Machame Route - Climbing Kilimanjaro 7 Days

You’ll be met by our ground handling team at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to the delightful Ahadi Lodge. Relax in your thatched cottage, savor the enchanting views of Mount Meru, and unwind on the private verandah. Located just outside the vibrant town of Arusha, and set in its own tropical gardens, the lodge provides a gentle introduction to the natural beauty of Tanzania.

Overnight: Arusha Hotel orMount Meru Hotel

Meals Plan: Dinner and Break Fast

Distance: Approximately 5.2 km Habitat: Moorland

Your day starts early with breakfast, followed by a 45-minute drive from Moshi (910m) to the Machame Gate (1828m). The guides and porters prepare and pack the supplies and your equipment at the gate. After registering at the gate office, you start your ascent and enter the rainforest almost immediately. There is a strong possibility of rain in the forest, which will transform the trail into a very soggy, muddy and slippery experience. You will have a welcome lunch stop about halfway and will reach the Machame camp (3020m) in the late afternoon.

Your porters (arriving at the camp site long before you) will have erected your tent on arrival. In the evening the porters will bring a small bowl of washing water to your tent and the cook will prepare dinner, before you retire to your tent for the night. Night temperatures can already drop to the freezing point at this campsite.

Distance: Approximately 5.2 km Habitat: Moorland You rise early at Machame camp and after breakfast, you climb an hour or so to the top of the forest and then for 2 hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone. After a short lunch and rest, you continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. By now you will be able to see the Western Breach and its stunning glaciers. You are now due west of Kibo and after a short hike, you will reach the Shira campsite at 3847m. The porters will once again supply you with a small bowl of washing water before serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will even be colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing.

Distance: Approximately 10.7 km Habitat: Semi-desert The route now turns east into a semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4642m after about a 5-hour trek. Lunch is served at a designated area. This is definitely the toughest day so far. It is normally at this point where some climbers will start experiencing symptoms of breathlessness, irritability and headaches.

After lunch, you descent again by almost 658m to the Barranco camping area.After reaching the high altitude of Lava Tower, the true acclimatisation benefit of this day becomes clear. This descent to Barranco camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for your dinner to be prepared.

Distance: 5 km/3 miles Habitat: Alpine desert

We begin the day by descending into a ravine to the base of the Great Barranco Wall. Then we climb the non-technical but steep, nearly-900 ft cliff. From the top of the Barranco Wall, we cross a series of hills and valleys until we descend sharply into Karanga Valley. One more steep climb up leads us to Karanga Camp. This is a shorter day meant for acclimatization.

Distance: 4 km/2 miles Habitat: Alpine Desert

We leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the rocky section to Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the Southern Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest and enjoy an early dinner to prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are viewable from this position.

Distance: Approximately 4.5 km ascent and 10.8 km descent Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

Wake up around 11.30pm and after some tea and biscuits you shuffle off into the night. You will head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. For many climbers, the 6-hour walk to Stella point is mentally and physically the most challenging on the route. At Stella Point (5739m) you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point, you will normally encounter snow during your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. The time you will spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop here for too long, as it will be extremely difficult to get going again due to cold and fatigue. Enjoy your accomplishment and a day to remember for the rest of your life! The walk back to Barafu from the summit takes about 3 hours. Here you will have a well earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear, before heading down to Mweka hut (3090m). The route is not difficult and will take you down the rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest. The camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Dinner and washing water will be prepared.

Distance: Approximately 8.5 km Habitat: Forest

After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short 4–6-hour scenic hike back to the Park gate. Some hikers do experience knee problems which could make the descend longer than planned. It is strongly recommended not to pay your porters any tips until you and all your gear have reached the gate safely. Visit the tips page for more info. At Mweka gate you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point (5739m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. From the Mweka Gate you will continue down into the Mweka village, normally a muddy 3 km (1 hour) hike. At Mweka village you will be served a delicious hot lunch. After lunch, drive back to Moshi for a long overdue hot shower, dinner and celebrations!!