Kilimanjaro Machame Route 9 Days

What's Included?

• 9 day adventure, 7 of which include 3 meals a day
• 2 nights of accommodation in Moshi, breakfast included
• Airport Pickup from Kilimanjaro Airport
• All Ground Transfers
• Accommodation while trekking*
• National Park Entry Fees
• Fully-licensed, English-speaking guide
• Porter service on the trek
• First aid kit
• Trip completion certificate
• Farewell Dinner

*The Machame Route is tent camping.

The Machame Route is one of the best options for climbing Kilimanjaro and reputed to have the highest success rate. This scenic 7 day climb offers a longer period for acclimatization than our standard 6 day Machame Climb. It features a tented camping experience as opposed to the Marangu Route which makes use of an extensive mountain hut system.

Your trip starts when we pick you up from the airport at Kilimanjaro from where we will take you to a hotel in Moshi for the night and you will be introduced to your mountain guide who will ensure you have all the necessary gear for the climb. The next morning it's about an hour drive to the park gate where you will begin the trek. The first day of trekking is about 5 hours through the beautiful rainforest at the base of Kilimanjaro to the Machame Camp. The trek continues on the second day through increasingly sparse trees and bushes into moorlands and finishes at Shira Camp. The third day of trekking is quite helpful for acclimatization as you ascend to the Lava Tower (15,000 feet / 4600m) before descending to the campsite in Barranco Valley. The area before the campsite is known as the "Garden of the Senecios", which features many huge senecio plants as well as the shorter lobelia plants. The fourth day starts with the ascent of the Barranco Wall, which is the most difficult climb and involves some easy scrambling. Continuing from the Wall the trail levels out and descends a bit to the Karanga River where we will set up camp for the night. The fifth day takes you up to the high camp at Barafu. The vegetation has disappeared completely by the time you reach Barafu and you're a presented with a barren volcanic plain. The afternoon is spent resting here and the push to the summit begins at 11pm when you gear up for a midnight departure. Leaving at midnight it's a slow and cold 6 hour climb to the crater rim and then another hour traverse of the rim to Uhuru Peak the final summit. Having reached the summit you will descend again to Barafu take a short nap break and then continue to the lower elevations at Mweka Camp. One of the reasons for such a long day of trekking is to avoid problems with acclimatization and get you back down to a lower elevation quickly. The seventh and final day of the climb has trekkers continue through the montane forest to Mweka Gate where transport will be waiting to take you back to Moshi where you will enjoy a final farewell dinner with the staff before departing the following morning.

Day 1 - Kilimanjaro Airport to Moshi

Pick up from Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to Moshi town, which is commonly known as the gateway to Mount Kilimanjaro. Meet your guide and review your equipment in the evening in preparation for the trek the following day.

Day 2 - Machame Camp

(9,927 feet/3,026 m), 7 miles/11 km (5 to 7 hours)
We will pick you up at the hotel in Moshi after breakfast and drive about an hour to the Machame gate where the trek starts. From the Machame Park gate it's a gentle climb up through dense rainforest to the Machame Camp.

Day 3 - Shira Camp

(12,355 feet/3,766 m), 3 miles/5 km (4 to 6 hours)
The morning starts with a personal introduction to your trekking team. The hike is different today as the jungle gives away to zones of giant heather and moorland. If you have enough time you take a short hike to the Shira Caves after reaching camp.

Day 4 - Barranco Camp

(13,066 feet/3,983 m), 6 miles/10 km (5 to 8 hours)
Leaving Shira camp in the morning you climb towards the main peak Kibo, with the western glaciers clearly visible across the rugged high-altitude desert of volcanic rocks and boulders. The trail ascends to the Lava Tower site (15000 feet / 4600m) before descending back down into Barranco Valley. Its 6 to 7 hours walking and the total ascent is only 110m total but having climbed much higher and dropped back down assists acclimatization.

Day 5 - Karanga Camp

(13,100 feet/ 3992 m), 3 miles/5km (4 to 5 hours)
The day starts with a challenging climb up the steep Barranco wall (some scrambling but not technically difficult) before dropping into the Karanga Valley where we will spend the night. This is a relatively short day and should help you acclimatize.

Day 6 - Barafu High Camp

(15,239 feet/4,645 m), 3 miles/4 km (4 to 5 hours)
We will continue from Karanga Camp up to the Barafu Hut or high camp. The vegetation has disappeared completely by the time you reach Barafu and you're a presented with a barren volcanic plain. The afternoon is spent resting here and the push to the summit begins at 11pm when you gear up for a midnight departure.

Day 7 - Uhuru Peak Altitude

(5895 m/19340 ft) Walking Distance: 3 miles/5 km ascent + 7 miles/12 km descent (10-16 hours)
The day starts at midnight with the final push to the summit. It's a cold and grueling six hour hike to summit rim up a steep slope. The trail is doable but steep with many switchbacks. The summit rim is reached just about sunrise and it's a fairly level hike around the rim to Uhuru Peak the ultimate summit and highest point in Africa. Going down you will head back to Barafu Hut for a short nap and snacks before continuing down to Mweka camp (3068m/10,065feet). One of the reasons for such a long day of trekking is to avoid problems with acclimatization and get you back down to a lower elevation quickly.

Day 8 - Mweka Camp to Moshi

From Mweka campsite it is a 4 to 5 hours descent through the forest to Mweka gate to collect certificates and meet the vehicle. Return to Moshi for the night and to have a final farewell dinner with your guides.

Day 9 - Departure Day

After breakfast, according to your flight time we will drop you at the airport or assist you in catching the shuttle to Nairobi. End of our services.

Extra Cost and Exclusions

• For visas please click here.
• All the meals are included on the climb but we only include breakfast while you are in Moshi.
• We suggest a minimum tip for your climbing staff of $250. (Please Review our Tip Guidelines).

Climbing Gear

• We will provide tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad.
• We will provide a duffel bag that you repack your personal gear into for the porter to carry.
• You are responsible to bring your own personal gear (Check gear list).

Solo Travelers

We don't charge solo travelers any extra fees. Solo travelers can expect their own hotel room in Moshi and a private tent during the climb.

Discontinued Climbs

Some climbers may actually finish the climb ahead of schedule and others may have problems with altitude or decide to come down earlier for other reasons. If you do get back to Moshi early you are responsible to pay the costs for your extra hotel nights ($40 per/night) and meals. Keep in mind, our costs are the same regardless of when you end the climb. So even if you are climbing fewer days than scheduled keep in mind that we have already paid the staff, purchased, food and rented gear for all the days you were supposed to be on the climb.

Cancellation Policies

We understand things happen and plans change and will refund your deposit minus a $150 cancelation fee. Once we have made arrangements for the climb such as renting gear and buying food the deposit is not refundable. If your travel dates change we can generally reschedule you at no extra charge, but please provide at least 7 days advance notice.