7 Days Machame Route

Day 1: Machame Gate to Machame Camp

Elevation (m): 1800m to 3000m, Distance: 11km, Time: 5-7 hours, Habitat: Montane Forest.

Begin your 7 days Machame Route tour with a drive to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate from your hotel. When you arrive at the park gate, check-in at the office and make final preparations to begin the climb. Our route leads us through the rain forest and along a hill to Machame Sleep, where we will camp for the night.

Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira Camp

Elevation (m): 3000m to 3850m, Distance: 9km, Time: 4-6 hours, Habitat: Moorland.

We start hiking after early morning breakfast, leaving the rainforest behind and continuing our trek up a steep rocky ridge covered in heath, passing a tiny valley and up to a high rocky ridge covered in heath. Our path now heads west across a river gorge. Shira campground for dinner and the night.

We cook dinner on the burners.

Day 3: Shira Camp via Lava Tower to Barranco Camp

Elevation (m): 3850m to 4600m to 3950m, Distance: 12 km, Time: 6-7 hours, Habitat: Semi-desert.

This is a critical day for acclimatization, and it will aid your body’s preparation for summit day. This will be our most difficult day so far, and you may begin to experience altitude effects. To acclimate, we will go to Lava Tower (4600m) and eat our lunch there. We next descend to Barranco campground, where we will spend the night. The Western Breach and Breach Wall provide excellent picture opportunity. While you wait for your meal, the camp is located in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which will present you with a magnificent sunset.

Day 4: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Elevation (m): 3950m to 3930m, Distance: 7 km, Hiking Time: 4 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert.

Today begins with a short but enjoyable scramble to the much dreaded Great Barranco Wall’s summit. We proceed via scree to the Karanga Valley (3930m), which lies beneath the Heim, Kersten, and Decken Glaciers’ icefalls. At Karanga campsite, for dinner and much needed overnight rest.

Day 5: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Elevation (m): 3930m to 4600m, Distance: 6kms, Hiking Time: 3 hours, Habitat: Alpine Desert

We leave the Karanga camp to reach the Mweka descending route’s junction. We proceed up to the Barafu Hut from here. You’ve finished the Southern Circuit, which gives you a variety of views of the top. We may relax, eat dinner, and get ready for summit day in camp. From this vantage point, the two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are visible.

Day 6: Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Hut

Elevation (m): 4600m to 5895m (and down to 3100m), Distance: 7km ascent/23km descent, Time: 6-8 hours ascent/6-7 hours descent, Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit/Alpine desert.

Day 6 of the 7 days Machame Route is summit day so we wake up 23:30 hrs, for some fast tea and snacks. Between the Rebman and Ratzel glaciers, we begin our ascent to the top. We’ll take a north-westerly route to Stella Point on the crater rim, ascending via hard scree. This is the trek’s most psychologically and physically demanding section. We’ll take a short break at Stella Point (5732m) and be rewarded with one of the most spectacular sunrises you’ll ever witness (weather permitting).

Day 7: Mweka Camp to hotel

Elevation (m): 3100m to 1800m, Distance: 8 km, Time: 3-4 hours, Habitat: Montane Forest.

We return to Mweka Park Gate to get your summit certificates which marks the end of our 7 days Machame Route trek. It might be muddy and damp at lower levels. The use of gaiters and trekking poles will be beneficial. T-shirts and shorts will suffice (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy).