Mount Kilimanjaro Trek – Machame Route – 8 Day Package
6 day/5-night trek following the Machame Route to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, plus 2 nights’ accommodation at The Vijiji Center Lodge and Safari, and 2 airport transfers.
Arrival Day
The Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari, Arusha
Karibu – welcome – to Tanzania. Our driver will meet you at the airport outside of Arrivals and bring you to The Vijiji Center for dinner and overnight, as well as a briefing with your mountain guides.
Trek Day 1
Machame Gate to Machame Camp
(Elevation: 1645m to 2865m; Hiking: 5-7 hours)
Enjoy an early morning breakfast with your mountain guides and then travel to the Machame Gate (approximately 1 hour away) where your guides will handle the registration and entrance fees for trekking Mt. Kilimanjaro. Mountain porters will take all the necessary food and equipment for you – all you will need to carry is a small daypack with essentials such as water, your lunch and extra clothing. Once through the gate, you begin your trek, walking 11 kilometres through lush montane forests to Machame Camp, where you’ll have dinner and overnight.
Trek Day 2
Machame Camp to Shira Camp
(Elevation: 2865m to 3810m; Hiking: 4-6 hours)
After an early morning breakfast at Machame Camp, you’ll spend the day trekking to Shira Camp on the Shira Plateau, a distance of approximately 5 kilometers. The hike takes you out of the forests and into the moorland, an ecosystem unique to Mt. Kilimanjaro. You will have dinner and overnight at Shira Camp.
Trek Day 3
Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp
(Elevation: 3810m to 3962m; Hiking 6-8 hours)
From the Shira Plateau, you continue eastwards and upwards along a ridge, passing the junction towards Kibo Peak. Hiking to the southeast, you reach a lava tower called “Shark’s Tooth” and shortly after that, reach a second junction that leads up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 4876m. From here, you travel down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 3962m. Here you will rest, enjoy dinner, and overnight. Although you end the day at the same elevation as when you started, this day is very important for acclimatization and helps prepare your body for the summit.
Trek Day 4
Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
(Elevation: 3962m to 4645m; Hiking: 8-10 hours)
Your trek today takes you 9 kms around the mountain to Barafu Camp. After breakfast, leave Barranco Camp and continue on a steep ridge past the Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley campsite. From here, you hike to the junction of the Mweka Trail and continue onwards to Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Make camp, rest, and enjoy dinner at Barafu Hut and prepare for the summit day.
Trek Day 5
Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Hut
(Elevation: 4645m to 5895m to 3048m; Hiking: 7-8 hours ascent / 4-6 hours descent)
Rise shortly after midnight for your final ascent to the summit, passing between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers, and ascending through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. At Stella Point (5669m), you will stop for a short rest and to watch the sunrise over East Africa (weather permitting). From here, it’s just 1 more hour to the summit of Uhuru Peak, the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. After photos and celebrations with your team, begin your descent back down to the Mweka Hut campsite, with a brief stop at Barafu Camp for lunch. Later in the evening, enjoy your last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep!
Trek Day 6
Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
(Elevation: 3049m to 1645m; Hiking: 3-4 hours)
After breakfast, you continue your descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. Congratulations! From the gate, you continue another hour to Mweka Village where you’ll be met by our driver and transported back to The Vijiji Center in Arusha for hot showers and a freshly prepared dinner!
Departure Day - Vijiji Center Lodge & Safari
After breakfast, relax at The Vijiji Center or, for an additional charge, take one of our cultural tours before our driver takes you to the airport for your return flight. Karibu tena Tanzania!
