Kilimanjaro Machame Route trekking holiday










Description of Kilimanjaro Machame Route trekking holiday
Towering at a staggering 5,895 metres above sea level, mighty Kilimanjaro is Africa's giant and boasts the title of the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. On this eight-day guided trek you too can conquer the highest mountain in Africa, taking the adventurous Machame Route.
The Machame Route offers a shorter trekking duration compared to the more gradual Lemosho Route, with breathtaking views of farmlands, forests and heather moorlands on your ascent. After arriving into Arusha and receiving a briefing from the trekking team, you'll start your climb on the second day of the tour, travelling from Machame Gate to Machame Camp.
The stunning sunrise at Stella Point, located 5,685 metres above sea level, will take your breath away, then you'll head up to Kilimanjaro Peak to stand on the rooftop of Africa. Descend down to Mweka Camp on the same day and receive your climbing certificates at Mweka Gate.
Itinerary
Day 1: | Arrive at Kilimanjaro - Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro, one of our representatives will meet you and drive you to your lodge in Arusha, where you’ll spend one night. We recommend that you try and get an early night ahead of your Mount Kilimanjaro trek, which will start the following day. |
Day 2: | Trekking to Machame Camp - After breakfast, your local guide will meet you at your lodge and you will drive together to Machame Gate, where you’ll go through the registration process and have a briefing session before you meet the rest of your trekking team. Then you’ll start your trek. You’ll begin by walking along a winding trail through the rainforest until you reach Machame Camp. |
Day 3: | Trekking Kilimanjaro - Leaving Machame Camp after breakfast, you'll continue on an ascending trail, up to a steep, rocky ridge. On the Shira Plateau, you’ll pass through heather and open moorlands, then cross a river gorge to Shira 2 Camp. |
Day 4: | Trekking Kilimanjaro - Today will be your hardest trekking day. You’ll trek east up a ridge and then southeast to Lava Tower, then descend down to Barranco Camp through the strange but beautiful Senecio Forest. Today is a key acclimatisation day as you’ll trek above 4,500 metres, but sleep low at around 3,900 metres. |
Day 5: | Trekking Kilimanjaro - Today starts with a short, steep ascent of the daunting Barranco Wall. This can be quite a challenge, however your effort is rewarded with phenomenal views of the Hiem Glacier and the summit of Kilimanjaro. From the top of the Barranco Wall, you’ll cross a series of hills and valleys until you descend sharply into Karanga Valley. Finally, you’ll reach Barafu Camp, where the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo can be seen from your campsite. |
Day 6: | Trekking Kilimanjaro - In the very early hours of this morning, you’ll start your ascent by torchlight to climb to Stella Point at 5,685 metres. It's a long and hard climb at high altitude, but experiencing sunrise from Stella Point is a moment that you will remember for the rest of your life. If you’re still feeling strong enough, you can then walk around the crater rim to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa at 5,895 metres above sea level. After taking time to enjoy your achievement and taking photographs at the summit sign, you’ll descend back down to Barafu Camp for a rest and something to eat, before descending further down the mountain to Mweka Camp. |
Day 7: | Descent - On your final day of the trek, you’ll walk down through the lush rainforest, enjoying the increasing warmth and richness of the mountain air. Upon on arrival at Mweka Gate, you’ll receive your certificates: green for reaching Stella Point and gold for reaching Uhuru Peak. Then you’ll return to Arusha, to relax, shower and celebrate. |
Day 8: | Depart from Tanzania - After breakfast this morning, you’ll check out of your hotel and transfer back to Kilimanjaro Airport for your return flight home, feeling a huge sense of achievement at having climbed the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. |
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Responsible Travel
Planet
As with all of our luxury holidays, this itinerary has been crafted to ensure that it positively effects the local communities and environments visited.This itinerary includes a trek up one of Tanzania's most iconic natural landmarks, the famed Mount Kilimanjaro. By visiting sites of natural beauty such as this (all entrance fees are included in your luxury tour), you are supporting the preservation and environmental protection of these areas, and indicating to authorities that tourists are interested in protecting Tanzania's incredible natural environments.
Whilst out on your trek, please ensure that you don’t leave any litter – everything you carry in, you must carry out. Aside from the environmental damage, litter can be harmful to Tanzania's wildlife.
We also make a special effort to recommend accommodation providers which have responsible and sustainable initiatives. For example, Arusha Coffee Lodge is part of Elewana Group. This group has founded the Land & Life Foundation, focused on nature conservation, as well as a Wildlife Warrior Program. All of Elewana’s properties promote a minimum environmental impact.
People
An intrepid undertaking, you will share this African adventure with your local team of professional staff all of whom receive unrivalled, fair salaries and are not reliant on tipping. We pay our porters the highest salaries in the history of Tanzanian trekking expeditions and we are partnered with KPAP (Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project).KPAP is an organisation which raises awareness of the treatment of porters on Kilimanjaro, assists climbing companies to ensure fair and ethical treatment of porters, lends climbing gear to porters and mountain crew free of charge, and offers classes to empower and motivate porters and other crew as well.
Our accommodation choices make use of locally owned properties where possible and often include adventurous, authentic choices such as local homestays which therefore involve local people and their communities in the very fabric of our holidays.
We encourage all our travellers to research local customs and read your trip notes before you depart to ensure you are conscientious and respectful in a different culture.
In most cases we strongly recommend that you do not give money to children beggars. If begging is a successful enterprise, parents are encouraged to forsake their children’s education in pursuit of this opportunity.
Talk to us about packing for a purpose and see if you can get involved by making a small material contribution to the communities you are visiting. We have developed partnerships with charities and accommodations throughout Tanzania and are constantly working to extend our reach with the help of our travellers.
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