7 Days Machame route Kilimanjaro Climb

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 hours
Approx trekking time: 5-7 hours
Approx trekking distance: 9km / 5.5mi
Start Altitude: 1790m or 5870ft
End Altitude: 3010m or 9875ft
Highest Altitude reached: 3010m or 9875ft
Altitude +gain / -loss: +1220m or +4005ft
Meals 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: None
Approx trekking time: 5-7 hours
Approx trekking distance: 7km or 4.5mi
Start Altitude: 3010m or 9875ft
End Altitude: 3845m or 12615ft
Highest Altitude reached: 3845m or 12615ft
Altitude +gain / -loss: +835m or +2740ft
Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner

Overnight at Shira Two 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: None
Approx trekking time: 6-8 hours
Approx trekking distance: 10km or 6mi
Start Altitude: 3845 or 12615ft
End Altitude: 3960m or 12990ft
Highest Altitude reached: 4630m or 15190ft
Altitude +gain / -loss: +785m or +2575ft / -670m or -2200ft
Meals 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: None
Approx trekking time: 3-5 hours
Approx trekking distance: 6km or 4mi
Start Altitude: 3960m or 12990ft
End Altitude: 4040m or 13255ft
Highest Altitude reached: 4250m or 13945ft
Altitude +gain / -loss: +290m or +955ft / -210m or -690ft
Meals 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: None
Approx trekking time: 3-4 hours
Approx trekking distance: 4km or 2.5mi
Start Altitude: 4040m or 13255ft
End Altitude: 4640m or 15225ft
Highest Altitude reached: 4640m or 15225ft
Altitude +gain / -loss: +600m or +1970ft
Meals 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: None
Approx trekking time: 14-18 hours
Approx trekking distance: 19km or 12mi
Start Altitude: 4640m or 15225ft
End Altitude: 3700m or 12220ft
Highest Altitude reached: 5895m or 19431ft (Peak!)
Altitude +gain / -loss: +1255m or +4206ft / -2195m or -7211ft
Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner

Overnight at Mweka Camp

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.

Approx driving distance: 1 hour
Approx trekking time: 3-4 hours
Approx trekking distance: 10km or 6mi
Start Altitude: 3080m or 10105ft
End Altitude: 1630m or 5350ft
Highest Altitude reached: 3080m or 10105ft
Altitude +gain / -loss: -1450 or -4755ft
Meals included: Breakfast