delivers you to Barafu Camp, the desolate moonscape high camp that foreshadows your nocturnal summit bid. On the way, you’ll pass glacial moraine fields and windswept scree, with Mount Meru’s silhouette rising in the distance.
Afternoon is devoted to layering clothing, sipping warm broth, and calming the mind—a crucial ritual before your midnight departure. Dinner is early; sleep is precious.
Day 7: Barafu Camp → Gilman’s Point (5,685 m) → Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) → Mweka Camp (3,100 m)
At midnight, the summit assault begins under a canopy of stars. The steep, zigzagging scree trail demands focus and steady pacing. By dawn, you’ll stand at Gilman’s Point, where the sun’s first rays hydrate the glacier-tipped crater rim with molten gold.
A final kilometer brings you to Uhuru Peak, Africa’s rooftop, where euphoria and exhaustion mingle. After summit photos, you descend rapidly—first back to Barafu for a quick brunch, then through heath and forest to Mweka Camp, where you celebrate over hot soup and stories beneath the mountain’s watchful gaze.
Day 8: Mweka Camp → Mweka Gate (1,640 m) → Transfer to Moshi
Your final morning unfolds at a gentle pace, with a 3–4-hour descent through fragrant Montane Forest alive with orchids and monkey pods. Emerging at Mweka Gate, you’re awarded a summit certificate—green for Gilman’s Point, gold for Uhuru Peak—before boarding the transfer back to Moshi. As the town’s warmth returns, you’ll carry with you fresh memories of an eight-day odyssey: from tropical rainforest to Arctic summit, each step a testament to your perseverance and Kilimanjaro’s timeless grandeur.
BOOK THIS TOUR NOW
Includes
- Full Board Accommodation for 5 nights on safari incl. breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Unlimited Mileage with excellent 4x4 Safari Vehicle with professional English-Speaking driver guide
- Park Entry Fee for all National Park mentioned on the itinerary
- Mineral Water in the Safari Vehicle for 6 days
- Activities, Morning walk at Lake Burunge, Manyara Treetop walk away and Olduvai Gorge visit
Excludes
- All items of personal nature e.g. telephone call bills, fax/email bills etc.
- Visa and Drones
- Tips and gratuities to hotel, lodges, camp staff and driver- guide(s).
- International flight and departure taxes.
- Laundry services.
- Any other item of personal nature.
Related Trekking Route
Marangu Route Trekking
known as the “Coca-Cola Route,”is a popular route on Mount Kilimanjaro
Machame Route Trekking
also known as the “Whiskey Route”,is a popular, yet challenging, trekking route
