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Tanzania · Trekking
The journey
Witness the true beauty of the mountains on the Machame route, also known as the "Whiskey" route, and marvel at the Decken Glaciers along the way. This 8-day hike takes you across montane forests, unique flora and fauna, and an age-old volcanic caldera as you ascend Africa's highest and most famous summit in Tanzania. With time built in for acclimatisation and overnight camps on the mountain, this trek offers a rewarding route to Uhuru Peak.
Witness the true beauty of the mountains on the Machame route, also known as the "Whiskey" route, and marvel at the Decken Glaciers along the way.
From the itinerary
At a glance
Day by day
You will be picked up by your tour guide from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and driven to your accommodation in Arusha.
Participants will be given a short briefing for the climb the next day. Kits and the necessary equipment will also be checked.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Mount Meru Hotel
After breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel in Arusha and drive for one hour to Machame Gate (10,000 ft) for registration. Here, you will meet the rest of the crew - cooks and porters - and we shall all prepare for the climb.
We will start the climb through the rain forest and the giant heathers for six hours until we reach our first overnight camp.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range camping
This will be a short day, but the trail is rather steep, rocky, and dusty. It is a slow hike with plenty of breaks and enough time to acclimatise. Most of the route is rather bare of vegetation, providing little shade from the heat. You will cross many ridges and see the first of many Senecios.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range camping
We will start climbing over boulders and very few rocks, then make our way on a steady uphill climb to Lava Tower, where we will stop for lunch around noon.
For those interested, we may climb up Lava Tower, which is 14,850 ft. You may start to get a mild headache due to the altitude change.
From Lava Tower, we will go down for about two hours through dusty and rocky trails to Barranco Camp.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range camping
We start scrambling up the Barranco Wall for an hour and a half. As this is steep, you will be using your hands to reach and steady yourself like rock climbing, although it is not as challenging.
At the top of the wall, you can see the Barranco Valley and the campsite where you spent the previous night.
You will walk up and down the valley, which is the last water point on the mountain.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range camping
This will be a short but steep uphill climb across a barren landscape with lots of boulders and shattered rocks. You will see the Decken Glaciers on your left.
We will keep going through a very steep ridge until we reach a rocky section for more scrambling, which will last for about 1.5 hours.
Our next camp will be on large rocks with very steep cliff faces. We will cap off the night early, as we need to wake up at 11:00 pm for the summit.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range camping
We will start the climb at around midnight. We begin with very steep rocks for one hour, then enter a snow-covered area where you can see glaciers. If it is a moonlit night, you may turn off your headlamp and continue on a moonlit guided walk - indeed a wonderful experience.
The next two hours are used to reach Stella Point, and we will take a break every 15 minutes as the climb gets more mentally and physically challenging.
Afterwards, we will make our way to Stella Point, where the lava fields are like loose sand. It is a rather enjoyable and frustrating experience because, if you are not careful, you might slide back.
After breakfast, we will climb to Uhuru Peak for one hour just as the sun appears over the Mawenzi Peaks. We will be at Uhuru Peak (19,370 ft) around 6-7 am.
We will start our descent, which is steep and rigorous, via Stella Point to Barafu Hut Camp.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Mid-range camping
The hike will take about 4 to 5 hours to make the 4,500-foot descent to the park gate.
We will check out and receive a Kilimanjaro climbing certificate at the park gate office, then eat our lunch and say goodbye to our mountain staff.
After lunch, we will drive through very beautiful coffee plantations and small villages of the Chaga people to reach Arusha.
There, you will be dropped off, and it is the perfect time for you to take a nice swim, a hot shower, and a well-deserved celebration.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation: Mount Meru Hotel
Where this trip takes you
Machame Gate rainforest, Lava Tower boulder slopes, Decken Glaciers, Uhuru Peak sunrise
The route
The fine print
Park fees (for non-residents)
All activities (unless labelled as optional)
All accommodation as stated in the itinerary
Professional English-speaking Kilimanjaro driver/guide
All transportation (unless labelled as optional)
All taxes/VAT
Round-trip airport transfer
All meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
Drinking water on all days
Camping equipment
Porterage
International flights (from/to home)
Tips (tipping guideline: US$ 20.00 pp per day)
Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
Any government-imposed increase in taxes and/or park fees
Alcohol drinks
Rescue fee
Climbing gear
Sleeping bag
2 pax required to confirm the trek.
Logistics
Your 8 days finish where they began, in Kilimanjaro Airport Rd.
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