7 Day Kilimanjaro Machame climb

5.0
(12 reviews)

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7 days (approximately)
Pickup offered
Offered in: English

This non-technical Kilimanjaro camping route is one of the most popular and commonly referred to as the ‘whisky’ route due to its popularity and strong nature of the route. Machame starts at the southwest mountain rain forest and involves steep and challenging hikes on the southern circuit which is well designed for acclimatization with natural features taking you high and low. Although this is a non-technical route, there is a small ‘scrambling’ (using your hands and legs) section at the Barranco wall which truly gives you that mountain climbing feeling without any special equipment or experience.

What's Included

Twice daily health checks with guides and a high-grade medical oximeter
Boiled drinking water on trek (from 1st camp onwards)
Hand washing station and small personal wash basin at campsites
1 x approx. 100Ltr rubberized hold all bag / packsack
Trained, certified, and experienced English-speaking Mountain guide/s at KINAPA minimum ratios
Lunch (Optional[6])
Lunch
Shared public toilet facilities at campsites
Dinner (Optional[6])
Dinner
Pre-climb briefing / equipment check with the guide / tour consultant in Moshi
Breakfast (Optional[6])
Breakfast
Luggage storage while on trek
All meals on the mountain and eating utensils, cutlery, bowls, cups etc.
Specialist tent crew to service and set-up campsites
All taxes and VAT applicable
Basic 1” foam sleeping mattress per person
1 Emergency oxygen cylinder per 5 passengers and first aid kit
1 x transfer from a Moshi based lodge/pick up location to park gates per group
Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project monitoring on Kilimanjaro treks for fair treatment standards
1 x luggage porter carrying luggage of 15kg per person of personal luggage
Four season tent(sharing for even numbered+1 single tent for odd numbers)chairs, tables, dining tent
All National Park conservation, park entry, camping, and rescue fees as applicable
Trained and experienced personal mountain cook and waiter
1 x transfer from park gates to a Moshi based lodge/drop off location per group
Tips / gratuities
Beverages such as soft drinks, alcohol etc.
Insurance
Visas
Items of a personal nature
Water on first day of trek
Metal & hard plastic water bottles, etc. (note: soft plastics are not permitted on the mountain)
Extra Single tents ($20 per extra tent, per day)
Comfort upgrades as portable toilet(45 per day-Max 5 pax), foldable bed($20 per bed, per day) etc.
Flying Doctors Emergency Evacuation membership
Personal mountain equipment such as sleeping bags, walking poles, etc(Please request pack guideline)
Extra guides or extra luggage porters ($35 per guide per day, $20 per luggage porter per day)

Meeting and pickup

Pickup points
You can choose a pickup location at checkout (multiple pickup locations are available).
Pickup details:

Your guide will visit your base lodge / pre climb lodge the day before your trek to do a briefing and coordinate the start time the next day. The next morning you should see your guide and our vehicle at your lodge reception or in the parking area. If you cannot see our driver / guide you can ask the reception of your lodge to get in touch.

OR
Meeting point

Our guide will visit your pre climb lodge the day before your trek to do a briefing and coordinate the start time the next day. You can make your own way to our headquarters near Moshi town and you will see a Shah Tours board on the street with a black and green gate to enter our office.

End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Duration: 7 days (approximately)
    Day 1

    Moshi town/Pick up location to Machame gate to Machame camp

    1 stop
  • 1
    Mount Kilimanjaro

    You will be transferred by road from Moshi town/Pick up location (09:00am) to Machame gate. After registration you begin your trek through the rain forest zone with your guide. The forest is thick and diverse with flora / fauna, and you may experience rain this afternoon which is common in this zone making the path slightly slippery. A steady but relatively steep hike takes you to the edge of the forest and heather zone.

    7 hours • Admission ticket included
    • Day 2

    Machame camp to Shira camp

    1 stop
  • 2
    Mount Kilimanjaro

    Today’s hike is a little shorter and begins with a trek through the heather & moorland zone up a steep ridge till the semi-circular cliff known as Picnic Rock. From here you have excellent views (on a clear day) of Kibo peak, the tallest cone on the mountain where your goal of Uhuru peak is. You should also see the jagged peaks of the Shira Plateau to the west. Shira is the third peak of Kilimanjaro which has been molded by lava flow, erosion, and volcanic activity. Tanzania’s second highest mountain (Mt Meru 4563m or 14970ft) may be seen in the distance. The remainder of your day is a much gentler / flat trail to your camp, where the views are equally as spectacular.

    7 hours • Admission ticket free
    • Day 3

    Shira camp to Lava Tower to Barranco camp

    1 stop
  • 3
    Mount Kilimanjaro

    Your hike today takes you towards to Kibo cone steadily climbing up and over the edges of the alpine desert to your first high altitude at the lava tower (4630m or 15190ft). Today helps you to acclimatize and also is a great indicator to see how your body can handle the higher altitude. From the Lava Tower you begin your steep descent anti clockwise around Kibo and into the Barranco Valley passing the large flowering mountain cacti (Kilimanjaro Senecios) unique to Kilimanjaro. The day ends around the same elevation as you started on the edge of the heather and moorland.

    8 hours • Admission ticket free
    • Day 4

    Barranco camp to Karanga camp

    1 stop
  • 4
    Mount Kilimanjaro

    This morning you will leave the camp and ascend the Barranco wall. This is an impressive non-technical scramble and gives a feeling of mountain climbing (without any previous experience or advanced equipment required) and is rewarded with a superb view from the top back into the camp and the Heim glacier on the peak. The remainder of the hike will be through the alpine desert slowly winding around the mountain till the Karanga valley which you descend into and again up till your camp. Karanga valley is the last water point.

    5 hours • Admission ticket free
    • Day 5

    Karanga camp to Barafu Camp

    1 stop
  • 5
    Mount Kilimanjaro

    Today you climb almost casually through the empty landscape of the alpine desert where you keep a slow pace even though the path is not extremely steep. Kibo cone starts to near and you may finally glimpse the Mawenzi peak (Kilimanjaro’s second peak) in the east. The short distance means you have plenty of time at your summit camp to rest and prepare for the summit attempt tonight.

    4 hours • Admission ticket free
    • Day 6

    Barafu Camp to Stella point to Uhuru peak to Mweka camp

    1 stop
  • 6
    Mount Kilimanjaro

    In the early morning (around 00:00am) you begin your final ascent to the summit of Uhuru peak through the arctic zone. The trek is a steep hike over loose volcanic scree through the dark and cold night and takes a slow pace in a zig-zag pattern towards Stella point (5685m or 18650ft) which is your first stop on the Kibo crater rim. From here a short (but difficult) hike remains to take you to Uhuru Peak (5895m or 19341ft), the highest point in Africa. You usually don’t spend that long at the peak due to the extreme altitude and will descend back down to the base camp for your breakfast / brunch. After your gear is packed up you continue the descent through the alpine desert, heather and moorland and eventually stopping at Mweka camp in the rain forest zone for a well-deserved rest.

    18 hours • Admission ticket free
    • Day 7

    Mweka camp to Mweka gate to Moshi town/Drop off location

    1 stop
  • 7
    Mount Kilimanjaro

    Your final day on Kilimanjaro is a descent through the southern rain forest until Mweka gate where our vehicle will be waiting to take you back to Moshi town/Drop off location. Usually, the crew will leave you at Mweka gate and it’s a perfect opportunity to say goodbye to your crew who all generally head directly home from the end gate.

    4 hours • Admission ticket free

Additional info

  • Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
  • Not recommended for travelers with lung problems or other known altitude related medical conditions
Supplied by Shah Tours Travel Ltd.

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Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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5.0 Based on 12 12 reviews
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