7 Days Kilimanjaro Climb Machame Route Itinerary Tour

Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: Approximately 18 kilometers
Habitat: Montane forest
Once after early breakfast at the hotel, you will be picked up from Arusha (1400m) and driven to the Machame Village. there you can purchase bottles of mineral water and you will get a packed lunch. From there regarding on the road conditions, you will proceed to drive from the village to the Machame gate. After registration at the gate office, you will begin your ascent and enter the rain forest immediately. Consider possibility of rain in the forest, which will change the trail into a very wet, muddy and slippery experience. You will have a comfortable lunch stop about half way and will reach the Machame camping area in the late afternoon.
Your porters (arriving at the camp site long before you) will have erected your tent on your arrival. In the evening the porters will boil drinking and washing water and the cook will cook dinner, then you will rest to your tent for the night. Night temperatures will be at freezing point at this campsite.

Activities : Hiking

Hiking time: 6 hours
Distance: Approximately 9 kilometers
Habitat: Moorland
You will wake up early at Machame camp, after breakfast you hike an hour to the peak of the forest and at that moment for 2 hours at a gentler gradient over the moorland zone. After a short lunch and rest, you carry on up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. At the moment you will be able to grasp in an easterly direction, the Western Breach with its spectacular glaciers. You are now due west of Kibo and after a short hike you will reach the Shira campsite at 3 840m. The crew will boil drinking and washing water, before giving you dinner. The night at this wide-open camp will even be cooler than the former night, with temperatures decreasing to well below freezing.

Activities : Hiking

Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: Approximately 15 kilometers
Habitat: Semi-desert
The route now goes east into a semi desert and rocky landscape adjoining Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630m. Lunch will be given in a chosen area before mounting the rocky scree path to Lava Tower. This is definitely the toughest day so far. It is typically around this point, where for the first time, some climbers will start to feel signs of breathlessness, irritability and headaches. After lunch you descent again by almost 680m to the Barranco camping area and after reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, the true acclimatization advantage of this day turn out to be clear. This descent to Barranco camp takes about 2 hours and provides countless opportunities to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is located in a valley underneath the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which should offer you with a unforgettable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your dinner.

Activities : Hiking

Hiking time: 4-5 hours
Distance: Approximately 5 kilometers
Habitat: Alpine desert
After spending a night at the Great Barranco Wall (a very imposing sight at first), you make your way up this awesome looking obstacle, which in the end normally turns out easier than what you anticipated. Covering out just below the Heim Glacier, you now raise the value of just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. The route then goes down through the Karanga Valley over overriding ridges and valleys, and then joins up with the Mweka route. This is the chosen route down from the summit. Then after another hour or more, you reach Barafu Hut.
The last water stop on the route is the Karanga Valley, as there is no water at Barafu camp. Completely wide-open to the ever-present gales the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge. Make sure that you publicize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any accidents. Arrange your equipment, ski stick and thermal clothing for your summit attempt. This should comprise the replacement of your headlamp and camera batteries and make sure you have an extra set available as well. To avoid freezing it will be wise to take your water in a thermal flask.

Activities : Hiking

Hiking time: 2-3 hours
Distance: Approximately 4 kilometers
Habitat: Alpine desert
Immediately after breakfast, you will leave Karanga Camp. The trail crosses with the Mweka Route, which is the trail used to go downhill on the final two days. As you continue mountaineering for an hour, you will reach Barafu Hut. This is the last water stop for the porters because there is no nearby water at Barafu Camp. This camp is situated on a rocky, open ridge. Tents will be exposed to wind and rocks so it is vital for climbers to publicize themselves with the campsite before dark. A prompt dinner will be provided so climbers can rest before attempting the summit the same night. Your guide will brief you in fact on the way to organize yourself for summit night.

Activities : Hiking

Hiking time: 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak, 7-8 hours to descend to Mweka
Distance: Approximately 7 kilometer ascent and 23 kilometer descent
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
You will wake up at midnight, and after some tea and biscuits you get off into the night. You will head in a north-westerly direction and ascend through heavy scree in the direction of Stella Point on the crater rim. For many climbers, this 6-hour walks to Stella point is mentally and physically the most exciting on the route. At Stella Point you will break for a short rest and will be compensated with the most outstanding sunrise you are ever likely to see. From Stella Point you will generally come across snow all the way on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. The time you will spend on the summit will be contingent on the weather conditions. You are advised not to stay for too long at this point, as it will be very problematic to start again due to cold and fatigue. Enjoy your accomplishment and a day to reminisce for the rest of your life. The journey back to Barafu from the peak will be about 3 hours of walking. The route is not tough and will take you descend down the rock and scree path into the moorland and finally into the forest. The camp is located in the higher forest and mist or rain can be probable in the late afternoon. Dinner and washing water will be ready.

Activities : Hiking

Hiking time: 3 hours
Distance: Approximately 15 kilometers
Habitat: Forest
After having a well-earned breakfast, your team will have a big festival full of dancing and singing. It is here on the mountain that you will provides your tips to the guide, assistant guides, chef(s), and porters. After the festival, you will proceed for three hours back to Mweka Gate. The National Park needs all climbers to sign their names to get certificates of completion. Climbers who reached Stella Point get green certificates and climbers who reached Uhuru Peak get gold certificates. After getting certificates, climbers will descend into the Mweka village. You will be provided with a hot lunch then you will drive back to Arusha.

Activities : Hiking