01
Day 01
Lemosho Gate to Mti Mkubwa
The drive around to the western side, park registration, and three or four hours through rainforest to the Big Tree camp at 2,780 m.
- StayMountain tent, Mti Mkubwa 2,780 m
- MealsFull board
01 · Overview
About this climb
If you only climb Kilimanjaro once, climb it on Lemosho over eight days. It approaches from the west through genuinely remote forest, joins the Machame route high up, and gives you two more nights to acclimatise than the short options.
The first two days are the quietest on the mountain — Lemosho starts on the far western side and you may not see another group. From the Shira Plateau the route crosses to Barranco and Karanga, which spreads the hard days out rather than stacking them.
Days matter more than anything else you can control. Every extra night below 4,000 m gives your body time to make the adjustments that decide summit morning.
Tour length8 days / 7 nights
Start / endLemosho Gate → Mweka Gate
PlacesLemosho Gate, Shira, Lava Tower, Barranco
AccommodationMountain tent
Meal planFull board
CrewGuide, assistant guides, cook and porters
Group sizeTo confirm
02 · The price
What the price covers — and what it doesn't
Included 6 items
- Kilimanjaro National Park entry, camping or hut fees and rescue fees
- A licensed mountain guide, assistant guides, cook and porters
- All meals on the mountain and drinking water treated daily
- Sleeping tents, mess tent, table and chairs, and a portable toilet
- Transfers between Moshi or Arusha and the route gate
- A pulse oximeter and emergency oxygen carried by the crew
Not included 6 items
- Flights, visa and travel insurance — insurance must cover trekking to 6,000 m
- Personal climbing gear and sleeping bag (hire can be arranged)
- Tips for the mountain crew, which are budgeted separately and paid at the end
- Hotel nights before and after the climb unless a day lists one
- Drinks, laundry and personal spending
- Anything not listed as included
03 · At a glance
Itinerary highlights
- Day 1Lemosho Gate to Mti Mkubwa
- Day 2Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1
- Day 3Shira 1 to Shira 2
- Day 4Shira 2 to Barranco, via Lava Tower
- Day 5Barranco to Karanga
- Day 6Karanga to Barafu
- Day 7Summit day, and down to Millennium
- Day 8Mweka Gate, and Moshi
04 · Prices
Prices and what moves them
Every quote is written for the dates and the number of people travelling, because park fees, season and vehicle sharing move the figure more than anything else. We itemise it: park fees, accommodation, vehicle, meals.
Private climb
Private climb
Per person, sharing · international flights not includedSingle supplement: To confirm
| Group size | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per person, 2026 | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm | To confirm |
Children. Child rates depend on age and the route. Child policy to confirm
05 · The route
The route, day by day
02
Day 02
Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1
Out of the forest and up onto the Shira Plateau at 3,505 m — five to seven hours, with Kibo in front of you for most of it.
- StayMountain tent, Shira 1 Camp 3,505 m
- MealsFull board
03
Day 03
Shira 1 to Shira 2
A short, deliberately easy day across the plateau to 3,850 m, with an afternoon acclimatisation walk to higher ground.
- StayMountain tent, Shira 2 Camp 3,850 m
- MealsFull board
04
Day 04
Shira 2 to Barranco, via Lava Tower
Up to Lava Tower at about 4,600 m for lunch, then down to Barranco at 3,960 m. High walking, low sleeping.
- StayMountain tent, Barranco Camp 3,960 m
- MealsFull board
05
Day 05
Barranco to Karanga
The Barranco Wall scramble and a short day to Karanga at 3,995 m. An afternoon of rest that pays for itself two days later.
- StayMountain tent, Karanga Camp 3,995 m
- MealsFull board
06
Day 06
Karanga to Barafu
Three to four hours up the ridge to Barafu at 4,673 m. Kit check, an early dinner and sleep before midnight.
- StayMountain tent, Barafu Camp 4,673 m
- MealsFull board
07
Day 07
Summit day, and down to Millennium
Up at midnight for Stella Point and Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m at sunrise, then the long descent to Millennium or Mweka camp.
- StayMountain tent, Millennium Camp 3,820 m
- MealsFull board
08
Day 08
Mweka Gate, and Moshi
A last three hours down through the forest, certificates at the gate, and the transfer back to your hotel.
- StayNone — the climb ends today
06 · Camps
Where you stay
On the mountain you sleep at the route’s own camps or huts. The hotel before and after is named in your quote.
Night 1
Mountain tent, Mti Mkubwa 2,780 m
Full board.
Night 2
Mountain tent, Shira 1 Camp 3,505 m
Full board.
Night 3
Mountain tent, Shira 2 Camp 3,850 m
Full board.
Night 4
Mountain tent, Barranco Camp 3,960 m
Full board.
Night 5
Mountain tent, Karanga Camp 3,995 m
Full board.
Night 6
Mountain tent, Barafu Camp 4,673 m
Full board.
Night 7
Mountain tent, Millennium Camp 3,820 m
Full board.
07 · Add-ons
Optional add-ons
Not in the standard price. Arranged on request and priced in your quote.
After the climb
A few days on safari
Tarangire and the Ngorongoro Crater are a short drive from Moshi and Arusha.
After the climb
Zanzibar beach extension
A short flight to the coast, for days with nothing to track.
Before the climb
An extra night in Arusha
Useful after a long-haul flight, so the first day does not start tired.
08 · The ground
Where this climb takes you
02
Shira Plateau
A collapsed caldera at around 3,800 m, walked for a full day on the western routes with Kibo ahead of you the whole time.
03
Lava Tower
4,630 m at lunchtime, then back down to sleep — the climb-high, sleep-low day that does most of the acclimatisation work.
04
Barranco Wall
A 257 m scramble rather than a climb, with the Breach Wall and the glaciers directly above it.
05
Barafu
4,673 m on a rock shoulder — the last camp before a midnight start, and a few hours of sleep if you are lucky.
06
Uhuru Peak
The summit, reached at sunrise after six to eight hours in the dark, with the Rebmann and Furtwängler glaciers still on the crater rim.
07
Mweka
The descent route: 3,000 m of knee work in two half-days, ending in rainforest and mud at the gate.
09 · Season
Best time to take this climb
Jan – mid Mar
Clear and colder
A quieter window, with a good chance of snow near the summit.
Jun – Oct
The main dry season
The most settled weather, and the busiest trails.
Apr · May · Nov
The rains
Wet forest, cloud and mud. Possible, but harder and less rewarding.
10 · Flights
Flights
Arrive
Kilimanjaro International Airport
The international airport for Moshi and Arusha. Transfers between town and the route gate are included.
Depart
Kilimanjaro International Airport
Tell us your flight time and the last day is planned around it.
11 · Extras
Budget for these extras
Not in the package price, and worth planning for before you travel.
Most visitors need a Tanzania visa. What applies to your passport, and how to apply, is on our visas and vaccinations page.
Take a policy that covers trekking to 6,000 m and medical evacuation. More on our travel insurance page.
Tipping is customary but yours to decide. Our tipping guide sets out what is usual for guides, cooks and camp staff.
Personal climbing gear and a sleeping bag are not included. Hire can be arranged.
Drinking water is treated daily on the mountain. Drinks at the hotel, laundry and souvenirs are paid locally.
12 · Why us
Why book this with us
01
Every route is a draft
Add a night, cut a day, finish on the coast. Most trips we run started as one of these and then moved.
02
Every quote itemised
Park fees, accommodation, crew and meals, line by line, for your dates and group.
03
A full mountain crew
A licensed mountain guide, assistant guides, a cook and porters.
04
Planned from Arusha
Ask on WhatsApp and you reach the people who plan the trip.
13 · Reviews
Reviews
Guest reviews for this route will appear here. To confirm
14 · Questions
Asked about this trip
Mostly the extra nights, and a quieter, more beautiful approach. Above Shira the two routes are the same mountain.
It is the sweet spot for most people. Nine days on the Northern Circuit adds more acclimatisation still, if you have the time.
Well below freezing, and windy — plan for around minus 10 to minus 20 °C with wind chill at the crater rim. Layers, a down jacket, proper gloves and a warm hat are not optional.
Kilimanjaro is portered: expect several porters per climber, plus guides and a cook. Porter loads are weighed at the gate and there are legal limits, which we follow.
