Kilimanjaro Machame Route

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport you will be warmly welcomed by a member of Safariland Adventure’s guide, who will drive you to Safariland Cottages.
Renowned as the Safari capital of Tanzania, Arusha is tucked beneath the towering peaks of Mt Meru and Kilimanjaro. The town has numerous first class restaurant, bars and markets to browse and its ideal place to spend a day before your hike to acclimatize.
Later in the afternoon you will meet, your guide who will brief you on your anticipated climb.
For dinner you can have a pick of different restaurants, with varied cuisines from Tanzanian dishes to Italian, please just ask a member of staff for variations. If you would prefer to relax and not spend the night out of the cottages, Safariland also offers a menu on pre-order.

DAY 2 – ACCLIMATIZATIO -ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK (Optional)

Today you will be spending time in the Arusha National park; this place will keep you amazed whilst acclimatizing as it is surrounded by a stunning landscape in view of Mount Meru. The wildlife, old trees and parts of grassland truly reflect African surroundings. The national park also boasts its fame as the place where the filming of a Movie by John Wayne HATARI was shoot.

DAY 3 – ARUSHA- MACHAME GATE

After a relaxing breakfast, you will be driven to Machame gate, where the track begins. The trail follows a clear plantation area and later emerging to a thick lush rain forest, with stunning flora and Fauna that are local to the area. The hike takes anything from 5 -7 hours with regular breaks and picnic lunch. Camp is pitched at an altitude of 3000M at Machame camp, the first point of the climb.

DAY 4 – MACHAME CAMP – SHIRA CAVES

The second day on the mountain is an easy paced trail, allowing time to acclimatize. Each day you will experience different environment with is own unique beauty. The hike to Shira takes about 5 – 6 hours, as you cross-valleys and stream before gently ascending into a river gorge on to the moorland of Shira plateau. Camping will be near Shira hut, which is at an altitude of 3840 M.

DAY 5 – SHIRA CAVES – LAVA TOWER – BARRANCO

Today you will begin the trail by ascending to Lava tower, reaching a high point of 4600 M before descending to Barranco at an altitude of 3950 M. This trail takes anything from 5 – 7 hours and allows the body to adjust to the sudden change in altitude and temperature. The path into the Barranco valley is particularly rewarding with a view of Kibo peak, which is spectacular. Camping and dinner will be at Barranco camp.

DAY 6 – BARRANCO – KARANGA VALLEY – BARAFU

Todays climb will take you through the great Barranco wall and pass through Karanga Valley, the last water point at an altitude of 4100 M. The trail has breathtaking views of Kersten and Decken Glacier. This trail takes anything from 6- 8 hours with regular breaks and picnic lunch. You will reach Barafu early to leave enough time to relax. In the evening your guide will brief you on the final ascend which begins at midnight.

DAY 7 – THE FINAL ASCEND – BARAFU – STELLA POINT – UHURU PEAK

The attempt on the summit begins at midnight. The path will take you through zigzag rocky slops that have an amazing sight, when there are many hikers. The light from the torches creates a beautiful sight of alike thousand of lentils lights in a snake like trail moving towards the roof of Africa. Today you will have a longer hike of about 6 – 7 hour to Stella point at an altitude of 5732 M. Moving on to Uhuru peak, which takes about 2 – 3 hours; to reach the highest point in Africa 5,895 M. This is all rewarded by a dramatic spectacle of the sun rising over the ice fields creating profusion colors and shapes on the view of Africa. You will later descend to Barafu camp for lunch, and proceed down to Mweka Camp at 3100 M for a well-deserved rest and a regained energy of you have made it to the highest point in Africa.

DAY 9 – MWEKA CAMP – MWEKA GATE – ARUSHA

The final descend will be through a lower heath section which turns into rain forest. At some points of your descend, you will be awarded with a spectacular view of the mountain which is almost all blue dependent on the weather condition. A vehicle at Mweka gate will be waiting to take you back to Arusha for a well-deserved rest or your flight back home.