Machame vs Lemosho: which should you pick?
The short version: Lemosho on 8 days if your budget allows it, Machame on 7 if it does not. Lemosho buys you a quieter start, more varied scenery and an extra acclimatisation day, for roughly $500 to 600 more. Machame gets you the same summit approach for less money and one less day off work.
They are the two most popular camping routes on the mountain, and from the fourth day onward they are effectively the same climb. The decision is really about the first three days, the pace of your acclimatisation, and money.
The two routes at a glance
| Machame | Lemosho | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical itinerary | 6 or 7 days (do 7) | 7 or 8 days (do 8) |
| Distance | ~62 km | ~70 km |
| Start | Machame Gate, south side | Londorossi Gate, west side |
| First camp | Machame Camp, ~2,850 m | Mti Mkubwa (Forest Camp), ~2,895 m |
| Character of days 1–3 | Steep, busy, straight up the southern forest | Remote rainforest, then the crossing of the Shira Plateau |
| Crowds | The busiest route on the mountain, roughly a third of all climbers | Quiet until it merges with Machame traffic |
| Typical price difference | baseline | +$500–600 per person (8d vs 7d, like-for-like operator) |
| Park fees component | ~$956 (7-day, incl. VAT) | ~$1,109 (8-day, incl. VAT and forest fee) |
From the Lava Tower area onward, both routes run the same southern circuit: Barranco Wall, Karanga, Barafu, and the same summit night to Stella Point and Uhuru Peak. Same trail, same camps, same sunrise. (Sources describe the merge point slightly differently, some say Shira Plateau's edge, some say near Lava Tower; in practice you will notice the trails join somewhere on day 3.)
What actually differs
The start. Machame goes up fast: a steep first day through busy forest with a lot of other climbers. Lemosho begins on the far western side, in rainforest quiet enough that you have a real chance of seeing colobus monkeys, and then spends a day crossing the Shira Plateau, a huge high moorland shelf where the whole mountain opens up in front of you. If scenery is a factor in your decision, this crossing is the single biggest thing Lemosho has that Machame does not.
The acclimatisation arithmetic. The standard 8-day Lemosho itinerary simply gives your body one more day than the standard 7-day Machame, and both are dramatically better than their short versions. This is most of what you are paying for, and it is worth paying for. Altitude, not fitness, is why people fail on Kilimanjaro.
The crowds. Machame carries roughly a third of all traffic on the mountain. If you are climbing in high season and value quiet camps for the first days, Lemosho is meaningfully calmer until the routes merge.
The success rate question, answered honestly
You will see numbers like "95% success on Lemosho" all over operator websites. Here is what we can actually tell you.
There are no current official statistics. KINAPA's last widely cited figures date from the early 2000s. Everything since is operator self-reporting, and operators have an obvious incentive to round up. The claims cluster like this:
| Source (type) | Machame 7d | Lemosho 8d |
|---|---|---|
| Large operator, self-reported | 85–95% | 90–95%+ |
| Independent guide site (old KINAPA data + interviews) | ~90% | ~90% |
| Adventure travel publisher | 80–90% | 90–95% |
The honest reading: on a 7 or 8-day itinerary with a competent operator, both routes summit the large majority of their climbers, Lemosho 8-day probably a few points higher because of the extra day. The route matters far less than the days. A 6-day Machame is a worse bet than either, and the 5-day Marangu itinerary, the one that produces those alarming failure statistics, is a different conversation entirely, covered in route success rates.
No operator can verify their own success claims to you. When Kilihub's directory collects verified climber reviews, summit outcomes included, we will publish observed rates per operator. Until then, treat every percentage you read, including the ones above, as marketing until proven otherwise.
Cost difference, itemised
For a like-for-like mid-range operator, 8-day Lemosho runs about $500 to 600 more per person than 7-day Machame. Where it goes: roughly $150 of it is the extra day of park fees and VAT, and the rest is an additional day of crew wages, food and camp. At luxury operators the gap widens; on group departures it narrows.
If that $550 is the difference between going and not going, take Machame on 7 days without guilt. It is a great route. If it is not, the Lemosho 8-day is the better climb, and it is the one we would book.
So which one?
Pick Lemosho (8 days) if: you want the best acclimatisation on a standard itinerary, quieter early days, the Shira crossing, and the budget stretches.
Pick Machame (7 days) if: you want the classic southern climb at the best price, you are short on days, or you are climbing in shoulder season when crowds matter less.
Pick neither if: anyone offers you these routes on 5 days. That is not a deal. That is a summit-night failure being sold at a discount.
Questions people ask
Is Lemosho harder than Machame because it is longer? No. The extra distance is spread over more days, so daily stages are similar and the acclimatisation is better. Most climbers find the 8-day Lemosho easier in practice.
Do both routes do the Barranco Wall? Yes. Both join the southern circuit, and the Wall is a highlight, not the obstacle it looks like from camp. It is a hands-on scramble, not climbing.
Which has better views? Days 1 to 3: Lemosho, mainly for the Shira Plateau. From day 4 they are the same route with the same views.
Can I do Lemosho in 7 days instead of 8? Yes, and it is still good. But the 8-day version exists because the extra night helps summit odds. The trade-off is the same one covered in how many days do you need?
What about Northern Circuit instead? Nine days, the quietest mountain experience and the longest acclimatisation. If you have the time and budget it is arguably the best route on the mountain: Northern Circuit guide.
Not sure either is right for you? Start with Kilimanjaro routes compared or check the success rates by route.