9-Day Kilimanjaro Machame (7 Days on Trek)

• A transfer from the airport can be arranged for an extra cost.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Arrival date

Direct arrival at the hotel (optional airport transfer). Meet our Mountain guide at the hotel / Lodge this evening for pre-climbing briefing and equipment check. The Mountain guide will give you guideline on what to expect from the first day of the trek to the last and final preparations for the tour. If you have any last minute questions it will be the best time to ask for answers and clarifications.

Main Destination:

Moshi (Town)

Accommodation:

Chanya Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located near Moshi (Town)

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Meals & Drinks:

• Meals at own expense
• Drinks not included

Start of trek from Machame gate to Machame camp

You will be transferred by road from Moshi town (09:00am) to Machame gate. After registration you begin your trek through the rain forest zone with your guide. The forest is thick and diverse with flora / fauna, and you may experience rain this afternoon which is common in this zone making the path slightly slippery. A steady but relatively steep hike takes you to the edge of the forest and heather zone.

Trekking time: 5-7 hours, approx. 9km distance.

Main Destination:

Machame Gate (Mt Kilimanjaro)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Machame camp to Shira Camp

Today's hike is a little shorter and begins with a trek through the heather & moorland zone up a steep ridge till the semi-circular cliff known as Picnic Rock. From here you have excellent views (on a clear day) of Kibo peak, the tallest cone on the mountain where your goal of Uhuru peak is. You should also see the jagged peaks of the Shira Plateau to the west. Shira is the third peak of Kilimanjaro which has been molded by lava flow, erosion, and volcanic activity. Tanzania’s second highest mountain (Mt Meru 4563m or 14970ft) may be seen in the distance. The remainder of your day is a much gentler / flat trail to your camp, where the views are equally as spectacular.

Trekking time: 5-7 hours, approx. 7km distance.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Shira camp to Barranco camp

Your hike today takes you towards to Kibo cone steadily climbing up and over the edges of the alpine desert to your first high altitude at the lava tower (4630m or 15190ft). Today helps you to acclimatize and also is a great indicator to see how your body can handle the higher altitude. From the Lava Tower you begin your steep descent anti clockwise around Kibo and into the Barranco Valley passing the large flowering mountain cacti (Kilimanjaro Senecios) unique to Kilimanjaro. The day ends around the same elevation as you started on the edge of the heather and moorland

Trekking time: 6-8 hours, approx. 10km distance.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Barranco camp to Karanga valley camp

This morning you will leave the camp and ascend the Barranco wall. This is an impressive non-technical scramble and gives a feeling of mountain climbing (without any previous experience or advanced equipment required) and is rewarded with a superb view from the top back into the camp and the Heim glacier on the peak. The remainder of the hike will be through the alpine desert slowly winding around the mountain till the Karanga valley which you descend into and again up till your camp. Karanga valley is the last water point.

Trekking time: 3-5 hours, approx. 6km distance.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Karanga camp to Barafu camp

Today you climb almost casually through the empty landscape of the alpine desert where you keep a slow pace even though the path is not extremely steep. Kibo cone starts to near and you may finally glimpse the Mawenzi peak (Kilimanjaro’s second peak) in the east. The short distance means you have plenty of time at your summit camp to rest and prepare for the summit attempt tonight.

Trekking time: 3-4 hours, approx. 4km distance.

Main Destination:

Mount Kilimanjaro

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Barafu camp to Uhuru Peak to Mweka camp

In the early morning (around 00:00am) you begin your final ascent to the summit of Uhuru peak through the arctic zone. The trek is a steep hike over loose volcanic scree through the dark and cold night and takes a slow pace in a zig-zag pattern towards Stella point (5685m or 18650ft) which is your first stop on the Kibo crater rim. From here a short (but difficult) hike remains to take you to Uhuru Peak (5895m or 19341ft), the highest point in Africa. You usually don’t spend that long at the peak due to the extreme altitude and will descend back down to the base camp for your breakfast / brunch. After your gear is packed up you continue the descent through the alpine desert, heather and moorland and eventually stopping at Mweka camp in the rain forest zone for a well-deserved rest.

Trekking time: 14-18 hours, approx. 19km distance.

Main Destination:

Uhuru Peak (Mt Kilimanjaro)

Accommodation:

Budget camping

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Mweka camp to Mweka gate to Moshi

Your final day on Kilimanjaro is a descent through the southern rain forest until Mweka gate where our vehicle will be waiting to take you back to Moshi town. Usually, the crew will leave you at Mweka gate and it’s a perfect opportunity to say goodbye to your crew who all generally head directly home from the end gate.

Trekking time: 3-4 hours, approx. 10km distance.

Main Destination:

Moshi (Town)

Accommodation:

Chanya Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located near Moshi (Town)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Departure date

Check-out. End of our services. Optional: proceed for safari | proceed to the airport.

Main Destination:

No major destination visited

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• A transfer back to the airport can be arranged for an extra cost.