7-Day Mount Kilimanjaro Machame Route Hike to Uhuru Peak

• Meet your guide and begin the tour.

• Drive from Moshi to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate, which takes about 50 minutes. The journey passes through the village of Machame, located on the lower slopes of the mountain.

• Leave the park gate and walk through the rainforest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery, so gaiters and trekking poles are a good idea here. Continue a short distance until you reach Machame Camp.

The distance covered will be 11 km, and hiking time will be around 5-7 hours.

• Leave the glades of the rainforest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the little valley and walking along a steep rocky ridge covered with heather until the ridge ends. The route then turns west onto a river gorge.

Time for rest, dinner, and an overnight stay at Shira campsite.

The distance covered will be 5 km, and hiking time will be around 4-6 hours.

• Continue east up a ridge, passing the junction toward the peak of Kibo. Then change direction to the southeast toward the Lava Tower, called the "Shark's Tooth." Shortly after the tower, come to the second junction, which leads up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 16,000 ft.

• Proceed to Barranco Hut at an altitude of 13,000 ft.

• Rest, enjoy dinner, and stay overnight.

Although you end the day at nearly the same elevation as when you started, this day is significant for acclimatisation and will help your body prepare for summit day.

The distance covered will be 10 km, and hiking time will be around 6-8 hours.

• Leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge, passing the Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley campsite. This is a short day meant for acclimatisation.

The distance covered will be 5 km, and hiking time will be around 4-5 hours.

• Leave Karanga and head to the junction that connects with the Mweka Trail.

• Continue up 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, enjoy dinner, and prepare for summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo can be seen from this position.

The distance covered will be 4 km, and hiking time will be around 4-5 hours.

• Start very early in the morning, between midnight and 2 am, and continue your way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. Head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree toward Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek.

• Stop for a short rest and be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see, weather permitting. From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way during your 1-hour ascent to the summit.

• Reach the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro, called Uhuru Peak. Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit.

• Start your descent, continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut campsite, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel on the way down. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest, and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon.

Enjoy your last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.

The distance covered will be 5 km ascent and 12 km descent. Hiking time will be around 7-8 hours for the ascent and 4-6 hours for the descent.

• Continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy, so gaiters and trekking poles will help.

• Reach Mweka Village, where a vehicle will meet you and drive you back to the hotel in Moshi.

The distance covered will be 10 km, and hiking time will be around 3-4 hours.