7 Days Machame route Kilimanjaro Climb

Today has no planned activities and is only an arrival day for you to reach your base lodge in time for a pre-climb briefing (time to be confirmed) with your mountain guide. A shared shuttle airport transfer is included from Kilimanjaro International Airport (time and flight to be confirmed) to Moshi.

Approx driving distance: 1-2
hoursApprox trekking time:
NoneApprox trekking distance:
NoneStart Altitude:
UnknownEnd Altitude:
UnknownHighest Altitude reached:
UnknownAltitude +gain / -loss:
UnknownMeals included:






None

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.

Approx driving distance: 1-1 .5
hoursApprox trekking time: 5-7
hoursApprox trekking distance: 9km / 5.
5miStart Altitude: 1790m or
5870ftEnd Altitude: 3010m or
9875ftHighest Altitude reached: 3010m or
9875ftAltitude +gain / -loss: +1220m or
+4005ftMeals included:






Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner

Overnight at Machame 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.

Approx driving distance:
NoneApprox trekking time: 5-7
hoursApprox trekking distance: 7km or 4.
5miStart Altitude: 3010m or
9875ftEnd Altitude: 3845m or
12615ftHighest Altitude reached: 3845m or
12615ftAltitude +gain / -loss: +835m or
+2740ftMeals included:






Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner

Overnight at Shira 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.

Approx driving distance:
NoneApprox trekking time: 6-8
hoursApprox trekking distance: 10km or
6miStart Altitude: 3845 or
12615ftEnd Altitude: 3960m or
12990ftHighest Altitude reached: 4630m or
15190ftAltitude +gain / -loss: +785m or +2575ft / -670m or
-2200ftMeals included:






Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner

Overnight at Barranco 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. Karangu valley is the last water point.

Approx driving distance:
NoneApprox trekking time: 3-5
hoursApprox trekking distance: 6km or
4miStart Altitude: 3960m or
12990ftEnd Altitude: 4040m or
13255ftHighest Altitude reached: 4250m or
13945ftAltitude +gain / -loss: +290m or +955ft / -210m or
-690ftMeals included:






Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner

Overnight at Karanga 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.

Approx driving distance:
NoneApprox trekking time: 3-4
hoursApprox trekking distance: 4km or 2.
5miStart Altitude: 4040m or
13255ftEnd Altitude: 4640m or
15225ftHighest Altitude reached: 4640m or
15225ftAltitude +gain / -loss: +600m or
+1970ftMeals included:






Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner

Overnight at Barafu 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.

Approx driving distance:
NoneApprox trekking time: 14-18
hoursApprox trekking distance: 19km or
12miStart Altitude: 4640m or
15225ftEnd Altitude: 3700m or
12220ftHighest Altitude reached: 5895m or 19431ft (Peak!)
Altitude +gain / -loss: +1255m or +4206ft / -2195m or
-7211ftMeals included:






Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner

Overnight at Mweka Camp