9 Day Kilimanjaro Machame Trek

Day 1 - Arrival and pre-climb briefing day

Today has no planned activities and is only an arrival day for you to reach your base lodge in time for a pre-climb briefing (time to be confirmed) with your mountain guide.

Approx. driving distance: 1-2 hours Approx. trekking time: None
Approx. trekking distance: None Start altitude: Unknown
End altitude: Unknown Highest Altitude reached: Unknown
Altitude gain: Unknown Meals included: None
Bristol Cottages

Style: Budget range lodge
Location: 
Moshi, town center

Day 2 - Moshi town to Machame gate to Machame camp

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 or lunch, dinner
Machame Camp

Style: Shared public campsite
Location: 
Rainforest, Kilimanjaro National Park

Altitude: 3010m or 9875ft

Day 3 - Machame camp to Shira 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 / 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
Shira Camp

Style: Shared public campsite
Location: 
Heather & moorland, Kilimanjaro National Park

Altitude: 3845m or 12615ft

Day 4 - Shira camp to Lava Tower to Barranco 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 / 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
Barranco Camp

Style: Shared public campsite
Location: 
Heather & moorland, Kilimanjaro National Park

Altitude: 3960m or 12990ft

Day 5 - Barranco camp to Karanga 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. Karanga valley is the last water point.

Approx. driving distance: None Approx. trekking time: 3-5 hours
Approx. trekking distance: 6km / 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
Karanga Camp

Style: Shared public campsite Location: Alpine desert, Kilimanjaro National Park

Altitude: 4040m or 13255ft

Day 6 - Karanga camp to Barafu 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 / 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
Barafu Camp

Style: Shared public campsite Location: Alpine desert, Kilimanjaro National Park

Altitude: 4640m or 15225ft

Day 7 - Barafu Camp to Stella point to Uhuru peak to Mweka 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 / 12mi Start altitude: 4640m or 15225ft
End altitude: 3700m or 12220ft Highest Altitude reached: 5895m or 19431ft
Altitude +gain / -loss: +1255m or +4206ft / -2195m or -7211ft Meals included: Breakfast, picnic lunch or lunch, dinner
Mweka Camp

Style: Shared public campsite
Location: 
Rainforest, Kilimanjaro National Park

Altitude: 3080m or 10105ft

Day 8 - Mweka camp to Mweka gate to Moshi town

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 / 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
Bristol Cottages

Style: Budget range lodge
Location: 
Moshi, town center

Day 9 - Departure day or continue with next activity

Today has no planned activities and our services end after check-out (10:00am)

Approx. driving distance: None Approx. trekking time: None
Approx. trekking distance: None Start altitude: Unknown
End altitude: Unknown Highest Altitude reached: Unknown
Altitude gain: Unknown Meals included: Breakfast
None included but optionally available

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