Lemosho Route

If you'd like to climb Mount Kilimanjaro but avoid the crowds, enjoy great scenery and give yourself a good chance of reaching the top, the Lemosho Route is well worth a look. Many people call it the most beautiful and best-balanced route on Africa's highest mountain. It mixes nature, quiet trails and sensible acclimatization over 8 days.

Whether this is your first high-altitude hike or you just want a quieter trail, this guide covers what you need to know about a route many climbers see as the best way up Kilimanjaro.

Why Choose the Lemosho Route?

Here's the short version: Lemosho is one of the newer and less busy routes, so you get more peace, more wildlife and more time in the wilderness. It starts on the western side of the mountain, which gives you more time to adjust to the altitude. On the way you get wide views of Kilimanjaro's untouched slopes and the Shira Plateau, and in the first days you may see animals like colobus monkeys and antelope.

Its success rate is also one of the highest of all the Kilimanjaro routes. Because the itinerary is longer (usually 8 days), you have plenty of time to acclimatize, which greatly lowers the risk of altitude sickness. Compared with Marangu or even Machame, Lemosho is less rushed and more scenic, and many climbers find it the most rewarding.