7 Days Kilimanjaro Climb Machame Route

One hour’s drive from Moshi lies the gate to the Machame route, 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 rainforests. This path is less well-trodden so it can get somewhat overgrown in places and is often wet and muddy underfoot.
Distance covered: 10.8km / 6.7mi
Approx. time taken: 6 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Our route continues up through the forest until we reach the steep ascent onto the Shira Plateau, where the mountain has rewarding views. Looking back, you will see Mt Meru rising above Arusha town in the distance.
Distance covered: 5.4km / 3.4mi
Approx. time taken: 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

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
Approx. time taken: 8 hrs
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

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. We head towards the Karanga valley, passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers. 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 returning to camp for the night.
Distance covered: 5.5km / 3.4mi
Approx. time taken: 5 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

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 get up between 11 pm and 12 pm to climb to the summit.
Distance covered: 3km / 1.9mi
Approx. time taken: 3 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

We start off at around midnight and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will climb 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 of jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to Uhuru Peak's summit (5895m). We begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and descending on the 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
Approx. time taken: 12 – 15 hours
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest 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 shower (and a cold beer or two!) before our big celebration. Overnight at the Mvuli Hotel (or alternative
Distance covered: 12.1km / 7.5mi
Approx. time taken: 6 hours
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch Included