7 Day Kilimanjaro Machame Route

Your tour of Kilimanjaro National Park will begin immediately after breakfast, around 7:30 a.m. Today’s destination will be Machame Camp. It takes two hours to drive from Arusha to Machame Gate. The Tecomate Tours team will offer you a picnic lunch at the entrance before beginning your adventure. Your 6- to 7-hour trek will begin quickly as you complete all of the relevant paperwork at the gate. The journey from Machame Gate takes you through a lovely jungle, where you can see black and white colobus monkeys peeking through the leaves. Machame Camp is our first destination of the day. When you get to the Camp, you will rest while waiting for dinner in the evening. Following supper, the Tecomate Tours and Safaris leaders will brief you about the next day’s trek thereafter you will go to sleep.

On day two, the Tecomate Tours and Safaris team will wake you up early and serve you with warm water to refresh. Following breakfast, the hike will begin, lasting 4 to 5 hours to reach the destination. You’ll journey across the moor and heath zone before arriving at New Shira Camp in the middle of the day. At the Camp, you will enjoy lunch before relaxing for the rest of the day. At twilight, New Shira Camp provides amazing views of Kibo Peak. Dinner will be served in the evening, so you can retire to your tent for the night.

On day three, you’ll walk from New Shira Camp to Barranco Camp via the Lava Tower. It is a long and difficult walk that takes approximately 5 – 6 hours to accomplish. The road continues east into a semi-desert and rocky area that surrounds Lava Tower. When you get at Lava Tower, the Tecomate Tours team will feed you lunch before continuing the 2-hour walk to Barranco Camp. This is the most essential day of your walk since it allows you to go higher and sleep lower, which is necessary for proper acclimatization. By the time you arrive at Barranco Camp, our team will have put up the tents and prepared the area for your comfort and rest. You will be served dinner and let to sleep.

On the fourth day, the hike is brief. This day is designated for acclimatization. After an early breakfast, it’s time to take on the Great Barranco Wall! At the top of the Wall, you will see Heim Glacier and be above the clouds. The trail then goes up and down in the Karanga Valley. The destination is Karanga Camp, where you will stay the night. When you arrive at the Camp, you will be served food and given a briefing by the Tecomate Tours Climbing crew before relaxing for the night. The view of Kibo from this campsite is spectacular. It appears to be so close that one could reach out and touch it!

After breakfast, you will continue your ascent. The trail intersects with the Mweka Route, which is utilized to descend in the final two days. After around 1 to 2 hours of climbing, you’ll arrive at Barafu Camp, which is situated on a steep, exposed ridge. Tents will be subjected to wind and rocks. You will get to know the campsite before it becomes dark. You will eat and rest in the early evening before tackling the summit the same night. The Tecomate Tours climbing crew will provide you with a detailed preparation guide for the summit night.

Around midnight, the Tecomate Tours team will wake you up with a warm cup of tea and biscuits to prepare you for your final ascent. As you make your way up to Stella Point at 5,730 metres above sea level, your only source of light will be your headlamps and, on a lucky day, moonlight. You’ll arrive at the crater rim in around 5 to 7 hours. Another 1 to 2 hours will take you to Uhuru Peak, where you can watch the sunrise over Africa’s rooftops. After recording this spectacular vista and achievement on video, you will begin your descent along the same road back to Barafu camp. Our team will be ready for you with snacks and refreshments. You’ll relax in your tents before heading to Mweka Camp for your final night atop Africa’s highest mountain. Dinner will be given at Mweka Camp, following which you will rest for the night.

Day 6 is the final day of your incredible trip with Tecomate Tours and Safari service. The day begins after breakfast with our team’s traditional farewell ceremony, followed by the descent. The descent from Mweka Gate (1,600 meters above sea level) will take 2 to 3 hours. At the gate, you will sign out of the park and eat lunch before being driven back to your hotel for rest and an overnight stay.

If you wish us to arrange for an airport transfer on your departure day, please let us know and we would be pleased to organize it for you at a low cost.