6 Days Machame Route

Whether you’re coming directly from the Kilimanjaro International Airport or elsewhere in Tanzania, your adventure will begin when a friendly representative from Chalema Tanzania Safaris brings you to the mountainside town of Moshi. This scenic cityscape sprawls across the slopes of Kilimanjaro, and you’ll enjoy a warm welcome at the lovely Parkview Inn. The hotel’s lusciously landscaped gardens are the perfect cure for jetlag. You can spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool and enjoying an exquisite meal at the on-site restaurant. Make sure to get plenty of rest tonight—our hike to the roof of Africa begins first thing in the morning!

Approx. time taken: 6 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

After a short drive through the village of Machame to reach the entrance gate of Kilimanjaro National Park, it’s time to shoulder our backpacks, grab our trekking poles, and hit the trail. Our first day of hiking begins along a footpath which twists and turns as it rises through a bewitching rainforest on the southwest face of the mountain. The terrain here can be slippery, so we’ll take our time and concentrate on enjoying the splendid scenery, keeping our eyes peeled for any animals scurrying through the underbrush or capering in the canopy above our heads. After approximately six hours, we’ll reach our first campsite: Machame Camp. Believe it or not, you’ve already climbed more than 1,000 meters in a single day—and there’s plenty more to come.

Distance covered: 5.4km / 3.4mi

Approx. time taken: 5 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Our second morning on the trail begins with a tasty breakfast—you’ll quickly come to marvel at the fresh flavors our hiking team from Chalema Tanzania Safaris can whip up. When it’s time to depart Machame Camp, you can expect to be on the trail for another five or six hours. We’ll leave the rainforest behind us and ascend into a genuine alpine environment, climbing steep ridges to reach fantastic landscapes of rolling heather, sprawling moors, and winding waterways. Our destination today is Shira Camp, situated on a plateau with superb views across the rocky wilderness of Kilimanjaro. From here, we’ll be able to see the highest of the mountain’s three summits, known as Kibo. On a clear day, we’ll also be able to see Mount Meru far to the east.

Distance covered: 10.8km / 6.7mi

Approx. time taken: 8 hrs

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Lace up your hiking boots and get ready for our most challenging day yet! Today we’ll be ascending to approximately 4,600 meters above sea level—this is higher than many trekkers ever manage to climb. And as we ascend the mountain seeking ever greater heights, we’ll enter yet another fascinating landscape of volcanic rocks and stark ridges. The major landmark on today’s trail is the Lava Tower, or Shark’s Tooth: a tall, picturesque rock formation which serves to mark our highest point for the day. From here, we’ll descend through a forest of distinctive dendrosenecio plants called groundsels in order to reach Barranco Camp. In keeping with the trekker’s mantra of “climb high, sleep low,” our campsite for the evening rests at just under 4,000 meters. This will ensure that we have the best chance of acclimatizing to the rarefied air as we approach the summit in the days to come.

Distance covered: 8.5km / 5.3mi

Approx. time taken: 8 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

We’ve got a long day of tough hiking ahead of us, and you can expect to be on your feet for anywhere from eight to 10 hours. But today represents some of the finest trekking anywhere in the world, and it all begins by climbing up and over the notorious Barranco Wall. This steep rock face requires caution and patience, but no technical skills are needed to surmount this obstacle—and the views from the top are worth the effort! Afterwards, we’ll stop to enjoy lunch in the Karanga Valley before pushing on to the rocky environs of Barafu Camp. Here we’ll pitch our tents at about 4,600 meters, enjoying excellent views of Kilimanjaro’s Mawenzi and Kibo summits. Make sure to get plenty of rest, because we’ll be making for Kibo before the sun rises.

Distance covered: 13.4km / 8.3mi

Approx. time taken: 12 – 15 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

There’s just enough time for a quick bolt of tea before we ascend through the midnight darkness to approach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Our path leads between two larger-than-life glaciers before climbing the steep scree-covered slopes on the way to the summit. This is challenging terrain, but your partners from Chalema Tanzania Safaris will be there to guide you past these obstacles in order to reach Stella Point. This is fantastic spot to watch the sun rise over the plains of East Africa, and many climbers turn around here. But you’ve come all this way to summit Kilimanjaro, and there’s a little further yet to go. After checking on everyone’s condition, we’ll push on to Uhuru Peak: the very roof of Africa! We’ll savor our success before beginning the long downhill hike ahead of us. We’ll be returning to 3,000 meters in elevation after about seven total hours on the trail today, reentering the rainforest to spend the night at Mweka Hut in the evening.

Distance covered: 12.1km / 7.5mi

Approx. time taken: 6 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

It’s all downhill from here! Relatively speaking, that is—there’s still some tricky terrain to cross as we descend for approximately four hours through the wet environment of the mountain’s montane forest. Since we’re returning along a different path, you’ll get to enjoy new scenery around every corner. We’ll exit Kilimanjaro National Park through the Mweka Gate and enter the traditional village of Mweka, where we’ll meet our ride back into town. After picking up any gear we’ve left in Moshi, we’ll make the drive to Arusha to spend the night at the eco-friendly Karama Lodge and Spa. This is the perfect retreat to relax your tired muscles and celebrate the accomplishment of a lifetime.

With the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro at our backs, it’s time to bid a fond farewell to the wild landscapes and friendly people of Tanzania. Depending on the departure time of your outgoing travel arrangements, you may have time to grab a bite to eat or do a quick bit of shopping in the colorful town of Arusha. When it’s time to depart, a representative from Chalema Tanzania Safaris will happily escort you to the Kilimanjaro International Airport. We hope you’ve had as much fun as we have, and we trust that you’ll be back again soon!