The 8 days Lemosho route itinerary gives you an extra day advantage for acclimatization purposes on Mount Kilimanjaro. This 8-day Mount Kilimanjaro package for trekking the mountain through the Lemosho Route used to begin at the Londorossi gate and descending is done through a different trail, the Mweka Route. It is a scenic and gentle profile that traverses the plateau to make way towards the glaciated Kibo Peak and nowadays the 8-day itinerary begins at the Lemosho Gate. Please click on the price tab to see how much it costs to use the eight-day Lemosho trek and what is included in this trekking package on the mountain.
Among the places of interest that you will come across while hiking through this route include, the Lava Tower, the Barranco Wall, and the beautiful Shira Plateau as you make your way to the summit point, Uhuru Peak. The main way of accommodation is by way of camping. Your mountain expedition crew made up of guides and porters will pitch tents and set up the camp before you arrive from your day-to-day hiking activities.
Itinerary and Route Map for Lemosho in 8 days
8-Day Lemosho Route Itinerary:
- Day 1: Arrive in Arusha, meet your guide, and finalize logistics. Drive to Londorossi Gate and start the trek through the rainforest, reaching Mti Mkubwa Camp (2,780m) for overnight.
- Day 2: Hike through the Shira Plateau, reaching Shira Camp 1 (3,500m) for overnight.
- Day 3: Continue traversing the Shira Plateau, ascending to Shira Camp 2 (3,900m) for overnight.
- Day 4: Hike across the Lava Tower and Barranco Wall, reaching Barranco Camp (3,960m) for overnight.
- Day 5: Take a shorter hike to Karanga Camp (4,035m) to further acclimatize and prepare for summit day.
- Day 6: Early morning start for the summit push. Trek through the alpine desert zone, reaching Barafu Camp (4,640m) for overnight.
- Day 7: Summit day! Ascend to Uhuru Peak (5,895m), the highest point in Africa, and then descend to Mweka Camp (3,080m) for overnight.
- Day 8: Descend through the rainforest to Mweka Gate and drive back to Moshi/Arusha, celebrating your successful climb!
Below is the route map for the 8-day Kilimanjaro itinerary using the Lemosho route, starting from Lemosho gate towards Uhuru Peak and descending the mountain to exit via the Mweka gate along the Mweka Route. As indicated on the map, the route makes stops for overnight stays at Mti Mkubwa, Shira One, Moir Hut, Lava Tower, Barranco Camp, Karanga then summiting via Barafu Camp.
How long is the eight-day Lemosho trek?
The Lemosho route trail makes its way to Uhuru Peak at a height of 5,895 meters (19,341 feet). So how long is the 8-day Lemosho route? The total length of the Lemosho trail from the base to the summit measures a total distance of about 70 kilometers (42 miles). To begin hiking the Lemosho route, you will have to get to the Londorossi gate to gain entry access by driving from Moshi or Arusha town to the gate with is situated on the western slopes at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. It would take you about 3-4 hours to drive from Moshi to Londorossi Gate.
Bypassing various vegetation and climatic zones of the mountain like the rainforest zone, the Lemosho route takes you to the dramatic Shira Plateau proceeding onto the various icefields to the high alpine desert, there are a thousand reasons why this route is considered the most beautiful route on Mount Kilimanjaro. Not only is the Lemosho route scenic, but it experiences less traffic, is less overcrowded, and is an amazing route to choose from all the Mount Kilimanjaro routes.
You may encounter extreme weather and altitude conditions as you make your way up the mountain.
What is the success rate of the Lemosho route in eight days?
You have a greater chance of making it to the summit when you choose the 8-day Lemosho route variation which offers a high 90% success rate. This is due to the fact that the 8-day route itinerary has an added day for acclimatization while the 7-day Lemosho route itinerary which offers a considerably lower summit success rate of about 85% excludes the extra acclimatization rate. It is worth noting that the Lemosho route has a higher success rate than the more popular Machame Route.
How to climb the eight-day Lemosho tour
- Slow and steady will take you there. Your pace should be consistent and at a slow pace.
- Snacks will prove helpful along the trek giving you that needed boost of energy when you feel energy drained.
- Stay hydrated and always drink a lot of water to help minimize the symptoms of altitude sickness.
- Train and exercise before climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, you will enjoy trekking more when you are fit.
Lemosho route 7-day and 8-day itinerary
Normally the Lemosho route takes 7-8 days to complete climbing. It could take as little as 6 days to complete but rushing your time on Mount Kilimanjaro lowers your summit success rate and maximizes the risk of increased altitude sickness symptoms. We recommend the 8 days Lemosho Route itinerary as it offers ample time to climb the mountain, an extra acclimatization day, and a higher summit success rate.
The first two days will be used to traverse the rainforest zone of Mount Kilimanjaro to Shira Ridge which can be described as a flat hike from the west to the eastern side of the mountain. From here, onwards, the trail becomes more tranquil and less crowded until you get to the point where the trail joins up with the Machame Route trail near the Lava Tower. This route crosses below the icefields through the Southern Circuit trail that leads to Uhuru Peak from Barafu at the summit. After summiting via the Lemosho route, you will use the Mweka Route to descend the mountain.
Normal hiking days will feature 6-8 hours of hiking duration gaining ascents of between 900m to 1,000m, to around 1,100m to 1,200m.
Where will you stay along this route?
This is the ultimate Kilimanjaro camping experience along this route during the whole 8-day course. Accommodation will be in the form of tents that will be pitched by our Tranquil Kilimanjaro porters on designated campsites along the 8 days Lemosho trail. Mti Mkubwa or Big Forest Camp will be your day one campground followed by Shira Camp One, Moir Hut, Lava Tower Camp, Barranco Camp, and Karanga Camp before summiting on the final day from Barafu Camp before returning to Mweka Camp. Of course the day before your climb we will book you into a hotel room and if need be, which is a matter of personal choice, even after you descend the mountain, we will book you into a nice hotel/lodge to relax before catching your flight back home or continuing on a safari or Zanzibar beach combo or addon.
How much will this 8-day Lemosho trek cost?
The prices for this 8-day Lemosho route trip will cost from $2,350 for a group of 6 people and above to $3,115 for a single person. These costs include all taxes and requirements as indicated in the “price” tab under the items included and excluded section.
As for the meals on this trek, rest assured that our chef has expertise in preparing delicious and serving energy-giving foods while on the mountain. Also, be sure to indicate if you have any dietary restrictions that you would like us to be aware of.
How long is the eight-day Lemosho trek?
