Itinerary for 7 Days Mount Kilimanjaro climbing Machame route
DAY 1: RAINFOREST ZONE – Machame GATE
We drive from Arusha to the Machame Gate which is located on the southern side of the mountain. This drive takes approximately 1.5-2 hours. Starting at the Machame Gate (5,718 ft or 1,748m) we will be climbing to Machame Camp (9,350 ft or 2,850m). This trek takes approximately 5-7 hours and is through the Tropical Rainforest Zone. Overnight at Machame Camp.
DAY 2: SHIRA 2 CAMP – MOORLAND/HEATHER ZONE
Starting our day off in the Rainforest Zone at Machame Camp (9,350 ft or 2,850m), we will be leaving the Rainforest Zone to head to our next campsite, Shira 2 Camp (12,621 ft or 3,847m). We are now entering the next ecological zone, the Moorland/Heather Zone. Trees are scarcer and small plants become more common. Overnight at Shira 2 Camp.
DAY 3: BARRANCO CAMP – ALPINE DESERT ZONE
Starting at Shira 2 Camp (12,621 ft or 3,847m), we start trekking to our next camp – Barranco Camp (13,066 ft or 3,983 m). We hike towards the Lava Tower for lunch. After having lunch, we begin to make our descent to Barranco Camp. The landscape becomes more and more desolate as the desert starts to take over. The views of the Great Breach Wall are fantastic from this camp, probably better than anywhere else on the mountain. We camp at Barranco Camp (13,066 ft or 3,983 m).
DAY 4: KARANGA CAMP – ALPINE DESERT ZONE
We climb from Barranco Camp (13,066ft or 3,983 m) to Karanga Camp (13,106ft or 3,994 m). To get to Karanga Camp, we must cross over the Barranco Wall. This climb is not technical and you will have the guides to assist you. This trek takes approximately 4-5 hours to complete. Afterward, we will rest for the remainder of the day. We camp overnight at Karanga Camp.
DAY 5: BARAFU CAMP – ALPINE DESERT ZONE
We climb from Karanga Camp (13,106ft or 3,994 m) to Barafu Camp (15,239ft or 4,644 m). This trek takes approximately 4-5 hours to complete. Afterward, we will rest for the remainder of the day. We camp overnight at Barafu Camp. We will be going to sleep at about 7 pm, to wake up at 11 pm for our summit climb.
DAY 6: UHURU PEAK – SUMMIT DAY – ARCTIC ZONE
Starting at Barafu Camp (15,239ft or 4,644 m) we will begin our summit trek to Uhuru Peak (19,341ft or 5,895m). We will wake up at 11:00 PM the night before to get prepared and start trekking around midnight. This trek takes approximately 7 hours to complete. You will be reaching the summit around sunrise. Congratulations on reaching the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. Spend a few minutes savoring your accomplishment and taking photos. We descend via Stella Point, all the way down to Mweka Camp (10,204ft or 3,110 m) in the Moorland/Heather Zone. This descent portion takes approximately 6-8 hours.
DAY 7: MWEKA GATE & OFFICIAL CERTIFICAT
After breakfast, we continue to climb down to Mweka Gate (5,423ft or 1,653m) where we sign the Official Kilimanjaro National Park Register, have a cold drink, and get presented our official Kilimanjaro Certificate from our Head Guide. This last descent to the gate should take approximately 3-4 hrs. We then head to our bus and head back to the Premium Hotel in Arusha. This drive takes approximately 3 hrs. You should be arriving back at the hotel in the mid-afternoon around 3 PM (depending on what time you leave your camp in the morning).