Kilimanjaro Trekking via Lemosho Route 
8 Day Kilimanjaro Trekking Tour + 2 nights hotel stay
Highlights
Day 1-10 | Tanzania
Day 2
Start: Lemosho Gate (2,385 m)
Finish: Big Tree Camp (2,780 m)
Altitude: ↑ 395 m
Walking Time: 2-3h
Day 3
Start: Big Tree Camp (2,780 m)
Finish: Shira Camp 1 (3,500 m)
Altitude: ↑ 720 m
Walking Time: 4-5h
Day 4
Start: Shira Camp 1 (3,500 m)
Finish: Shira Camp 2 (3,900 m)
Altitude: ↑ 400 m
Walking Time: 3-4h
Day 5
Start: Shira Camp 2 (3,900 m)
Finish: Barranco Camp (3,960 m)
Altitude: ↑ 740 m ↓ 680 m
Walking Time: 6-7h
Day 6
Start: Barranco Camp (3,960 m)
Finish: Karanga Camp (4,035 m)
Altitude: ↑ 75 m
Walking Time: 3-4h
Day 7
Start: Karanga Camp (4,035 m)
Finish: Barafu Camp (4,640 m)
Altitude: ↑ 605 m
Walking Time: 3-4h
Day 8
Start: Barafu Camp (4,640 m)
Finish:
Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) – Mweka Camp (3,080 m)
Altitude: ↑ 1,255 m ↓ 2,815 m
Walking Time: 10-14h
Day 9
Start: Mweka Camp (3,080 m)
Finish: Mweka Gate (1,630 m)
Altitude: ↓ 1,450 m
Walking Time: 2-3h
Facts
Private trekking:
Kilimanjaro via Lemosho Route
Tourcode: E10TKILEMO
From: Arusha
To: Arusha
Min. number to guarantee tour: N/A
Max number of participants: private climb
Departure day: any day of your choice
Price: from 2,790 USD (>6 pax)
Single Supplement: 80 USD (hotel only)
Day 1 Kilimanjaro Airport – Arusha
Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, our driver will be waiting for you. He will take you to Meru View Lodge in Usa River close to Arusha. The rest of the day is for you to relax and prepare for your upcoming trip. You can also visit the town of Arusha (taxi required). In the late afternoon, our Kilimanjaro team will meet you at the lodge to brief you on your upcoming trek and check your equipment.
Dinner
Day 2 Arusha – Lemosho Gate (2,385m) – Big Tree Camp (2,780m)
In the morning you will be taken to Lemosho Gate (2,385m). Here you will be registered by the national park authorities and your trek through a dense rainforest begins. You will enjoy lunch before you set out on the trail through the rainforest. Today’s walk is quite short, thus giving you time to enjoy the lush scenery which will drastically change over the course of your trek. You might even catch a glimpse of the thumbless colobus monkeys sitting in the branches above you. Your dinner and overnight awaits you at the beautiful Big Tree Camp.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 3 Big Tree Camp (2,780m) – Shira Camp 1 (3,500m)
As you walk along the thin trail through the rainforest, you will notice the vegetation becoming scarcer and scarcer until you finally reach moorland filled with lobelia and erica plants. Ascending through rolling hills, you will reach Shira Camp 1 in about 3 to 4 hours. Looking over the Shira Plateau from your camp you will be able to see the unmistakable snow-capped summit of Kibo. A hearty evening meal and a last glimpse at the starry sky will bring the day to a close.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 4 Shira Camp 1 (3,500m) – Shira Camp 2 (3,900m)
Today you will cross Shira Ridge with its rocky ground, low grasses and shrubs. As the terrain is much flatter than the day before, your hike will seem more leisurely and you will enjoy fantastic views of the Great Rift Valley and Mount Meru. Beautiful and distinctive giant lobelias still dot the moor landscape. Walking on ground where lava used to flow you will reach Shira Camp 2, where you will have your evening meal and overnight stay.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 5 Shira Camp 2 (3,900m) – Lava Tower (4,640m) – Barranco Camp (3,960m)
After breakfast you will start your ascent to Lava Tower through a boulder-strewn terrain. In the distance you will see Kibo encouraging you to continue uphill. Reaching Lava Tower, you will rest and allow your body to get used to the higher altitude, after which you continue downwards to Barranco Camp. This method of climbing high but sleeping low allows your body to acclimatize to the differing altitudes and gives you a good idea on how your body react to changes in altitude. Along the way the scenery changes once more and soon you are surrounded by giant senecios and smaller lobelias. After 6 to 7 hours you will reach the beautiful and green Barranco Camp, which offers great views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains. After dinner you will settle in for the night.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 6 Barranco Camp (3,960m) – Karanga Camp (4,035m)
The famous Barranco wall, which is probably the steepest part of the entire route, awaits you after breakfast. Although no technical climbing is necessary, some spots do require you to use your hands for a better grip and to pull yourself up. Your guide will be close by to help you if necessary. After you have pulled yourself around the Kissing Rock you will make your way along the mountain ridge and through the Karanga Valley. You will also pass the last water spot as you finally reach Karanga Camp. After a well-deserved meal, it is off to bed.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 7 Karanga Camp (4,035m) – Barafu Camp (4,640m)
Today you will make your way to Barafu Camp. The landscape is very dry and the ground cracks like glass under your boots. As you make your way through the afro-alpine desert to the rocky Barafu Camp, a sense of excitement sweeps over you as your final stretch is only a few hours away. The Barafu Camp with its rocky scenery allows for a stunning view of Mawenzi Peak and the summit path ahead. After an early dinner and last minute preparation for tomorrow, you will go to bed.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 8 Barafu Camp (4,640m) – Uhuru Peak (5,895m) – Mweka Camp (3,080m)
At around midnight you will be awoken with some hot tea and biscuits in order to get you ready for today’s ascents. You will ascend in a north-westerly direction through heavy scree toward Stella Point, arriving there in about 5 to 7 hours. At Stella Point (5,730m) you may rest if necessary before taking on another 1 to 2 hour stretch along the crater rim to Uhuru Peak – the highlight of your trip. A breath-taking view awaits you as you stand on the highest mountain in Africa. After taking as much pictures as your camera will allow, you will leave behind the glistening glaciers and snowy peak and make your way back down to Barafu Camp. Here you will have time to catch your breath before heading further down to Mweka Camp, an approximate 3 hour walk. A scrumptious dinner and a peaceful night’s sleep awaits you.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 9 Mweka Camp (3,080m) – Mweka Gate (1,630m) – Arusha
After a hearty breakfast and a traditional farewell ceremony by your mountain crew, you will start your final descent to Mweka Gate. A leisurely 2 to 3 hours walk will take you once more through the lush rainforest, where the endemic Impatiens kilimanjari flower grows. Reaching Mweka Gate you will be greeted by our transfer driver, who will take you back to the Meru View Lodge. The rest of the day is for you to enjoy at leisure – enjoy a long shower, jump in the pool or just relax at the bar. Dinner and overnight at Meru View Lodge.
Breakfast; Dinner
Day 10 Arusha – Kilimanjaro Airport
After breakfast you will be taken to Kilimanjaro Airport or you can extend your holiday with a safari or beach stay.
Breakfast
Included
- Kilimanjaro trekking according to the itinerary
- Professional, English-speaking guide
- Mountain crew (cook & porters)
- Overnight stays in hotels and mountain tents
- Camping equipment (tents, sleeping mats, chairs, tables etc.)
- Portable toilet and toilet tent
- Meals according to the itinerary
- Drinking water
- All national park fees
- All mentioned transfer
Items excluded:
- Sleeping bag
- Flights
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Visa fees
- Tips
- Personal spending money for souvenirs etc.
- Travel insurance
- This is a private tour and hence there won’t be any other climbers joining you. Your group will only consist of the people you chose to travel with and your mountain crew.
- According to the national park authorities, children under the age of 10 years are only allowed to hike until Shira Camp 2 (3900 m). There are no official restrictions for children above the age of 10 years but because the chances of children succumbing to mountain sickness are a lot higher than they are with adults, we recommend a minimum age of 14-16 years. Please note that children of all ages have to be accompanied by one of their parents at all times. Although there is no maximum age restriction, a medical check-up is advisable for climbers above the age of 60.
- Africa’s highest peak is one of the only mountains of this magnitude that can be conquered without you being an experienced alpinist. However, it goes without saying that you should be healthy and fit to master the 4-6 hour daily hikes as well as the 12-14 hour hike on the night of the summit. In addition thereto, strong willpower and endurance is required.
- The warmest time with the least rainfall is between December and February, followed by the main rainy season from March until the beginning of June. Between June and October, temperatures are moderate with almost no rainfall. November is regarded as the small rainy season and daily short rainfalls with cloudy views are common.
- The best time to travel is between the end of June and the middle of October and although it is possible to climb Kilimanjaro in the main rainy season, we strongly discourage anyone from doing so.
- The Lemosho Route starts off on the remote western side but meets up with the Machame Route on day 3. Although this route is comparable to the Machame Route when it comes to the changes in altitude, it offers an extra acclimatization day at Karranga Camp to recover from the strains of the first three days. After a hopefully successful summit night, you will descend on the Mweka Route.
- You will overnight in two-man mountain tents equipped with sleeping mats. Single travellers often share a tent with another group member of the same gender, but single tents can be requested at extra cost.
- Apart from very basic long drops (simple latrines), there are no further ablution facilities. Climbers are however provided with a bowl of warm water for their daily wash.
- Meals are included as mentioned in the itinerary.
- For breakfast there will be a choice of fruit, scrambled eggs, porridge, toast, jam, hot chocolate, coffee or tea. Lunch will be provided in form of a lunch box containing sandwiches, boiled eggs, chicken etc.
- For dinner you will enjoy soup and bread followed by meat or poultry along with starch (i.e. chips, mashed potatoes, pasta or rice) as well as vegetables.
- While breakfast and dinner are served in a mess tent equipped with a table and chairs, lunch is enjoyed en-route.
- Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements or food allergies and we will do our outmost to cater for them (only possible with advanced notification).
- Almost everybody climbing Kilimanjaro will be affected by the altitude in some or other way. Top athletes are just as much at risk of suffering from it as are people who are out of shape. Headaches, extreme fatigue, loss of appetite and nausea are all signs of possible mountain sickness. Symptoms are mostly mild, enabling you to continue your hike and only in very few instances are symptoms more acute, making an immediate descent unavoidable. Severe altitude sickness is a serious matter and you should bear in mind that it can be life threatening and at worst lead to death. It is also important to replace lost body fluids due to physical activity by drinking enough water. We suggest two to four litres per day along with magnesium to prevent muscle cramps.
- Mountain rescue services in Tanzania can in no sense be compared to the ones found in the European Alps for example. If you find yourself unable to walk, you will either be carried or transported on a wheeled stretcher. As this is by all means a very unpleasant experience, it is important that you only push yourself as far as your body allows. Helicopters are hardly ever deployed as they can only land at a lower altitude.
- Please also make sure your health insurance covers you while travelling. If you are not adequately covered, we urge you to take out suitable travel insurance assuring all your medical expenses including rescue and repatriation costs are covered.
- Yes you should bring some extra money for tips, souvenirs and other personal expenses.
- If you are bringing USD, please make sure the bills have been be printed after 2004 as any earlier printed ones will not be accepted.
- Tips for the mountain crew are common practice. Gratuities are a large portion of the crew’s income and thus highly appreciated. Below are some recommendations from our side (per group, not per person):
Guide: 15-18 USD per day
Assistant Guide: 12-15 USD per day
Cook: 8-10 USD per day
Waiter: 7-9 USD per day
Porter: 6-7 USD per day
- There are a few things you should pack for a Kilimanjaro climb and as the list is quite extensive, you will receive a detailed packing list from us once you have confirmed the booking.
- For your convenience we also rent out all essential clothing items and other gear.
- For most travellers it is possible to obtain a visa upon arrival but nevertheless, it is every visitor’s obligation to check the latest visa regulations with their respective embassies.
- Every traveller is responsible to be in the possession of the required travel documents.
- Officially, no vaccinations are required by the Tanzanian health department. However, Tanzania is a yellow fever region and thus we advise that you get yourself vaccinated for this.
- In general we also recommend that you have all other shots such as Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio and Hepatitis A & B up to date.
- Malaria is present in Tanzania but there are no mosquitoes at high altitude. It is your own choice if you wish to take any precautionary medication, but we suggest that you consult your doctor or travel clinic in this matter.
