8 Days Kilimanjaro Trekking Adventure Machame Route

Overview

Day by day itinerary

1. 1Machame Gate (1790m) to Machame Camp (3010m)⌄

   You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Arusha town. You will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. The missing gear can be rented on this day. Then Next day... Two hour’s drive from Arusha to Machame gate, where we complete park formalities, meet our crew of porters and start to climb! The first section of the route climbs steadily and passes through magnificent, dense rainforest. This path is less well-trodden so it can get somewhat overgrown in places and it is often wet and muddy underfoot. Distance covered: 10.8km / 6.7mi

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

2. 2Machame Camp (3010m) to Shira Camp (3845m)⌄

   Our route continues on up through the forest until we reach the steep ascent onto the Shira Plateau, where there are rewarding views of the mountain. Looking back, you will be able to see Mt Meru rising high above Arusha town in the distance. Distance covered: 5.4km / 3.4mi

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

3. 3Shira Cave (3845m) to Barranco Camp (3960m)⌄

   Walking now on high moorland, the landscape changes the entire character of the trek. We traverse the southwest side of Kilimanjaro, passing underneath the Lava Tower and the final section of the Western Breach and finally reach camp The day has been spent at altitude (up to 4600m), but we have followed the mountaineering code of ‘walk high, sleep low’ to aid your body’s acclimatization to altitude. Distance covered: 10.8km / 6.7mi

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

4. 4Barranco Camp (3960m) to Karanga Camp (3963m)⌄

   Our day starts by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley. From here we have a steep climb up from Karanga valley to our night’s camp at Karanga camp, set at 3963m. For those feeling strong we will go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200m before descending back to camp for the night. Distance covered: 5.5km / 3.4mi

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

5. 5Karanga Camp (3963) to Barafu Camp (4640m)⌄

   After a good night’s rest and breakfast, we set off on our walk to Barafu camp at 4640m. The climb will take us across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around us at all. It’s a tough steep walk made more difficult by the altitude. On arriving at camp we eat and spend the afternoon resting as we prepare for a long night and day ahead. It is important to keep hydrated and warm. We have an early dinner and then try to get some sleep as we will be getting up at between 11pm and 12pm to start the climb to the summit. Distance covered: 3km / 1.9mi

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

6. 6Barafu Camp (4640m) to UHURU PEAK (5895m) & down to Millennium Camp (3790m)⌄

   We start off at around midnight, and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and the views to jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m). We begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast, before finally heading down to Millennium Camp for a long well-earned rest. Distance covered: 13.4km / 8.3mi

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

7. 7Trek Millennium Camp (3790m) to Mweka Gate (1630m)⌄

   A gentle trek takes us down through the rain forest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride! We are then met by our vehicles and return to the hotel in Arusha, where you can treat yourself to a welcome hot shower. Distance covered: 12.1km / 7.5mi

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner

8. 8Depart Tanzania⌄

   The day is left free to wind down after the trek before your flight home. Depending on flight times you could go and explore Arusha town and grab some gifts shop before heading to the airport.

   Meals: Breakfast