7-Day Mount Kilimanjaro Hiking Tour via the Machame Route

• Have breakfast, meet your tour guide, and drive from Arusha to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate. After completing all the necessary paperwork, your adventure begins.
• Begin your trek to Machame Camp, a hike of about 5-6 hours.
• Trek through the lush rainforest with its large ancient trees, primaeval ferns, and endemic flowers.
• Spot colobus monkeys peeking through the leaves along the way.
• Arrive at the campsite, relax, have dinner, and stay the night.

Elevation: 5,400ft to 9,400ft

Distance: 11 km

Hiking Time: 5-7 hours

Accommodation: Machame Camp

Meals Plan: Lunch & Dinner

• Start the trek to Shira Camp at around mid-afternoon.
• Notice the dramatic change in the landscape from lush green rainforest to dry moor and heathland during the trek.
• Arrive at the campsite and enjoy the beautiful view of the mountain range. The glaciers of Kibo glisten in the golden hue of the setting sun.
• Have dinner and spend the night at the camp.

Elevation: 9,400ft to 12,500ft

Distance: 5 km

Hiking Time: 4-6 hours

Accommodation: Shira campsite

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

• Climb roughly 700 m, starting at Shira Plateau, and make your way up to Lava Tower (4,640 m), where you will rest for a while before continuing through the Barranco Valley to the beautiful Barranco Camp. The trek takes approximately 6-7 hours, but the various distractions of the alpine desert, as well as the Barranco Valley with its small lobelia plants, will help keep your mind off the stretch still ahead.
• Arrive at Barranco Camp for dinner and an overnight stay.

Elevation: 12,500ft to 13,000ft

Distance: 10 km

Hiking Time: 6-8 hours

Accommodation: Barranco campsite

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

• Trek to Karanga Camp. With its numerous ascents and descents, the route allows for further acclimatization before reaching the mountain ridge.
• Walk along the ridge while taking in the beautiful landscape with its stunning contrasts of desert and vegetation before finally reaching the cloudy Karanga Camp. The trek takes between 3-4 hours.
• Arrive at Karanga Camp for dinner and an overnight stay.

Elevation: 13,000ft to 13,100ft

Distance: 5 km

Hiking Time: 4-5 hours

Accommodation: Karanga Valley campsite

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

• Have breakfast and trek to Barafu Camp. Most of the day will be spent walking through arid desert terrain, with Kibo ever-present on your left side.
• Reach Barafu Camp, have an early dinner, and spend the night there.

Elevation: 13,000ft to 13,100ft

Distance: 4 km

Hiking Time: 4-5 hours

Accommodation: Barafu campsite

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

• Begin the final ascent at around midnight. The moon and your headlamps will be your only sources of light as you make your way up to Stella Point, reaching the crater rim in about 5-7 hours.
• Another 1-2 hours will take you to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), where you can enjoy the sun rising over the African landscape, casting a pink hue over the snowy peak and making the glaciers sparkle like diamonds around you.
• After capturing this incredible view and achievement on film, start your descent along the same route back to Barafu Camp, where your team awaits you with some snacks and refreshments.
• Rest for a while and head to Mweka Camp for your last night on the highest mountain in Africa.

Elevation: 15,300ft to 19,345ft (and down to 10,000ft)

Distance: 5 km ascent / 12 km descent

Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ascent / 4-6 hours descent

Accommodation: Mweka Hut

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

• Have breakfast and begin the descent.
• Trek through the rainforest and spot the cheeky colobus monkeys.
• Reach Mweka Gate in about 2-3 hours. Meet your tour guide and travel to the hotel in Arusha.

Elevation: 10,000ft to 5,400ft

Distance: 10 km

Hiking Time: 3-4 hours

Accommodation: Hotel

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch