9-Day Kilimanjaro Climb via the Machame Route to Uhuru Peak

You will be picked up at Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi town. There, you will meet your guide, who will brief you on your upcoming trek and carry out an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. Any missing gear can be rented on this day.

After breakfast, transfer to Machame Gate. From the gate, the recently repaired path leads through the last foothills of the fertile cultivated land. Shortly afterwards, the trail rises and continues through the dense, deep green, and still-moist mountain rainforest up to Machame Camp.

Today's trek leads through bush forest and moorland, passing striking lava bridges along the way. A little later, the first senecio and lobelia can be seen around noon, where this section is often shrouded in dense fog.

The ascent continues through the dark, almost vegetation-free gravel desert of lava rock. With a bit of luck, Kilimanjaro reveals itself up close here for the first time. The trail leads to just below the Lava Tower, at about 4,450 m, and then descends into the Barranco Valley. With its alpine vegetation, this area is one of the highlights along the Machame Route.

After breakfast, leave Barranco and continue along a steep ridge, passing the Barranco Wall to the Karanga Valley campsite. This is a short day designed for acclimatization.

After breakfast, 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. Here, you make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo can be seen from this position.

Very early in the morning, between midnight and 2 am, continue to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You 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.

At Stella Point (18,600 ft), you will stop for a short rest and, weather permitting, be rewarded with one of the most magnificent sunrises you are ever likely to see.

From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the way during your 1-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, you will have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers may see the sunrise from the summit.

From the summit, begin your descent, continuing straight down to Mweka Campsite and 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. Later in the evening, enjoy your last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.

The trail descends steeply along a mostly wet and slippery path through the dense cloud forest to Mweka Gate. From there, transport back to your hotel or lodge.

Enjoy breakfast and morning sightseeing in the city, or continue with a safari adventure. If you are returning home, your driver will take you to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) to catch your flight.