9-Day Lemosho Barafu Route
9-Day Lemosho Barafu
Our 9-Day Lemosho Barafu Route can include both our Standard and All-Inclusive Packages. Any climber (even if part of a group) can choose their own package if they prefer one over the other. All our Kilimanjaro climbs include:
- 2 nights accommodation at a high-end hotel before the climb
- 1-night accommodation at a high-end hotel after the climb
This exciting journey with us takes 12 days (excluding flights).
Day 1/9: Start of the expedition in the tropical rainforest. Overnight at forest camp.
Drive Time: ~3 hours
Trek Time: ~2–3 hours
Distance: ~3 miles / 4.8 kilometers
Starting Elevation: 7,700 ft / 2,100 m (Lemosho Gate)
Ending Elevation: 9,255 ft / 2,821 m (Forest Camp)
Elevation Gain: ~1,555 ft / 475 m
We’ll pick you up from your hotel in the morning and depart Arusha at 9:00 AM. The scenic drive to Lemosho Gate takes about three hours, winding through local towns and farmland toward the western side of Kilimanjaro. We’ll make a brief stop midway to grab water, snacks, or stretch out.
Upon arrival at the gate (7,700 ft / 2,100 m), you’ll enjoy a packed lunch while the team handles permits and gear check. This is also where we meet your full mountain crew, porters, guides, and chefs, and begin the official start of your climb.
The day’s trek takes you through the Rainforest Zone, one of the most vibrant ecosystems on the mountain. Expect a rich, green canopy overhead, earthy trails underfoot, and a chance to spot black-and-white Colobus monkeys and Blue monkeys in the trees.
After a 2–3 hour hike covering approximately 3 miles (4.8 km), we arrive at Forest Camp (a.k.a. Mti Mkubwa), located at 9,255 ft / 2,821 m. This marks your first night on the mountain, surrounded by the sounds of the forest and the warmth of your private dining tent. Welcome to your Kilimanjaro expedition.
Day 2/9: Enter the moorland heather zone. overnight at shira 1 camp.
Trek Time: ~5–7 hours (including lunch break)
Distance: ~5 miles / 8 kilometers
Starting Elevation: 9,255 ft / 2,821 m (Forest Camp)
Ending Elevation: 11,300 ft / 3,444 m (Shira 1 Camp)
Elevation Gain: ~2,045 ft / 623 m
After breakfast at Forest Camp, we begin the steady ascent toward Shira 1 Camp, leaving the lush Rainforest Zone behind and entering the dramatic Heather and Moorland Zones. As the vegetation begins to change, you’ll notice the landscape open up, offering your first sweeping views of the Shira Plateau.
We’ll stop for a lunch break about halfway through the day. Your mountain chef team will set up a scenic outdoor lunch, giving you time to refuel and enjoy the scenery.
This stretch is approximately 5 miles (8 km) and takes 5–7 hours to complete, depending on pace and weather. The trail is a mix of gradual uphill and steeper sections as we gain 2,045 ft (623 m) of elevation. The terrain shifts into hardy shrubs, wildflowers, and strange alien-like flora unique to Kilimanjaro’s mid-mountain zones.
By late afternoon, we reach Shira 1 Camp at 11,300 ft (3,444 m), your home for the night, perched on the edge of the Shira Plateau with epic views of Kibo Peak looming in the distance.
Day 3/9: Cross the shira plateau. Overnight at moir camp.
Trek Time: ~5–7 hours (including lunch break)
Distance: ~6.8 miles / 11 kilometers
Starting Elevation: 11,300 ft / 3,444 m (Shira 1 Camp)
Ending Elevation: 13,779 ft / 4,200 m (Moir Camp)
Elevation Gain: ~2,479 ft / 756 m
We continue our journey from Shira 1 Camp deeper into Kilimanjaro’s wild terrain, pushing higher into the Heather and Moorland Zone, and gradually entering the stark beauty of the High Alpine Desert.
This day’s trek covers roughly 6.8 miles (11 km) and takes 5 to 7 hours, depending on pace and breaks. Expect a steady ascent with some rocky and open terrain as the vegetation gets sparser and more rugged. You’ll start noticing dramatic changes in the landscape, low shrubs, volcanic rock formations, and sweeping panoramic views of the mountain.
We’ll stop for lunch mid-hike, with your chef team preparing a hot meal in one of the most unique dining locations you’ve probably ever experienced.
We finish the day at Moir Camp, a remote, scenic spot tucked into a high valley at 13,779 ft (4,200 m). The views here are unreal, and the solitude gives you a real sense of being deep in the mountain, far from the typical tourist routes.
This is one of the most unique and rarely visited camps on the mountain, giving you that off-the-beaten-path feel that’s core to the Kiliwarrior experience.
Day 4/9: Hike through the alpine desert zone overnight at lava tower camp.
Trek Time: ~3–4 hours
Distance: ~3.7 miles / 6 kilometers
Starting Elevation: 13,779 ft / 4,200 m (Moir Camp)
Ending Elevation: 15,091 ft / 4,600 m (Lava Tower Camp)
Elevation Gain: ~1,312 ft / 400 m
Today we climb directly from Moir Camp to Lava Tower Camp at 15,091 ft / 4,600 m, gaining over 1,300 ft as we ascend deeper into the Alpine Desert Zone.
The terrain becomes increasingly barren and rocky, with wide open spaces and dramatic views of the Western Breach and Kibo Peak. This is a shorter day on the trail but a significant jump in altitude, which makes it one of the most important acclimatization steps on the route.
We arrive at Lava Tower Camp in time for a hot lunch and an early rest. This high-altitude camp is raw, surreal, and awe-inspiring — a place where you begin to feel just how high you are.
We overnight here, giving your body the time it needs to adjust before moving forward.
Day 5/9: Lava Tower Camp, over the Barranco Wall, and to Karanga Camp
Trek Time: ~6–7 hours
Distance: ~6.2 miles / 10 kilometers
Starting Elevation: 15,091 ft / 4,600 m (Lava Tower Camp)
Lowest Elevation: 13,066 ft / 3,983 m (Barranco Camp)
Ending Elevation: 13,255 ft / 4,040 m (Karanga Camp)
Net Elevation Loss: ~1,836 ft / 560 m
From Lava Tower Camp, we descend into the Barranco Valley — a dramatic drop that gives your body a chance to recover and absorb the benefits of sleeping high the night before.
We pass through surreal alpine landscapes before arriving at Barranco Camp (13,066 ft / 3,983 m) for a short rest and hydration break. Then comes the day’s main challenge: the Great Barranco Wall — a 1,000 ft rock face that looks tough but is fully guided and non-technical.
Once over the Wall, we continue across short ridgelines and valleys before our final push to Karanga Camp (13,255 ft / 4,040 m). This is a long but critical day — combining descent, technical ascent, and great acclimatization.
We arrive at Karanga Camp by mid-afternoon and settle in for the night. The summit is getting close now.
Day 6/9: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
Day 7/9: Summit Day to Uhuru Peak and back down to Barafu Camp
Summit Ascent Time: ~7 hours
Descent to Barafu Time: ~3–4 hours
Starting Elevation: 15,239 ft / 4,644 m (Barafu Camp)
Summit Elevation: 19,341 ft / 5,895 m (Uhuru Peak)
Ending Elevation (return): 15,239 ft / 4,644 m (Barafu Camp)
Today is summit day — the day you’ve trained for, climbed for, and dreamed about.
Unlike the traditional midnight summit route, we wake up at 6:00 AM and begin our push in daylight, giving you a safer, more scenic, and less crowded ascent.
We climb steadily for approximately 7 hours, gaining over 4,000 feet through volcanic switchbacks and ever-thinning air. Along the way, we’ll pause for a light meal near the summit to refuel and regroup.
By early to mid-afternoon, we reach Uhuru Peak (19,341 ft / 5,895 m) — the highest point in Africa.
Take your time. Breathe it in. There’s no rush. You’ll have the space and silence to truly enjoy the moment.
After photos, high fives, and a well-earned snack, we begin the descent back to Barafu Camp, which takes around 3–4 hours.
Tonight, you sleep as a summiter of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Day 8/9: Making our descent down to mweka camp.
Trek Time: ~4–5 hours
Distance: ~7 miles / 11.2 kilometers
Starting Elevation: 15,239 ft / 3,983 m (Barafu Camp)
Ending Elevation: 10,204 ft / 3,110 m (Mweka Camp)
Elevation Loss: ~5,000 ft / 873 m
After yesterday’s summit ,the highest point on the continent, today is all about the come down, literally.
We wake up at Barafu Camp (15,239 ft / 3,983 m), shake off the summit buzz, and begin our steady descent through the alpine terrain. Over the course of about 4–5 hours, we drop elevation fast, moving down through the moorland and eventually back into the rainforest zone.
By late afternoon, we reach Mweka Camp (10,204 ft / 3,110 m), our final night on the mountain. The air feels thick (in the best way). Your lungs will love you. Legs might be sore, but spirits are high, this is your victory lap.
We overnight here with a warm meal and well-earned rest before finishing the journey tomorrow.
Day 9/9: Complete our descent and head back to Arusha
Trek Time: ~3–4 hours
Distance: ~6 miles / 9.6 kilometers
Starting Elevation: 10,204 ft / 3,110 m (Mweka Camp)
Ending Elevation: 5,423 ft / 1,653 m (Mweka Gate)
Elevation Loss: ~4,781 ft / 1,457 m
Final push.
After breakfast at Mweka Camp, we begin our last descent through the lush rainforest toward Mweka Gate (5,423 ft / 1,653 m). It’s a 3–4 hour hike, and around 6 miles / 9.6 km. The trail can be slippery, you’ve dropped nearly 5,000 feet in the last 24 hours, but every step is downhill from greatness.
At the gate, we’ll:
- Sign the Official Kilimanjaro National Park Register
- Receive a cold drink (you earned it)
- Get presented with your Official Summit Certificate by your Head Guide
Then we load up the vehicle and begin the 3-hour drive back to our Premium Hotel in Arusha. Arrival is usually around 3 PM, depending on how early you left camp.
Showers. Real beds. Your Kilimanjaro story, complete.
Grab our free Kilimanjaro Packing List and make sure you’re fully prepared for your adventure.