
challenging
7–8 days
Requires strong cardiovascular fitness and multi-day hiking experience; regular training hikes and aerobic conditioning recommended.
An eight-day private trek on the Lemosho Route gives you the best chance to reach Uhuru Peak while moving through Kilimanjaro’s dramatic ecosystems. Expect lush rainforest, the high Shira Plateau and a cold, wind-swept summit—plus local guides, porters and well-paced acclimatization.
The headlamp pool thins to a single thread of light as the group steps into the dark crust of Barafu. Breath fogs and the mountain seems to listen; the wind nudges the slope and the trail pulls upward, relentless but honest. This is summit night on Kilimanjaro, the close of an eight-day route that begins in the rainforest below Moshi and climbs through giant heather, high desert and stone scree to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 meters.

Drink small amounts frequently—aim for 3–4 liters daily at higher camps to help acclimatization.
Temperatures swing from warm afternoons to sub-zero summit winds—pack a warm insulating layer and a windproof shell.
Sturdy, well-broken-in mountaineering boots and good socks reduce blisters on steep scree and long descents.
Tip and treat porters and guides fairly—the team handles camp systems and your summit success.
Kilimanjaro is a dormant stratovolcano with three distinct cones—Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo—and is Africa's highest free-standing mountain and continent high point.
Kilimanjaro is a national park with strict waste and camping regulations; support operators who follow porter welfare practices and proper human-waste disposal.
Support and grip for scree, rocky ridgelines and long descents.
Warmth for high camps and summit night when temperatures drop well below freezing.
Lightweight warmth for summit attempts and windy alpine conditions.
Reduce impact on knees during long descents and help on steep, loose sections.