The Lemosho route is a scenic ascent trail on Mount Kilimanjaro that will give you some rewarding views that showcase the best of the mountain’s natural scenery. This route is similar to Machame but with less traffic, in short, it is less crowded.

The Lemosho route was introduced as an alternative to the Shira Route and takes a duration of 7 to 8 days with the 8-day variant being the most recommended option that will give you ample time to acclimatize due to the extra acclimatization day, hence giving you a higher summit success rate.

The Lemosho Route is one of the best Mount Kilimanjaro climbing routes, in fact, it has held the title for being the best route on Mount Kilimanjaro until the recent introduction of the longer, Northern Circuit Route.

WHY IS LEMOSHO THE BEST KILIMANJARO ROUTE?

The Lemosho route has the perfect balance of all the best features you could find from any route on Mount Kilimanjaro

Lemosho Route combines strikingly beautiful scenery, low crowds and a high success rate for reaching the Uhuru peak summit.

This route rewards climbers with the most scenic trail and views on Mount Kilimanjaro.

Climbers who have plied this route continue heaping it with praises as the best choice to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Tranquil Kilimanjaro offers the Lemosho Route on either a seven-day or eight days Lemosho Route Itinerary. The 7-day Lemosho tour combines the fifth and sixth days skipping the Karanga Camp overnight stay by going straight from the Barranco camp to the Barafu camp for summit night.

We also provide an 8-day option of the same route with an additional overnight stay at the Crater Camp on request.

Difference between Lemosho vs Machame

The Lemosho Route shares a lot of similarities with the Machame Route, especially in terms of the high success rate for summiting despite the fact that it begins at the western side of the mountain. One thing that makes the route better than the Machame route is that this route has less traffic because it avoids the early stages of the Machame route which is more crowded giving you roughly 8 days of unrivaled panoramic views on nearly all sides of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Read: Lemosho vs Machame Route

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Read our reviews from the best route on Kilimanjaro.

Lemosho route, best panoramic view

Lemosho Trek Tips

Choosing the best Kilimanjaro route

  • Take it slow. Use a pace that is manageable and consistent, save your energy while you enjoy the views.
  • You can bring along some snacks to boost your energy whenever you need something quick to munch.
  • Drink plenty of water to combat altitude sickness, always stay hydrated on the Lemosho Route trek and you will make it to the top smoothly.
  • Improve on your fitness before you begin your Lemosho Route climb and you will enjoy your hike.

Plan your climb on the Lemosho route

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro via the Lemosho Route starts off at the Londorossi Gate that is located at an altitude of 2360 meters (7,743 ft.) above sea level, approaching the mountain from the west. The trail then goes round the mountain to the south, traversing Mount Kilimanjaro’s rainforest zone giving you a glimpse of some of the wildlife inhabiting the area.

The route carries on with the trail up the mountain towards the third summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the Shira Ridge then crossing the extensive Shira Plateau giving you an amazing view of the Shira Cathedral, before reaching Shira Camp on the third day, which lies on the main Machame route.

After summiting at Uhuru Peak, you will go down the mountain via the Mweka Route, the preferred descent trail.

Apart from the similarity between the Lemosho route and the Machame Route, this route is more of an improved version of the older Shira route.

Lemosho Route Map & Location

The Lemosho Route is a recently introduced route as a better version of the rarely used Shira Route. It begins at the Londorossi Gate on Mount Kilimanjaro’s western flank.

The western side of Kilimanjaro is a wilderness that plays home to various animals like big antelope, buffalo, or even elephants.

Lemosho Route map
7 Days Lemosho Route or
8 Days Lemosho Route

Lemosho route 7-day and 8-day itinerary

The Lemosho Route could be realistically completed in 6 days, 7 days or 8 days.  At Tranquil Kilimanjaro, we highly recommend the longer yet manageable 8 days Lemosho Route package. The 8-day tour allows more extra time for acclimatization which in turn helps in combating altitude sickness, ensuring a smooth summit success rate of over 90%.

Your first and the second day on Lemosho Route will be used to trek on the mountain’s rainforest region, traversing towards the Shira Ridge which has a table-like terrain heading to the east from the western side of the mountain.

The first two days will be more quiet and solitary but as the route progresses further, you will meet increased traffic of climbers as the trail enjoins the Machame Route near the Lava Tower which is more popular and somehow crowded. The route passes beneath Kilimanjaro’s ice fields via a trail popularly known as the Southern Circuit.

Distance of the Lemosho Trail

The Lemosho route is around 67 kilometres or 41 miles long from gate to gate and reaches Uhuru Peak, the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro at a staggering height of 5,895 meters (19,341 feet).

Lemosho Route Summiting and descent

Summiting using the Lemosho route is made possible but ascending on summit night from Barafu. Going down the mountain takes a different course from the ascent trail, which is made possible using the Mweka route.

For a more enjoyable hike using the Lemosho Route, previous trekking experience is an added advantage, however with training and making sure you are fit, summiting is very much possible as normal trekking days feature a solid 6-8 hours trek with daily ascents of 900m (2,953 ft.) to 1,000m. (3281 ft.)

You will need to be mentally and physically prepared to trek long days with extreme weather and altitudes the higher you climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

A day-by-day breakdown of the Lemosho route Itinerary

Below is a sample 8 day Lemosho Route itinerary summary that Tranquil Kilimanjaro recommends for a high summit success rate.

DAY START ALTITUDE (M/FT) FINISH ALTITUDE (M/FT) TIME (HRS) DISTANCE (KM/MI)
1 Londorossi Gate 2,360m/ 7,742ft Mti Mkubwa 2,895m/ 9,498ft 3-4 6km/ 4mi
2 Mti Mkubwa 2,895m/ 9,498ft Shira 1 Camp 3,505m/ 11,500ft 5-6 8km/ 5mi
3 Shira 1 Camp 3,505m/ 11,500ft Moir Hut 4,200m/ 13,800ft 5-7 11km/ 7mi
4 Moir Hut 4,200m/ 13,800ft Lava Tower 4,630m/ 15,190ft 4-5 7km/ 4mi
Lava Tower 4,630m/ 15,190ft Barranco Camp 3,976m/ 13,044ft 2-3 3km/ 2mi
5 Barranco Camp 3,976m/ 13,044ft Karanga Camp 3,995m/ 13,106ft 4-5 5km/ 3mi
6 Karanga Camp 3,995m/ 13,106ft Barafu Camp 4,673m/ 15,331ft 4-5 4km/ 2mi
7 Barafu Camp 4,673m/ 15,331ft Uhuru Peak 5,895m/ 19,341ft 7-8 5km/ 3mi
Uhuru Peak 5,895m/ 19,341ft Mweka Camp 3,068m/ 10,065ft 4-6 12km/ 7mi
8 Mweka Camp 3,068m/ 10,065ft Mweka Gate 1,640m/ 5,380ft 3-4 10km/ 6mi

All Routes on Mount Kilimanjaro

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the frequently asked questions concerning the Lemosho Route Climb, for more general questions about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Preparing to climb the Lemosho Route entails vigorous training to ensure a smooth climb to the summit, Uhuru peak. Also, make sure you bring along the required climbing gear and equipment.

When should I climb the Lemosho Route?

Even though Mount Kilimanjaro’s Lemosho Route can be climbed all year round, the best time to climb the Lemosho Route is between the months of January–March and June–October. The least favourable times to climb Kilimanjaro via the Lemosho route are the colder and wetter months of April, May and November.

To climb Mount Kilimanjaro via the Lemosho route, you will need all the Mount Kilimanjaro gear and equipment that you will need. Some may include waterproof gear, a headlamp, sunglasses, hiking boots, personal medication, a non-disposable water bottle, etc. Check here for the full Mount Kilimanjaro climbing gear and equipment.

To get to the Lemosho Route, you will have to fly into Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro International Airport near Moshi and Arusha. Travellers flying from the UK, the US, Australia or Canada and other parts of the world will be picked up at the airport by the official Tranquil Kilimanjaro crew to their hotel then to the Lemosho Route the following day.

Climbing via the Lemosho Route is all 50% physical and 50% mental. You will have to be both physically and mentally prepared to reach the summit. Physical fitness is also vital as it minimizes altitude sickness effects. You will also need to make sure you have the required climbing gear and equipment for climbing the mountain.

To climb Kilimanjaro using the Lemosho route, you will be required to pay for the Mount Kilimanjaro entrance fees and the Kilimanjaro National park fees. These fees help in maintaining bot the park and the mountain. All our Lemosho route packages are all-inclusive meaning all the Lemosho route prices include these fees.

The Lemosho Route is definitely one of the most scenic routes on Mount Kilimanjaro, offering very awe-inspiring views of the mountain and its surroundings. The route begins from the western side of the mountain crossing the lush rainforest zone, before enjoining the Machame Route to cross the extensive Shira Plateau with even stunning views from the southern circuit trail.

How difficult is the Lemosho route?

The Lemosho route is not a difficult route to climb Mount Kilimanjaro if you were to compare it with the other routes leading to the Uhuru Peak Summit. Therefore it is safe to say that the Lemosho Route is one of the easier routes to climb Kilimanjaro because of a few factors as highlighted below:

  1. Its longer itinerary facilitates better acclimatization time even though one of the most difficult parts of the route include climbing the Barranco Wall and the final steep, summit night.
  2. The Lemosho Route has one of the highest summit rates, boasting an impressive 80% to 90% summit success rate especially via the highly recommended 8-day Lemosho route climb which includes extra time for acclimatization hence less altitude sickness issues.

The 7-day Lemosho itinerary can be chosen by more experienced mountain climbers who have already undergone acclimatization conditions.

No technical climbing is required to climb via the Lemosho Route, but a good level of fitness is recommended.

What is the success rate of the Lemosho route?

The Lemosho Route has a high summit success rate of 80% to 90%. The longer the duration spent on the Mountain using the Lemosho route, the higher the chances of summiting smoothly. But all in all this route has a very high summit success rate regardless

For example, if you take the 8 days Lemosho Route package, your chances of summiting to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro are as high as 90%. It is still very achievable that you’ll reach the Uhuru peak summit using the 7-day Lemosho Route package, with a success rate of 85%.

The lowest success rate of reaching the top of Mount Kilimanjaro via the shorter 6 days Lemosho Route drops to a relatively lower 65% summit success rate which is even higher than climbing via the Machame Route.

Lemosho Route Reviews

Below are some of the Lemosho Route reviews from some of the clients that climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with us using the Lemosho Route.

The 8 Days Lemosho route was easier than we thought. After searching on google for a reliable Mount Kilimanjaro tour company, we came across, Tranquil Kilimanjaro. The reservations team worked with us to put together a climbing tour for the 7 of us. From the moment they picked us up at Kilimanjaro International Airport, everything went smoothly. The guides and porters were amazing and friendly. The hardest part of our Kilimanjaro challenge must be the summit night but not as hard as we imagined. We are thankful to Tranquil Kilimanjaro for their great support in conquering Mount Kilimanjaro. P.S Drink more water, eat energy-giving foods and rest easy!

Eléa Binoche – Paris, France