Tour Overview
The Machame route is very scenic with beautiful landscapes. It is the most popular and successful route leading to the summit of Kilimanjaro. The key to the success of the Machame route is topography, allowing hikers to climb high and sleep low, helping towards better acclimatisation. Hikers sleep in tents which are carried up to the mountain by porters.
If you climb seven days, on the fourth day spend over night at the Karanga camp, whereas at the six days Machame route you will continue your hike on the fourth day from Karanga camp to Barafu camp. Mountain climbing in Tanzania is a once in lifetime experience!
Full Itinerary
Walking distance: approximately 11 km
Duration: around 6 hours
Altitudes: Machame Gate 1,640 m – Machame Camp 2,850 M ,Vegetation zone: Rain forest
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be collected by your head guide and driven to the Machame Park gate. You will sign in at the gate and then begin to hike on the south-western slopes of the mountain. The first day of trekking is through the rain forest where plants such as busy lizzies, begonias and ferns can be seen depending on the time of year you’re visiting. A lunch box will be provided and you can take a break to sit and enjoy the scenery. The first camp is located amongst the giant heather. Dinner is provided and an overnight stay at Machame camp.
Duration: around 5 hours
Altitudes: Machame Camp 2,850 m – Shira Camp 3,810 m
Vegetation zone: Moorland
After breakfast, your second day of trekking starts. Emerging from the forest into the giant heather zone and up onto fine open moorland to camp by the Shira Cave at 3,840m. Today’s hike is around 4-5 hours with an optional walk in the afternoon to view fascinating geological features in the old volcanic caldera.
Duration: 4-5 hours to Lava Tower, 2-3 hours to Barranco camp
Altitudes: Shira Camp 3,810 m – Lava Tower 4,630 m – Barranco Camp 3,970 m
Vegetation zone: Alpine Desert
Today you trek to Lava Tower before descending down into the sheltered Barranco Valley to camp. It should help with acclimatisation to climb high and then sleep lower.
Duration: 4-5 hours
Altitudes: Barranco Camp 3,970 m – Karanga Camp 3,995 m
Vegetation zone: Alpine Desert
The day begins with a scramble up Barranco wall before continuing to hike to Karanga Valley at 3,995m. This is a short walking day, 4-5 hours, with an optional acclimatization hike in afternoon up onto the scree below the glaciers.
Duration: 4-5 hours
Altitudes: Karanga Camp 3,995 m – Barafu Camp 4,673 .
Vegetation zone: Alpine Desert
Hike up to a new camp perched on a rocky bluff. The camp offers fantastic views across to Mawenzi peak and being 150m higer than Barafu campsite there is a little distance to climb to the summit. This is another short walking day of about 4-5 hours. You will have dinner early and rest for as long as possible in preparation for the summit day.
Duration: 8 hours to Ufuru Peak and 6 hours to Mweka Camp
Altitudes: Barafu Camp 4,673 m – Uhuru Peak 5,895 m – Mweka Camp 3,068 m .
Vegetation zone: Rock, ice-capped summit, alpine desert
You will be woken at around midnight for a hot drink and snack before you begin the hike to the summit. The aim is to reach Uhuru Peak at sunrise to enjoy magnificent views across the mountain. The ascent to the summit, at 5,895m, takes around 7 hours before you descend to the new Rau campsite at 3,400m, taking about 5 hours. This is a long day with a lot of trekking but you will feel ecstatic when you’ve done it!
Duration: 3-4 hours
Altitudes: Mweka Camp 3,068 m – Mweka Gate 1,640 .
Vegetation zone: Low alpine zone, rain forest
Hike down to Mweka Park gate, where you will sign out. You will be collected at the gate and driven to your hotel.
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Depart early in the morning from Arusha with lunch boxes. Drive to Tarangire National Park, its about 110 Km and takes about 2 hours from Arusha. Full day game drive and lunch in the park. The park is famous of Baobab trees and elephants. The park is perfect for bird watching as the park has over 300 species of birds. We go for the lodge in the evening for dinner and stay over night.
After breakfast depart for Lake Manyara National Park takes about 1 hour drive. You will enjoy beautiful view of the park. If we are lucky we see some tree climbing lions! We drive to the lodge around Lake Manyara or Karatu after lunch for dinner and over night.
If you wish to do night game drive it is possible in Lake Manyara N.P with additional cost. Please let us know when you make a booking if you would like to do night game drive.
After breakfast depart for Serengeti which means “endless plains” in Masai language. We do a game drive while we are heading to Serengeti and we will stop to eat and also if we see any interesting animals alongside the road. We drive and stop for lunch at the Naabi Hill gate to Serengeti National Park. After Lunch we open the roof of the vehicle for a game drive as we are heading to our lodge for dinner and over night.
OPTIONAL
On the way to Serengeti there are about 4 Maasai Village where tourists have opportunities to see. If you are interested in to visit a one with extra cost, we visit and experience the life of the Maasai people.
We have breakfast at around 7 am and we leave the lodge with our lunch boxes. We check out of the hotel after breakfast. We do a morning game drive in the plains of the Serengeti, we have good chance to spot some wildlife just getting up and starting to do their daily business! We do a game drive as we are heading to the Naabi Hill gate. We have lunch at the gate and then start to head to Ngorongoro. Dinner and over night at the lodge in Ngorongoro.
OPTIONAL
To visit the Olduvai gorge museum at an extra cost of USD $17 per person.
To the shores of these islands came Summerians, Assyrians, Hindus, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Arabians, Chinese, Malaysians, and the Portuguese, all sailing in on Monsoon winds. From these shores the great European explorers Burton, Speke, Livingstone, Krapf, Rebman, and Grant set out on their voyages of discovery into the East and Central African hinterland.
Zanzibar is also famous for beautiful diving and snorkelling spots. Enjoy our Beach holidays in Tanzania.
