Kilimanjaro Trekking via Machame Route 
7 Day Kilimanjaro Trekking Tour + 2 nights hotel stay
Highlights
Day 1-9 | Tanzania
Day 2
Start: Machame Gate (1,790 m)
Finish: Machame Camp (3,010 m)
Altitude: ↑ 1,220 m
Walking time: 5-7h
Day 3
Start: Machame Camp (3,010 m)
Finish: New Shira Camp (3,845 m)
Altitude: ↑ 835 m
Walking time: 4-6h
Day 4
Start: New Shira Camp (3,845 m)
Finish: Barranco Camp (3,960 m)
Altitude: ↑ 795 m ↓ 680 m
Walking time: 6-7h
Day 5
Start: Barranco Camp (3,960 m)
Finish: Karanga Camp (4,035 m)
Altitude: ↑ 75 m
Walking time: 3-4h
Day 6
Start: Karanga Camp (4,035 m)
Finish: Barafu Camp (4,640 m)
Altitude: ↑ 605 m
Walking time: 3-4h
Day 7
Start: Barafu Camp (4,640 m)
Finish:
Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) – Mweka Camp (3,080 m)
Altitude: ↑ 1,255 m ↓ 2,815 m
Walking time: 10-14h
Day 8
Start: Mweka Camp (3,080 m)
Finish: Mweka Gate (1,630 m)
Altitude: ↓ 1,450 m
Walking time: 2-3h
Facts
Private trekking:
Kilimanjaro via Machame Route
Tourcode: E09TKILMAC
From: Arusha
To: Arusha
Min. number to guarantee tour: N/A
Max number of participants: private climb
Departure day: any day of your choice
Price: from 2,410 USD (>6 pax)
Single Supplement: 80 USD (hotel only)
Day 1 Kilimanjaro Airport – Arusha
Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport you will be greeted by our transfer driver and taken to the Meru View Lodge in Usa River, close to Arusha. The rest of the day is for you to enjoy at leisure – relax at the hotel pool or take a taxi and explore the town of Arusha. In the late afternoon you will met by one of our Kilimanjaro team members, who will brief you on your upcoming trek. Dinner and Overnight at Meru View Lodge.
Dinner
Day 2 Arusha – Machame Gate (1,790m) – Machame Camp (3,010m)
After breakfast you will be picked up at your lodge and taken to the Kilimanjaro National park gate. After completion of all the necessary paper work, your adventure commences. Your destination for today is the Machame Camp. Soon you will be hiking through the lush rainforest with its large ancient trees, primeval ferns and endemic flowers, like the Impatiens kilimanjari. You might also spot black and white colobus monkeys, peeking through the leaves. Reaching the campsite you will have time to relax, stretch your legs and enjoy a hearty meal, before snuggling into your tent for the night.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 3 Machame Camp (3,010m) – Shira Camp (3,845m)
Today’s early start is not due to a long stretch, but rather to allow you to reach Shira Camp at around mid-afternoon. As you walk you will notice the dramatic change in the landscape – from lush and green rainforest to dry moor and heath land. Arriving at your campsite a beautiful view of the mountain range opens up before you. The glaciers of Kibo glistens in the golden hue of the setting sun as you enjoy another lovingly cooked meal before climbing into your tent.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 4 Shira Camp (3,845m) – Lava Tower Hut (4,640m) – Barranco Camp (3,960m)
Acclimatisation is on today’s menu. You will climb roughly 800 m, but sleep on a level not much higher than the previous night. Starting at Shira Plateau, you will make your way up to Lava Tower. Here you will rest a while, before continuing through the Barranco Valley to the beautiful Barranco Camp. The trek will take approximately 6 to 7 hours, but the various distractions of the alpine desert as well as the Barranco Valley with its small lobelia plants and giant senecios will keep your mind off the stretch still ahead. A well-deserved dinner and overnight awaits you at Barranco Camp.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 5 Barranco Camp (3,960m) – Karanga Camp (4,035m)
Today the Barranco Wall stands before you to conquer. Some stages will require you to use your hands for a better grip, but no actual climbing is necessary. Your guide will be with you every step of the way to lend a helping hand. The route with its numerous ascents and descents allow for further acclimatisation and leads you to the mountain ridge. Walking along the ridge you can take in the beautiful landscape with its stunning contrasts of desert and vegetation, before finally reaching the cloudy Karanga Camp. Your trek will take between 3 to 4 hours, leaving more than enough time to rest and play a game of rummy. Evening meal and overnight at Karanga Camp.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 6 Karanga Camp (4,035m) – Barafu Camp (4,640m)
Awakening to the sunlight dancing off the Kibo Summit, you will enjoy a hearty breakfast before setting out to today’s destination – Barafu Camp. Most of the day will be spent walking through very dry desertic terrain, with Kibo ever present on your left side. After 3 to 4 hours you will reach Barafu Camp, where you will have an early dinner and night as the highlight of your trip is only a few short hours away…
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 7 Barafu Camp (4,640m) – Uhuru Peak (5,895m) – Mweka Camp (3,080m)
At around midnight you will be woken up by your guide with a warm cup of tea and biscuits to get you ready for your final ascent. The moon and your headlamps will be your only source of light as you make your way up to Stella Point (5,730m), reaching the crater rim in about 5 to 7 hours. Another 1 to 2 hours will take you to Uhuru Peak, where you can enjoy the sun rising over the African landscape, casting a pink hue over the snowy peak and making the glaciers sparkle like diamonds around you. After capturing this incredible view and achievement on film, you will start your descent along the same route back to Barafu Camp, where your team awaits you with some snacks and refreshments. Rested and relaxed you will make your way to Mweka Camp for your last night on the highest mountain in Africa.
Breakfast; Lunch; Dinner
Day 8 Mweka Camp (3,080m) – Mweka Gate (1,630m) – Arusha
A scrumptious breakfast is followed by a traditional farewell ceremony from your mountain crew, before you start your final stretch down the mountain. You will once more trek through the rainforest, giving you another opportunity to spot the cheeky colobus monkeys, finally reaching the Mweka Gate. You will be met at the gate and taken back to the Meru View Lodge for a long shower and relaxed day by the pool. Dinner and overnight at Meru View Lodge.
Breakfast; Dinner
Day 9 Arusha – Kilimanjaro Airport
After breakfast you will be taken to Kilimanjaro Airport or you can opt to extend your trip with a safari or a beach holiday on Zanzibar.
Breakfast
Items included:
- Kilimanjaro trekking according to the itinerary
- Professional, English-speaking guide
- Mountain crew (cook & porters)
- Overnight stays in hotels and mountain tents
- Camping equipment (tents, sleeping mats, chairs, tables etc.)
- Portable toilet and toilet tent
- Meals according to the itinerary
- Drinking water
- All national park fees
- All mentioned transfer
Items excluded:
- Sleeping bag
- Flights
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Visa fees
- Tips
- Personal spending money for souvenirs etc.
- Travel insurance
- This is a private tour and hence there won’t be any other climbers joining you. Your group will consist of only the people you chose to travel with and your mountain crew.
- According to the national park authorities, children under the age of 10 years are only allowed to hike until Shira Camp (3845 m). There are no official restrictions for children above the age of 10 years but because the chances of children succumbing to mountain sickness are a lot higher than they are with adults, we recommend a minimum age of 14-16 years. Please note that children of all ages have to be accompanied by one of their parents at all times. Although there is no maximum age restriction, a medical check-up is advisable for climbers above the age of 60.
- Africa’s highest peak is one of the only mountains of this magnitude that can be conquered without you being an experienced alpinist. However, it goes without saying that you should be healthy and fit to master the 4-6 hour daily hikes as well as the 12-14 hour hike on the night of the summit. In addition thereto, strong willpower and endurance is required.
- The warmest time with the least rainfall is between December and February, followed by the main rainy season from March until the beginning of June. Between June and October, temperatures are moderate with almost no rainfall. November is regarded as the small rainy season and daily short rainfalls with cloudy views are common.
- The best time to travel is between the end of June and the middle of October and although it is possible to climb Kilimanjaro in the main rainy season, we strongly discourage anyone from doing so.
- The Machame Route, commonly known as the “Whiskey Route” is regarded as one of the most beautiful routes, offering hikers breath-taking views of the summit. On the other hand, it is also the route that is most susceptible to unpleasant weather conditions such as rain, clouds and fog. But it is thanks to these weather conditions that the vegetation is so dense and beautiful. Due to all the ascents and descents, the route is also physically more demanding than the Marangu or Rongai Route. Climbers will descend on the Mweka Route.
- You will overnight in two-man mountain tents equipped with sleeping mats. Single travellers often share a tent with another group member of the same gender, but single tents can be requested at extra cost.
- Apart from very basic long drops (simple latrines), there are no further ablution facilities. Climbers are however provided with a bowl of warm water for their daily wash.
- Meals are included as mentioned in the itinerary.
- For breakfast there will be a choice of fruit, scrambled eggs, porridge, toast, jam, hot chocolate, coffee or tea. Lunch will be provided in form of a lunch box containing sandwiches, boiled eggs, chicken etc.
- For dinner you will enjoy soup and bread followed by meat or poultry along with starch (i.e. chips, mashed potatoes, pasta or rice) as well as vegetables. The meal will be topped off with dessert in form of fresh fruit, hot chocolate, coffee or tea and milk.
- While breakfast and dinner are served in a mess tent equipped with a table and chairs, lunch is enjoyed en-route.
- Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements or food allergies and we will do our outmost to cater for them (only possible with advanced notification).
- Almost everybody climbing Kilimanjaro will be affected by the altitude in some or other way. Top athletes are just as much at risk of suffering from it as are people who are out of shape. Headaches, extreme fatigue, loss of appetite and nausea are all signs of possible mountain sickness. Symptoms are mostly mild, enabling you to continue your hike and only in very few instances are symptoms more acute, making an immediate descent unavoidable. Severe altitude sickness is a serious matter and you should bear in mind that it can be life threatening and at worst lead to death. It is also important to replace lost body fluids due to physical activity by drinking enough water. We suggest two to four litres per day along with magnesium to prevent muscle cramps.
- Mountain rescue services in Tanzania can in no sense be compared to the ones found in the European Alps for example. If you find yourself unable to walk, you will either be carried or transported on a wheeled stretcher. As this is by all means a very unpleasant experience, it is important that you only push yourself as far as your body allows. Helicopters are hardly ever deployed as they can only land at a lower altitude.
- Please also make sure your health insurance covers you while travelling. If you are not adequately covered, we urge you to take out suitable travel insurance assuring all your medical expenses including rescue and repatriation costs are covered.
- Yes you should bring some extra money for tips, souvenirs and other personal expenses.
- If you are bringing USD, please make sure the bills have been be printed after 2004 as any earlier printed ones will not be accepted.
- Tips for the mountain crew are common practice. Gratuities are a large portion of the crew’s income and thus highly appreciated. Below are some recommendations from our side (per group, not per person):
Guide: 15-18 USD per day
Assistant Guide: 12-15 USD per day
Cook: 8-10 USD per day
Waiter: 7-9 USD per day
Porter: 6-7 USD per day
- There are a few things you should pack for a Kilimanjaro climb and as the list is quite extensive, you will receive a detailed packing list from us once you have confirmed the booking.
- For your convenience we also rent out all essential clothing items and other gear.
- For most travellers it is possible to obtain a visa upon arrival but nevertheless, it is every visitor’s obligation to check the latest visa regulations with their respective embassies.
- Every traveller is responsible to be in the possession of the required travel documents.
- Officially, no vaccinations are required by the Tanzanian health department. However, Tanzania is a yellow fever region and thus we advise that you get yourself vaccinated for this.
- In general we also recommend that you have all other shots such as Tetanus, Diphtheria, Polio and Hepatitis A & B up to date.
- Malaria is present in Tanzania but there are no mosquitoes at high altitude. It is your own choice if you wish to take any precautionary medication, but we suggest that you consult your doctor or travel clinic in this matter.
