7-Day Kilimanjaro Machame Route Trek to Uhuru Peak

Walking Time: 6-7hrs Distance: 9km Altitude Gain: 1200m/3935ft

• Wake up fresh and invigorated for the first leg of your journey to the foot of majestic Kilimanjaro. After a warm hotel breakfast, you'll depart Moshi for Machame Gate. The 45-minute drive takes you off the beaten path through a panorama of coffee plantations and local villages.
• After arriving at the park gate, you'll register with the Kilimanjaro National Park authorities while our team prepares and checks all your gear.
• Then continue to the day's final destination, Machame Camp. You'll enjoy the first of many scenic hikes through tropical rainforest and savannah terrain, venturing beneath moss-covered timbered underpasses and catching glimpses of rare wildlife and botanical species.
• Emerge from high grasses into fields of heather and sprouting wildflowers. Stop to marvel at views of Kibo Peak, the mighty summit at the end of your climb. Meanwhile, your porters and cooks will prepare a hot, steaming meal ahead of your arrival.

Walking Time: 4-6hrs Distance: 7km Altitude Gain: 840m/2,760ft

• Today will be the most scenic leg of your journey so far on one of the best Kilimanjaro climbing routes. You'll begin your first morning on the slopes of the mountain with a warming, hearty breakfast. Pack up your gear and venture across damp, cool heathland and temperate moorland dunes.
• Move across the rolling savannah among tall grasses and the otherworldly beauty of the Heather and Erica plains. Scramble across enormous boulders and emerge among volcanic rocks draped with dark green lichen. You'll also experience increasingly higher altitudes to support your acclimatization process.
• After lunch, you'll climb the lava-filled Shira Plateau and then head for Shira Camp. In the meantime, your porters and cooks will prepare a delicious meal in anticipation of your arrival.

Walking Time: 6-7hrs Distance: 10km Altitude Gain: 690m/2,264 ft

• Today's trekking journey continues along the steepest and most rewarding stretch so far. You'll get off to an early start and hike eastwards towards the wide expanse of the Shira Plateau.
• Upon reaching the junction of the Shira and Lemosho Routes, you'll branch off onto a more secluded trail before stopping for a break. After lunch, continue towards Lava Tower, an incredible 300-tall volcanic plug that transforms into a passageway.
• Then take a rapid descent towards your campsite in the Great Barranco Valley, where you'll settle into a scenic camp encompassed by massive valley walls and the stunning Kibo massif. Looming glaciers reflect the sunlight while giant lobelias and groundsels dominate the otherworldly landscape. Later, sit back and enjoy a warm, delicious meal before settling into a deep sleep.

Walking Time: 3-4hrs Distance: 6km Altitude Gain: 90m/295ft

• This section of the Machame Route is filled with thrilling exploration and life-changing scenery. You'll start the day by climbing the lofty eastern wall of a gorge and soaking in the dramatic view: Kilimanjaro's ice fields are covered by blankets of frost.
• Then brace yourself for a 90-minute climb up the magnificent Barranco Wall, also known as the Breakfast Wall, after which you'll continue along a calm trail until you reach Karanga Valley. Here, you'll settle in and mentally prepare for the final stretch of your journey.

Walking Time: 3-4hrs Distance: 4km Altitude Gain: 560m/1837ft

• Your last day on the Kilimanjaro Machame Route before reaching the summit gets off to a gentle start.
• You'll begin a gradual ascent through the tranquil Karanga Valley before encountering the granite floors of the lava ridge. Along the way, the temperature will drop and the vegetation will become more and more sparse.
• You'll set up camp in an exposed zone along a smooth edge of the ridge. An energy-dense meal will be served in preparation for your midnight ascent to the Mount Kilimanjaro summit.

Walking Time: 14-16hrs Distance: 19km Altitude Gain: 1,295 meters (4,240 feet) Altitude Loss: 2,795 meters (9,170 feet)

• You'll set out shortly after midnight on your final push to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. Journey amid luminous sapphire glaciers to Stella Point while a spectacular sunrise illuminates the summit peaks.
• Relish the final hours of your unforgettable journey before reaching your ultimate destination, Uhuru Peak. Standing on the rooftop of Africa, you'll be filled with a sense of exhilaration and triumph as you look down over the swirling cloudscape and oceans of ice. Celebrate with your support team and soak in the beauty before retracing your steps to Barafu Camp.
• After a short break, continue to Mweka Camp, where a hot, welcoming meal will await your arrival. There, you'll spend your last night on the mountain relaxing beneath the stars.

Walking Time: 3-4hrs Distance: 10km Altitude Gain: 1,600m/5,250ft

• Wake up on the mountain slopes refreshed and victorious - you've just conquered Mount Kilimanjaro! After breakfast, you'll stroll back to Mweka Gate, taking time to admire the deep green forest scenery draped in morning mist. Bid farewell to your guides and porters.
• You'll be transported back to Moshi, where a hot shower, comfy mattress, and clean set of clothes await. We will transfer you to Kilimanjaro Airport, where you will say your farewells to Tanzania and its people. If you've chosen to continue on a safari, that will be the start of a new adventure.