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The Lemosho route starts in the quiet forest on the western side of Kilimanjaro and crosses the whole Shira Plateau before joining the southern circuit to the summit. With eight days on the mountain, you climb slowly and give your body time to adjust to the altitude.
Plan to arrive at least one day before the climb. We pick you up at Kilimanjaro or Arusha airport, take you to your hotel, and hold a pre-trek briefing where we check your equipment and arrange any gear you need to rent.
You sleep in quality four-season mountain tents on a twin-sharing basis, and the climb includes two nights bed and breakfast in Arusha.
Accommodation
| Day | Overnight | Meals |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Mti Mkubwa Camp, 2,650 m (mountain tent) | Lunch, dinner |
| Day 2 | Shira 1 Camp, 3,500 m (mountain tent) | Breakfast, lunch, dinner |
| Day 3 | Shira 2 Camp, 3,850 m (mountain tent) | Breakfast, lunch, dinner |
| Day 4 | Barranco Camp, about 3,950 m (mountain tent) | Breakfast, lunch, dinner |
| Day 5 | Karanga Camp, 4,050 m (mountain tent) | Breakfast, lunch, dinner |
| Day 6 | Barafu Camp, 4,700 m (mountain tent) | Breakfast, lunch, dinner |
| Day 7 | Mweka Camp, 3,090 m (mountain tent) | Breakfast, lunch, dinner |
| Day 8 | Hotel in Arusha | Breakfast |
Good to know
- Arrival day before the climb: airport pick-up, hotel in Arusha and pre-trek briefing with an equipment check.
- Sleeping bags, boots and other personal gear are available to rent.
- Gaiters and trekking poles help on the loose scree after the summit and on the muddy lower trail.
- Best time to climb: all year, except April and May, the rainy season.
Included and Excluded
- Airport transfers and all transfers to the mountain and back to the hotel
- 2 nights bed and breakfast in Arusha
- Professional, experienced mountain guides
- Guide, porter and cook salaries and park fees
- Quality, waterproof four-season mountain tents, twin sharing
- Sleeping mattress
- Emergency oxygen cylinder
- All meals on the mountain: large portions of fresh, healthy food
- Mess tent with table and chairs
- Clean, purified drinking water
- Conservation fees, camping fees and rescue fees (park fees)
- VAT
- Kilimanjaro summit certificate
- Tanzania visa
- International and domestic flights
- Personal trekking equipment such as sleeping bags, boots and clothes (available to rent)
- Tips and gratuities
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses such as laundry and telephone
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Alcoholic and bottled drinks
Highlights of the Safari
- Remote start in the western rainforest at Lemosho Gate
- Two days crossing the Shira Plateau
- Lava Tower, the “Shark's Tooth”, at 4,650 m
- Barranco Wall and the full southern circuit below the glaciers
- Eight days on the mountain for better acclimatisation
- Summit certificate at Mweka Gate
Itinerary
After breakfast, drive about 4 hours from Arusha to Lemosho Gate. Registration takes about an hour, and you have lunch before the hike. Walk 2 to 3 hours along forest trails to Mti Mkubwa, “big tree”, camp.
- Elevation: 1,830 m to 2,650 m
- Distance: 6 km, 2 to 3 hours
- Habitat: montane forest
- Overnight: Mti Mkubwa Camp
The trail steepens and enters the giant heather moorland. Cross several streams and the Shira Ridge, then walk gently down to Shira 1 Camp, beside a stream on the Shira Plateau.
- Elevation: 2,650 m to 3,500 m
- Distance: 8 km, 4 to 5 hours
- Habitat: moorland
- Overnight: Shira 1 Camp
A gentle hike across the plateau to Shira 2 Camp, on moorland meadows by a stream. Optional walks on the plateau make this an excellent acclimatisation day.
- Elevation: 3,500 m to 3,850 m
- Distance: 8 km, 4 to 5 hours
- Habitat: moorland
- Overnight: Shira 2 Camp
Climb east up a ridge, then turn south-east towards Lava Tower, the “Shark's Tooth”, at 4,650 m. After the junction to the Arrow Glacier, descend to Barranco Camp. You finish near the height you started, but the climb to Lava Tower prepares your body for summit day.
- Highest point: 4,650 m at Lava Tower
- Distance: 8 km, 5 to 6 hours
- Habitat: semi-desert
- Overnight: Barranco Camp, about 3,950 m
Climb the steep Barranco Wall and continue to Karanga Valley and the junction with the Mweka trail.
- Elevation: about 3,950 m to 4,050 m
- Distance: 5 km, 3 to 4 hours
- Habitat: alpine desert
- Overnight: Karanga Camp
Complete the southern circuit, with views of the summit from many angles, and reach Barafu Camp. Rest, have dinner and prepare for summit night.
- Elevation: 4,050 m to 4,700 m
- Distance: 4 km, 3 to 4 hours
- Habitat: alpine desert
- Overnight: Barafu Camp
Start between midnight and 2 am. Climb north-west through heavy scree between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers to Stella Point on the crater rim, the hardest part of the climb, and watch the sunrise. From Stella Point, walk about an hour, often on snow, to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. Descend to Barafu for lunch and on to Mweka Camp for your last night on the mountain.
- Summit: Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m
- Distance: 5 km up, 13 km down
- Time: 5 to 7 hours up, 5 to 6 hours down
- Overnight: Mweka Camp, 3,090 m
Walk down through the forest to Mweka Gate, where you receive your summit certificate. The lower trail is often wet and muddy. Our vehicle drives you back to your hotel in Arusha, about 3 hours.
- Elevation: 3,090 m to 1,680 m
- Distance: 10 km, 3 to 4 hours
- Habitat: forest
- Overnight: hotel in Arusha
Frequently Asked Questions
Call or WhatsApp us on +255 738 122 879, email info@kasajetoursafrica.com, or send the enquiry form on this page. We confirm availability and the price for your dates and group size.
We pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel. On the first day of the climb we drive you to the park gate, and after the descent we drive you back to your hotel. Two hotel nights with breakfast are included.
Day 1: Mti Mkubwa Camp, 2,650 m (mountain tent); Day 2: Shira 1 Camp, 3,500 m (mountain tent); Day 3: Shira 2 Camp, 3,850 m (mountain tent); Day 4: Barranco Camp, about 3,950 m (mountain tent); Day 5: Karanga Camp, 4,050 m (mountain tent); Day 6: Barafu Camp, 4,700 m (mountain tent); Day 7: Mweka Camp, 3,090 m (mountain tent); Day 8: Hotel in Arusha.
Airport transfers and all transfers to the mountain and back to the hotel, 2 nights bed and breakfast in Arusha, Professional, experienced mountain guides, Guide, porter and cook salaries and park fees, Quality, waterproof four-season mountain tents, twin sharing, Sleeping mattress, Emergency oxygen cylinder, All meals on the mountain: large portions of fresh, healthy food, Mess tent with table and chairs, Clean, purified drinking water, Conservation fees, camping fees and rescue fees (park fees), VAT, Kilimanjaro summit certificate.
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