Seven days on Africa's highest mountain, with time to get used to the altitude
The sign at Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m.
Machame is the route most climbers pick for its views. The seventh day matters: it gives your body more time at altitude, which is the single biggest help on summit night.
The trail starts in rainforest on the southern slopes, climbs onto the Shira Plateau and then follows the 'climb high, sleep low' pattern: you walk up to the Lava Tower at about 4,640 m and come back down to sleep at Barranco. That is exactly what helps the body adjust.
It is a walk, not a technical climb. The only scramble is the Barranco Wall, where you use your hands on the rock now and then. Summit night is the hard part: cold, slow and long. Your guides set the pace and check on you all the way, but nobody can promise the summit; the mountain and your health decide.
The 'climb high, sleep low' profile that helps acclimatisation
Views of the Shira Plateau, the Barranco Valley and the southern glaciers
Your own guides, cook and porters, and a private toilet tent
A hotel night in Moshi before and after the climb
Moshi
We collect you at Kilimanjaro International Airport and drive you to your hotel in Moshi. Later your lead guide comes by to talk you through the climb and look over your kit, so there is still time to sort out anything that is missing.
Machame Gate (about 1,800 m) → Machame Camp (about 2,835 m)
About an hour's drive takes you to Machame Gate, where you sign in while the porters weigh and pack the loads. The path rises steadily through tall, wet forest and can be slippery after rain. Your tents are already pitched when you reach Machame Camp near the top of the trees.
Machame Camp (about 2,835 m) → Shira Cave Camp (about 3,750 m)
Out of the forest and onto a steep, rocky ridge of heather and tree heath. By afternoon you are on the edge of the Shira Plateau, often above the clouds, with Kibo's summit in front of you on a clear day.
Shira Cave Camp (about 3,750 m) → Lava Tower (about 4,640 m) → Barranco Camp (about 3,960 m)
The most important day for acclimatisation. You walk up through stony alpine desert to the Lava Tower and eat lunch at about 4,640 m, then descend into the Barranco Valley among giant groundsels to sleep lower. It is normal to feel the height today; your guides keep a close eye on everyone.
Barranco Camp (about 3,960 m) → Karanga Camp (about 4,035 m)
Straight after breakfast you tackle the Barranco Wall. It looks steep from below but it is a scramble, not rock climbing, and your guides show you each hand- and foothold. From the top the trail rolls up and down across valleys under the southern glaciers to Karanga Camp.
Karanga Camp (about 4,035 m) → Barafu Camp (about 4,640 m)
A short but steady climb over bare rock to Barafu. You arrive early in the afternoon, eat an early dinner, lay out your warm layers and headlamp with your guide, and sleep for a few hours.
Barafu Camp (about 4,640 m) → Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) → Mweka Camp (about 3,080 m)
You leave around midnight and climb slowly in the dark and the cold. After about five to seven hours you reach Stella Point on the crater rim; Uhuru Peak, the roof of Africa at 5,895 m, is about another hour along the rim, ideally as the sun comes up.
After photos you walk back down to Barafu for a rest and food, then carry on down to Mweka Camp at the edge of the forest. It is the longest and hardest day of the trip.
Mweka Camp (about 3,080 m) → Mweka Gate (about 1,630 m)
A last descent through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where you sign out and receive your summit certificate. Then a drive back to your Moshi hotel and a long hot shower.
Moshi
After breakfast we drive you to Kilimanjaro International Airport, or straight on to a safari if you are adding one.
Walking times and heights are approximate. Your lead guide can change the plan for your safety or because of the weather, and no one can guarantee that you will reach the summit.
| Group Size | Price Per Person |
|---|---|
| 1 Person | $2,470 |
| 2 People | $2,270 |
| 3 People | $2,205 |
| 4 People | $2,175 |
| 5 People | $2,155 |
| 6+ People | $2,140 |
Private trip for your group only: the more of you share the vehicle and guide, the lower the price per person. For 7 or more people we send a quote.
How booking works: a 30% deposit confirms your trip and the balance is paid on arrival in Tanzania, before the trip starts. We reply within 3 hours. Booking terms
It is a long, steep walk rather than a climb, with one easy scramble on the Barranco Wall. Most fit, healthy people can do it with training; the altitude, not the walking, is what stops people.
The extra day gives your body more time to adjust to the height, which improves your chance of reaching the top and makes the climb safer. Six days is cheaper but harder.
A porter carries your main bag; we advise packing it to about 15 kg. You carry a small day pack with water, snacks, a rain jacket and your camera.
Yes. Many climbers add a 2- or 3-day safari or a few days on the beach; we can plan it so the day after the climb is a rest day.
The most gradual climb, with an extra plateau night.
The scenic Machame route in six days, for fit hikers.
Seven days on Machame, then four nights on the beach.
Tell us your dates, where you are staying and how many of you are travelling. We reply within 3 hours.
