Kilimanjaro’s Lemosho route is a 71km or 43-mile-long scenic ascent trail on Mount Kilimanjaro that begins at Lemosho Gate, on the western flank of the mountain. This route will give you some rewarding views that showcase the best of the mountain’s natural scenery, and if used well, it gives a considerably high summit success rate. This route is similar to Machame but with less traffic; in short, it is less crowded.

How long will it take to climb Kilimanjaro using the Lemosho route? Well, there are 3 itinerary variations for this trail, we do not recommend the 6 days alternative, instead we normally operate this route on the seven or eight day itinerary options. 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 acclimatise due to the extra acclimatisation day, hence giving you a higher summit success rate. We are not saying that the 6-day Lemosho Route plan is impossible, no, what we actually mean is that it can be done by climbers with high altitude familiarity and mountaineering experience. It is just that we recommend the ultimate 8-day Lemosho Route itinerary as the best option that gives you a higher chance and ample time to acclimatize and reach the summit, safely and successfully.

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.

Here is the Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route Guide

We have created this route guide to simplify how you find the useful tips and information about one of our personal best choice of climbing Kilimanjaro, the Lemosho Route, one of the best all-around routes.

  • How to trek the Lemosho Route, tips and map
  • Attractions, landmarks and places to see along Lemosho
  • Where will you sleep while climbing the Lemosho Route
  • Accommodation before and after trekking the Lemosho
  • Download Lemosho Route resources, training plan, Itinerary and gear list
  • FAQs and reviews

Lemosho Route video and photo gallery

We have a walkthrough video for the Lemosho Route on Kilimanjaro attached below detailing the day-by-day breakdown of the itinerary for this route.

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Lemosho Route Map

The Lemosho Route map starts on the western side, offering a remote and wild experience. It shows climbers traversing the Shira Plateau, one of the largest high-altitude plateaus, before converging with Machame at Barranco Camp on day 3. The map highlights possible wildlife sightings (antelope, buffalo, elephant) in the early stages, with a longer itinerary (7-8 days, ~70km) for better acclimatisation, summiting at Uhuru Peak via Stella Point. The path showcases diverse landscapes, from lush forests to alpine deserts, with a high success rate (90-95% for 7-day itineraries).

The cost of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to Uhuru Peak via Lemosho is indicated below depending on the number of people in a group and the number of days used to succesfully summit.

8 days Lemosho Route Map

How much does the Lemosho Route cost?

Prices for 8 days Lemosho

1 Person: $3,115

A group of 2 people: $2,750 per person

A group of 3 people: $2,650 per person

A group of 4 people: $2,440 per person

A group of 5 people: $2,395 per person

A group of 6 People: $2,350 per person

A group of 7+ people:  $2,285 per person

Book this 8 day Lemosho Route trek

Prices for 7 days Lemosho.

1 Person: $2,950

A group of 2 people: $2,435 per person

A group of 3 people: $2,318 per person

A group of 4 people: $2,295 per person

A group of 5 people: REQUEST PRICE

A group of 6 People: $2,165 per person

A group of 7+ people: REQUEST PRICE

Book this 7 day Lemosho Route trek

What is included in this Lemosho Price Quote?

Airport Pickup & Drop-off Transfers in Private Car/van

Accommodation before and after your hike

All transfers to the mountain and back to your Arusha hotel

Professional, experienced, mountain guides

Guides, Porters, Cook salaries and park fees

Rescue fees (part of park fees)

VAT (18% charged by the Government)

Surcharge for online payment of deposit (5%)

Quality, waterproof, four-season mountain sleeping tents

Sleeping Mattress

All meals while on the Mountain

Quality Mess tents with table and chairs

Large portions of fresh, healthy, nutritious food

Clean, purified drinking water

Conservation fees (part of park fees)

Camping or Hut fees (part of park fees)

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 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.

7 Days Lemosho Route or
8 Days Lemosho 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-day 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.

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.

DAYSTARTALTITUDE (M/FT)FINISHALTITUDE (M/FT)TIME (HRS)DISTANCE (KM/MI)
1Londorossi Gate2,360m/ 7,742ftMti Mkubwa2,895m/ 9,498ft3-46km/ 4mi
2Mti Mkubwa2,895m/ 9,498ftShira 1 Camp3,505m/ 11,500ft5-68km/ 5mi
3Shira 1 Camp3,505m/ 11,500ftMoir Hut4,200m/ 13,800ft5-711km/ 7mi
4Moir Hut4,200m/ 13,800ftLava Tower4,630m/ 15,190ft4-57km/ 4mi
Lava Tower4,630m/ 15,190ftBarranco Camp3,976m/ 13,044ft2-33km/ 2mi
5Barranco Camp3,976m/ 13,044ftKaranga Camp3,995m/ 13,106ft4-55km/ 3mi
6Karanga Camp3,995m/ 13,106ftBarafu Camp4,673m/ 15,331ft4-54km/ 2mi
7Barafu Camp4,673m/ 15,331ftUhuru Peak5,895m/ 19,341ft7-85km/ 3mi
Uhuru Peak5,895m/ 19,341ftMweka Camp3,068m/ 10,065ft4-612km/ 7mi
8Mweka Camp3,068m/ 10,065ftMweka Gate1,640m/ 5,380ft3-410km/ 6mi

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. Read more about this route at www.lemoshoroute.com

Where will you sleep along the Lemosho Route?

The Lemosho Route is favoured for its remote start and excellent acclimatisation opportunities. Climbers sleep in tents throughout. The first night is typically at Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,820m), followed by Shira Camp 1 (3,500m) and Shira Camp 2 (3,850m). Some itineraries include a night at Moir Hut (4,150m), though this is less common and typically involves tents. The route then proceeds to Barranco Camp (3,900m), Karanga Camp (3,960m), and Barafu Base Camp (4,670m) before the summit attempt. Descent is via Millennium Camp (3,820m) or Mweka Camp (3,100m). All accommodations are in tents, with porters setting up sturdy, 4 season tents and providing sleeping mats.

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

What will I eat when trekking the Lemosho Route?

When trekking the Lemosho Route, you’ll enjoy full board service, with experienced cooks preparing three hot meals daily, plus snacks and beverages. The meals are carefully planned to provide the energy and nutrients needed for high-altitude trekking, balancing carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. We recommend informing us of any dietary restrictions in advance, as we can accommodate vegetarian and vegan diets. For more details, see our sample meal plan and menu here.

Breakfast

Start your day with a hearty breakfast to fuel your trek. Typical offerings include:

  • Porridge with milk
  • Boiled or fried eggs
  • Bread or toast with spreads like butter, jam, or peanut butter
  • Fresh fruit such as bananas or oranges
  • Hot beverages like tea, coffee, or hot chocolate

Lunch

Lunch is a mix of portable and nutritious options to keep you going. Expect:

  • Sandwiches with fillings like meat, cheese, or egg
  • Fresh fruit
  • Sliced vegetables
  • Sometimes macaroni with meat sauce
  • On certain days, a hot lunch may be prepared at a designated stop

Dinner

Dinner is a hot, filling meal designed to replenish your energy after a day of trekking. It usually includes:

  • Stews or curries with meat
  • Rice or pasta
  • Grilled meats
  • Vegetables
  • Bread or chapati as an accompaniment

Energy Snacks

Throughout the day, you’ll have access to snacks to maintain your energy levels during hikes. These include:

  • Nuts (e.g., peanuts, almonds)
  • Dried fruits (e.g., apricots, raisins)
  • Chocolate bars
  • Cookies
  • Popcorn
  • Energy bars

Vegetarian and Vegan Diets

We can accommodate vegetarian and vegan diets if notified in advance.

  • Vegetarian options might include tofu scramble, cheese sandwiches, and lentil curries.
  • Vegan options could feature plant-based meals like hummus wraps, vegan chilli, and overnight oats with plant-based milk.
    For more information on vegetarian diets, please see here (#).

This food plan ensures you’re well-nourished and energised for the stunning and challenging journey up the Lemosho Route! More about vegetarian meals.

What makes Lemosho so unique, and why choose this route?

The Lemosho Route is celebrated for its scenic beauty and lower foot traffic, making it a favourite for those seeking a more secluded experience. Starting on the western side, it spans about 70 km and typically takes 7-8 days, offering excellent acclimatisation opportunities. Its uniqueness lies in traversing the expansive and beautiful Shira Plateau, providing panoramic views and a chance to spot wildlife, before joining the Machame Route. The longer duration increases costs but significantly boosts summit success rates. This route is ideal for climbers prioritising both scenery and acclimatisation.