Lemosho Route (8 Days)
A beautiful western approach with excellent acclimatisation and one of the mountain’s highest summit success rates.
This is a sample day-by-day breakdown of the 8-day Lemosho route, widely regarded as one of the best-balanced routes on the mountain. Pace and timing are adjusted for your group, but this is what a typical climb looks like from gate to gate.
Duration
8 days / 7 nights
Difficulty
Moderate approach, excellent acclimatisation
From
$2,200 per person
Day by day
1
Londorossi Gate to Mti Mkubwa Camp
A scenic drive to the remote western trailhead, then a walk through rainforest to Mti Mkubwa (“Big Tree”) Camp. Around 3–4 hours of walking.
2
Mti Mkubwa to Shira 1 Camp
Climb out of the forest onto the vast Shira Plateau. Around 5 hours, with wide-open views and your first real sense of the mountain’s scale.
3
Shira 1 to Shira 2 Camp
A gentler acclimatisation day crossing the plateau to Shira 2 Camp, with optional short side walks to help your body adjust. Around 4 hours.
4
Shira 2 to Barranco Camp via Lava Tower
Climb to Lava Tower (4,600m) for lunch, then descend to sleep at Barranco Camp (3,960m). This “climb high, sleep low” day is key to acclimatisation. Around 7 hours.
5
Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
A steep morning scramble up the Barranco Wall followed by a gentler walk to Karanga Camp. Around 5 hours.
6
Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
A shorter day to Barafu, your base camp for the summit attempt. Around 4 hours. Early dinner and rest before a midnight start.
7
Summit night: Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak, then down to Mweka Camp
Depart around midnight, reaching Uhuru Peak (5,895m) around sunrise. Descend to Barafu for a rest, then continue down to Mweka Camp. The longest day, typically 13–15 hours.
8
Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
A final descent through forest back to Mweka Gate, around 4 hours, where you’ll receive your summit certificate before transferring back to Arusha or Moshi.
What’s included
- Park and camping fees
- Licensed mountain guides, porters and cook
- All meals and drinking water on the mountain
- Camping equipment (tents, mess tent)
- Transfers from Arusha or Moshi
Not included
- Tips for the mountain crew ($250–350 typical)
- Personal hiking gear
- Flights, visa and travel insurance
- Sleeping bag rental (available locally)
- Hotel nights before or after the climb
Questions about this route
Why is Lemosho considered one of the best routes?
It combines a quiet, scenic western start with a long acclimatisation profile and joins the busier Machame route only partway up, giving you the best of both a peaceful early trek and strong summit success rates.
How is Lemosho different from Machame?
Lemosho starts further west and adds an extra day on the Shira Plateau before joining the Machame route near Barranco Camp, giving you one more full day to acclimatise compared to the standard 7-day Machame.
Is 8 days necessary?
It’s not the only option, but the extra time meaningfully improves comfort and summit success compared to shorter routes. We generally recommend it for climbers who can spare the extra day.