7 Day Mt Kilimanjaro Machame Route

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport; where you will be welcomed by one of our Safari Guide and he will transfer you to your hotel in the beautiful city of Arusha.

Departure from Arusha will be at around 7:30 am for Machame gate (ca. 4 hrs transfer), where you will complete the entry formalities and have lunch. You start trekking through dense mountain rain forest to Machame camp, located just above the forest zone, in the heather zone, with views of the summit. 5-7 hrs trekking. Accommodation: Machame camp (B, L, D)

Trek up a steep path leading into the more arid moorland, passing tall grass, rocks and bearded heather. Continue through an eery landscape of lava rocks, caves and foamy streams framed by exotic plants until you reach the Shira plateau, where camp is set. 5-6 hrs trekking. Accommodation: Shira 2 camp (B, L, D)

6 – 7 hrs trekking Habitat : Alpine Desert. After breakfast, you will hike east up steepening path above the highest vegetation towards Kilimanjaro?s looming mass. After several hours, you walk through a rocky landscape to reach the prominent landmark called Lava Tower at 4,630 m / 15,190 ft. This chunky remnant of Kilimanjaro?s earlier volcanic activity is several hundred feet high, and the trail passes right below it. For extra credit, the sure footed can scramble to the top of the tower.

After a lunch stop near Lava Tower, descend for 2 hours below the lower cliffs of the western breach and breach wall to Barranco camp at 3,976 m / 13,044 ft. There are numerous photo opportunities on this hike, especially if the walls arefestooned with ice. Barranco Camp is in a valley below the Breach and great Barranco Walls, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for your dinner. On this day, be careful to notice any signs of altitude sickness.

A hot drink will arrive very early this morning. A midmight wake-up call will be the start of a juggernaut (12-17 hrs of trekking). At around 1 am, you start trekking; temperatures usually range from just below freezing at midnight to seomwhere between -12 deg. C (10 deg. F) to -23 deg. C (-10 F.) on the summit just before dawn. The winding path of endless switchbacks will slowly take form and shape in the shadows of the Ratzel and Rebman glaciers at early dawn and behind you the spires of Mawenzi are silouhetted against the red glow of the sun rising behind the clouds. After about 6 hrs of slowly walking uphill, you arrive at the edge of the crater: Stella Point, at 19,000 ft (5790 m) on the crater rim, is the end of the steep part of the hike. From here, it?s a gentle slope to Uhuru Peak (ca. 1 hr), the true summit of Kili at 19,340 ft (5896 m). The strength it takes to ascend this final piece is for many monumental. After a short time at the summit, we start descending. The path goes down a steep scree slope back to Barafu Camp for some rest, before you have to summon your strength again to descend further to Mweka Camp for the last night on the mountain. Accommodation: Mweka camp (B, L, D)

Its an easy 2-3 hours trek through rain forest to go down the final parts of the trail back to the Mweka Gate. After receiving your certificates, lunch and saying goodbye to many of your crew, later in the afternoon, return to Arusha, Accommodation in Arusha (BB)