6-Day Mount Kilimanjaro Trek via Machame Route to Uhuru Peak

• Around 8:30 am, get picked up from your hotel in Arusha and transfer to Machame Gate, where trekking formalities are completed. Normally, the formalities and other logistics for climbing the mountain take about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

• From there, start your easy trek; the walk takes about 7.5 hours.

Dinner and overnight at Machame Camp.

Estimated distance to be covered is 10 km.

Elevation change: +1500 m; final elevation: 3,100 m.

• Have an early breakfast and continue from Machame Camp across the stream onto its west bank. Follow the path up the steep rocky ridge, crossing a few times before reaching Shira Camp at the base of the semicircular wall of rocks.

Dinner and overnight at Shira Camp.

Hike time: 5-6 hours.

Estimated distance to be covered is 6 km.

Elevation change: 740 m; final elevation: 3,840 m.

• Hike to Lava Tower (4,700 m) and then proceed to Barranco Camp (3,950 m) via the great Barranco Wall. This route offers panoramic views of Kibo through Karanga Valley as you hike high and sleep low, dropping back down to Barranco after lunch.

Dinner and overnight at Barranco Campsite.

Hike time: 5 hours.

Estimated distance: 8 km.

Elevation change: 110 m.

• Today involves gaining a little more elevation for acclimatization and resting for the summit attempt the next morning.

Dinner and overnight at Barafu Camp.

Hiking time: 4 hours.

Estimated distance: 7 km.

Elevation change: +650 m; final elevation: 4,600 m.

• Start trekking early before sunrise, around 1-2 am, as the walk will take 10-14 hours. This helps avoid the mist that sets in later in the day, and the snow will still be safely frozen. The 1,100 m ascent in just over 3 km will take about 6-8 hours.

• After a brief stay at the summit of the highest point in Africa, Uhuru Peak at over 5,895 m, descend via the Mweka Route (12 km) in about 2 hours to Mweka Camp.

Dinner and overnight at Mweka Camp.

• Descend about 1,500 meters through the forest on a jungle path for about 10 km in 3 to 4 hours to reach Mweka Gate.

• Meet your driver for the transfer back to Arusha.