Lemosho Route Sample Itinerary
Lemosho Route is considered the most spectacular route and has higher summit success compared to any other route on Mount Kilimanjaro. It is our favorite route because it has low traffic and beautiful scenic views and gives you plenty of time to acclimatize.
Sample Trip Itineraries | Machame Route
Sample Itinerary of Lemosho Kilimanjaro Route
11 DAY TRIP
(2 days at the lodge and 9 days on the mountain)
Day 1: Arrive in Arusha, Tanzania
Depart the U.S and upon arrival in Arusha –Tanzania into Kilimanjaro International Airport you are met by your naturalist guide and help you gather your bags and transferred to a beautiful lodge for your first overnight in Africa.
Day 2: Visit Arusha National Park
Visit Arusha National Park for a few hours and then head back to the lodge for lunch. You will meet with your mountain guide for a hike briefing and review your packing gear, to make sure you have everything ready for the hiking the next day. (Overnight at the lodge.)
DAY 3: (First Day of Hiking) Londorosi Gate to Forest Camp
- Hiking Time: 4-5 hours for the first day.
- Overnight: Forest Camp
(9,281 feet).
Drive from the lodge to Londorosi gate. Once you arrive at the gate, you will sign in at the park office. Shortly after that, your guide will drive you to the starting point (about an hour drive from the park office). Once you arrive, you will be ready to start hiking with your guides. On the trail you are going to walk through a rain forest heading up to Forest Camp. Lunch will be served on the trail and dinner at the camp.
DAY 4: Forest camp to Shira 1 Camp
- Hiking Time: 6-7 hours
- Overnight: Shira 1 Camp
(11,500 feet)
This morning after breakfast you are going to walk through a new climate zone which is alpine moorland, thick with heather zone and vegetation draped in bearded lichen. You will also hiking across the rocky shira plateau where you will get to see a view of Mt.kili from above the clouds for the first time. Lunch will be served on the trail and dinner at the campsite.
DAY 5: Shira 1 Camp to Shira 2 Camp
- Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
- Overnight: Shira 2 Camp
(12,791 feet)
Today is a short hike. You will continue to walk and exploring the shira plateau and enjoying the spectacular view of Mt. Meru which is the second highest peak in African continent. You will arrive at the camp on time and Lunch and dinner will be served at the camp. You will get plenty of time to relax and maybe go for a short hike if time allowed.
DAY 6: Shira 2 Camp to Lava Tower
- Hiking Time: 3-5 hours
- Overnight: Lava Tower Camp
(15,231 feet)
After breakfast, will continue heading to Lava tower camp. Lunch will be served at the camp and dinner as well. Later on after lunch will hike the lava tower peak and will be an optional to hike lava tower. The top of this peak is absolutely gorgeous. It is steep, but not a technical climb.
DAY 7: Lava Tower Camp to Barranco Camp
- Hiking Time: 1-2 hours
- Overnight: Barranco Camp
(13,050 feet)
After breakfast, you will start ascent into semi-desert. This is a short hiking day, but it's good because it will give you more time to acclimatize (helping your body prepare for the summit). Lunch and dinner will be served at Barranco Camp.
DAY 8: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
- Overnight: Karanga Camp
(13,231 feet)
This morning, we are going to descend into the big Barranco valley, which is dominated by the giant Lobelias and everlasting flowers. Scramble up the Barranco wall which is the biggest wall on Mt.Kili. Continue hiking through gorgeous landscapes to the next camp. This day is a bit longer but it's extremely beautiful. Lunch will be served on the trail and dinner at the camp.
DAY 9: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
- Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
- Overnight: Barafu Camp
(15,300 feet)
Today is a short hike, but you are going to ascent through uphill path across the barren rocky slopes. Arrive at the Barafu Camp on time for lunch and relaxing before dinner. Go to sleep early and get enough sleep before heading up to Crater Camp. We start hiking around 3: 00 am. So be ready my friends.
DAY 10: Barafu Camp to the Summit
- Hiking Time: 6-8 hours ascent to the summit of Kili and about 7-8 hours descent to the last campsite
- Overnight: Mweka Hat Campsite
Today is your final day on the roof of Africa. It is going to be a long hike. You will be awakened by your guide before midnight to begin the last challenging ascent. Breakfast will be served then. During the night, it is extremely cold when you reach this point, so you need to dress in a lot of layers.
Once you reach the summit, you will be able to take some photos and celebrate your accomplishment before heading back to Barafu Camp for lunch and continuing down a long trail to the last camp of the mountain. Descent down from the summit to Mweka camp is steep, so we highly recommend using trekking/hiking poles. Hiking poles will help protect your knees especially when you are going downhill or uphill.
DAY 11: Mweka Hut to Mweka Gate
- Hiking Time time: 3-4 hours
This morning after breakfast you will continue descent through the rainforest to the Mweka Gate, where you will have lunch and will be awarded climbing certificates and say goodbye to your guides, porters and cooks. You will be transferred back to your hotel for a hot shower.
Kilimanjaro Trek Clothing List
Safari and Climbing Trek
Clothing List (PDF)
Sample Meals Provided on Kilimanjaro Trek
All our meals on Kilimanjaro are prepared by our own cooks/chefs. We provide nutrient-rich, high-energy foods that will digest quickly (ex. pasta, potatoes, and rice).
We also provide fresh fruits and vegetables with every meal. We serve small portions of meat at high altitudes (because it is harder to digest).
Example Breakfast: coffee, tea or hot chocolate, toast, peanut butter, eggs or bacon. We may also provide porridge, pancakes, and fresh fruit such as bananas, mangoes, pineapple, watermelon and papaya.
Example Lunch: fried chicken, boiled eggs, vegetable soup, peanuts, tea, coffee and maybe fresh salad including carrots, tomatoes and cucumber.
Example Dinner: vegetable soup, tea or hot chocolate, bread, fried potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice or pasta, roasted chicken and fruit like bananas, oranges and passion fruits.
What is included in our Kilimanjaro Trek Package Price:
- All the transportation from the airport to the lodge campsite or hotel.
- Transportation from the lodge to the mountain gate
- Transportation from the mountain gate to the lodge and the Airport.
- Accommodation and three meals a day as specified in the itinerary.
- All national parks entrance fees.
- Mountain campsite fees.
- Salaries for Mountain head guide, Assistants guides, cooks, porters, camp crew.
- Services of professional English speaking mountain guide.
- Camping equipment such as Mountain Hard Wear four seasonal tents, Trango 3.1 and the North Face expedition tents.
- Comfortable chairs and tables.
- We carry our own portable toilets in privacy tents for our clients. We do not use or share the public long-drop toilets on Kilimanjaro.
- We carry oxygen for emergency use (medical oxygen cylinder tank, regulator & masks).
- We provide Katadyn water filters pump at the campsite.
- We carry our own Ice axe.
What is NOT included in our Kilimanjaro Trek Package Price:
- Round-trip international airfare.
- Tanzania entry Visa and Airport tax
- Personal and travel insurance.
- Personal expenses such as bar beverages, Internet charges, phone calls and laundry in the lodge/hotel.
- Tips/ gratuities for mountain head guides, assistants guides, cooks, porters and camp crew.