Tanzania · Trekking

9-Day Kilimanjaro Machame Route Trek with Summit Celebration

9 Days Round trip from Mt Kilimanjaro Moderate pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Trek Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame Route with professional mountain support
02 Cross rainforest, moorland, heather, and alpine zones on the mountain
03 Acclimatize at Lava Tower before continuing to Barranco, Karanga, and Barafu camps
04 Reach the summit after a midnight ascent and descend through Mweka
05 Celebrate your Kilimanjaro achievement with dinner and a certificate at the hotel

Embark on a 9-day Tanzania adventure focused on trekking Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame Route, with overnight camps across rainforest, moorland, heather, and alpine zones. This journey follows the mountain's gradual acclimatization profile, including Lava Tower, Barranco, Karanga, Barafu, and the summit push before descending through Mweka. Along the way, travel with professional support, enjoy meals and accommodation during the trip, and celebrate your achievement with dinner and a certificate back at the hotel.

Embark on a 9-day Tanzania adventure focused on trekking Mount Kilimanjaro via the Machame Route, with overnight camps across rainforest, moorland, heather, and alpine zones.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 9 Days

Tour type Shared

Activity level Moderate

Accommodation Included · Standard

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Not applicable

Cities Moshi, Mount Kilimanjaro, Machame

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Arrival in Kilimanjaro and Hotel Briefing

Arrival pickup from Kilimanjaro Airport to the hotel, a distance of about 41 km, with a transfer time of around 1 hour.
Activities include resting for a few hours, followed by a briefing about the mountain trip.
Have dinner and then sleep.
The temperature in Moshi city is around 28°C during the daytime and 26°C during the night.

Day 02

Drive to Machame Gate and Trek to Machame Camp

Start the trip from the hotel to Machame Gate by car, which takes about 1 hour. The gate is at about 1800 m.
Begin walking from the gate to Machame Camp, a trek of about 11 km that takes around 4 hours. Most of the walk is through the rainforest.
Machame Camp is located in the heather zone at about 2835 m.
Activities at Machame Camp are mainly for relaxing and preparing for Day 3.
The temperature at Machame Camp is around 10°C to 20°C during the daytime and 0°C to 5°C during the night.

Day 03

Trek from Machame Camp to Shira Cave Camp

Travel from Machame Camp to Shira Cave Camp at about 3750 m.
The distance is 5 km, and it will take about 6 hours of walking because the trail is steep.
The camp is located in the moorland zone.
Activities at the camp include having a hot lunch, resting, and acclimatizing in the mid-evening.
The temperature at Shira Cave Camp is around 5°C to 15°C during the daytime and -5°C to 0°C during the night.

Day 04

Acclimatization at Lava Tower and Overnight at Barranco

Wake up early and hike for acclimatization to Lava Tower for a hot lunch at about 4600 m, then continue to sleep at Barranco Camp at about 3900 m.
The camp is located in the moorland zone, but the trail passes through alpine desert, like Lava Tower.
Activities are mainly for relaxing and preparing for Day 5.
The temperature at Lava Tower Camp is around 0°C to 10°C during the daytime and -10°C to -5°C during the night.
The temperature at Barranco Camp is around 5°C to 15°C during the daytime and -5°C to 0°C during the night.

Day 05

Walk from Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Walk about 6 km to Karanga Camp.
The camp is located in both moorland and alpine zones because of its gradual setting. The upper side of the camp is in the alpine zone, while the lower side is in the moorland zone. The height of the camp is 3995 m.
The activity of the day is walking.
The temperature at Karanga Camp is around 5°C to 12°C during the daytime and -5°C to -2°C during the night.

Day 06

Trek to Barafu Camp and Prepare for the Summit

Walk to Barafu Camp at about 4673 m.
The distance is 4 km, and it will take about 4 hours.
The camp is located in the alpine zone.
The activity of the day is resting during midday and then beginning the summit ascent at midnight.
The temperature at Barafu Camp is around 0°C to 10°C during the daytime and -10°C to -5°C during the night.
The temperature at the summit is around -15°C to -5°C during the daytime and -20°C to -15°C during the night.

Day 07

Summit Descent to Millenium or Mweka Camp

Descend to Millenium Camp at 3900 m or Mweka Camp at 3100 m to lose the altitude gained at the summit.
The camps are located in both moorland and heather zones.
Activities include a short rest after the summit, then continuing the descent on foot.
The temperature at Millenium Camp is around 10°C to 20°C during the daytime and 0°C to 5°C during the night.
The temperature at Mweka Camp is around 15°C to 25°C during the daytime and 5°C to 10°C during the night.

Day 08

Descend to Mweka Gate and Return to the Hotel

Descend to Mweka Gate at about 1643 m, then return to the hotel for lunch, a celebration dinner, and your certificate.
The activity of the day is celebrating after being on the mountain for 7 days.

Day 09

Departure or Onward Travel

Pickup from the hotel and transfer back to the airport for departure, or continue to another tour such as a safari according to the client's travel plans.
The activity for today is simply to begin your journey back to your country.