Kilimanjaro – Machame Route
Kilimanjaro – Machame Route
As one of the newer Kilimanjaro routes, Machame is a superb choice for your climb. It is our preferred route due to its ideal balance of low crowds, beautiful scenery and a high summit success rate.
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Each night we will stay in mountain dome tents where you will enjoy meals prepared by our mountain camp cooks. You will be led by a local Tanzanian guide. You will notice his expertise and vast knowledge of the mountain as he explains fascinating details about the route, flora, and fauna. He will also attend to the endless details that make a climb successful and will look out for your safety. Your mountain guide will visit you on the evening before the climb (or shortly before departure) for a short brief about climbing and a gear checkup. Your guide has a chance to get to know any concerns you might have and you can ask him questions.
Activities: Trekking
Min Persons:2 Max Persons:7
We begin this tour early morning (on day 2 below). But if you arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport or Arusha Bus Station late on this day 1 then we transport you to any accommodation of your choice in Moshi and pick you up from there on the morning of Day 2. We can arrange that first night’s accommodation for you at an additional cost, or you can make those arrangements yourself. If, however, you are already staying in Arusha or Moshi then we pick you up at the previously agreed point on the morning of day 2.
- Meal plan:
- Dinner
- Accommodation:
- Budget:Kaliwa Lodge
Early morning breakfast, then we start with a drive to Machame gate. Begin trekking through the rainforest on a winding trail, passing the first hut to go on to the Machame hut Campsite (3100m) for dinner and overnight stay.
- Meal plan:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Accommodation:
- Budget: Machame Camp
After breakfast, leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing a little valley and walking along a steep rocky ridge covered with heather until the end of the ridge. The route then turns west onto a river gorge at 3658m for dinner and overnight at the Shira hut campsite (3800m).
- Meal plan:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Accommodation:
- Budget: Shira Camp
From the Shira plateau, continue trekking east towards the lava tower called (the shar’s tooth). Shortly after the tower, you come to a junction leading to the arrow glacier. Continue to Barranco hut campsite (3950m) for dinner and overnight.
- Meal plan:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Accommodation:
- Budget: Barranco Camp
Start with a tailspin into the gorge, before you climb its eastern wall where you will delight in the views of Kilimanjaro’s ice fields, an equatorial anomaly. Go on hiking until you reach your camp in Kilimanjaro Karanga Valley (13,900 feet).
- Meal plan:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Accommodation:
- Budget: Karanga Camp
Hike through the Karanga Valley, the trail turns steadily uphill, following the lava ridge to the Barafu camp. The temperature will drop and the landscape gets sparser as we near Barafu Camp. Barafu Camp is set on a bantam, an exposed flat area on a ridge. It acts as a base camp from which you will make your summit attempt at midnight tonight. Barafu camp (15,200 feet)
- Meal plan:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Accommodation:
- Budget: Barafu Camp
Just after midnight, you will trek to Stella point (5745m) on the way to the summit. The UHURU peak and this part of the climb take about 8 hours. Now you have reached the highest point in Africa (5895m)! From the summit, descend to Mweka hut campsite (3100m) for dinner and overnight stay. (5-hours).
- Meal plan:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Accommodation:
- Budget: Mweka Camp
This day is spent descending to the Mweka park gate. At Mweka gate you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. From the Mweka Gate you will continue down into the Mweka village, normally a muddy 3 km (1 hour) hike where you are picked up to drive back to Arusha for a long overdue hot shower at your accommodation.
- Meal plan:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Accommodation:
- Budget: Pamoja Expedition Lodge
Booking Form
Included in Price:
- All activities as per the itinerary
- All Accommodation as per itinerary – N.B. accommodation mentioned in the itinerary is dependent on availability at the time of booking; alternatives of a similar class may be booked instead
- All meals as per itinerary (3 a day unless otherwise stated)
- All transfers to and from agreed pick up and drop off points (e.g. Airport, Bus Station or hotel in town etc.)
- All camping gear (if you are camping)
- Service of an English speaking driver/guide
- Safari base 4×4 Vehicle with open roof for game viewing (sometimes a saloon car or other SUV for excursions in town etc.)
- Driver’s salary and allowances and park fees for vehicle and driver
- Bottled mineral water daily
- All Government taxes
- All Nature Trail Fees
- Kilimanjaro only – Oxygen is not normally needed but can be carried if requested before tour begins
- Rescue fees
- Professional Kilimanjaro Team with English speaking Mountain guide, up to 4 porters per person
- Professional Cook
- Climbing Certificates
- All wildlife reserve entry fees
Exluded in Price:
- Extras, personal expenses i.e. drinks, telephone, laundry etc.
- Optional activities not outlined on the itinerary
- International flights & corresponding taxes
- Visa
- Flying doctors rescue services
- Travel, medical, injury and luggage insurances
- Tips to the driver & guides
- Anything else not mentioned in the inclusions (above)
