Strenuous Tanzania
Kilimanjaro Machame Route
A JOURNEY TO ROOF OF AFRICA AND ONE OF THE 7 SUMMITS OF THE WORLD.
The tallest mountain in Africa, glaciers on the equator, a sunrise from the summit unrivaled by anything we’ve ever experienced in the world and a local culture that makes you fall in love with everything about this place. It’s little wonder Kilimanjaro is our most popular trekking adventure. You don’t have to be an athlete to make this possible for yourself. The only pre-requisite to this experience is wanting it. Everything else is detail.
TRIP TYPE
Trekking, Summit
DURATION
9 Days
DESTINATION
Tanzania
1
It’s the highest mountain in Africa and one of the 7 summits
2
African vibes meet alpine expedition. That’s what makes this experience so unique.
3
From rainforest to glaciers, this trail passes through 5 eco-systems.
Dates & Prices
Check upcoming trip dates, team leaders, availability & prices. If you can't see dates that suite you, contact us we will do our best to assist you.
DATE & STATUS
PRICE
TEAM LEADER
AVAILABILITY
Itinerary
This adventure is for everyone from the first-time explorer to the experienced and seasoned trekker alike. Kilimanjaro is a formidable physical and mental challenge that’ll push your boundaries. We recommend picking up a dedicated exercise routine to help prepare for it.
DAY 1: ARRIVING TO KILIMANJARO
We’ll be received at the airport and transferred to the hotel by the LHO team leader. Early arrivals can explore the vibrant town of Moshi at the foot of Kilimanjaro. We highly recommend the Union Coffee Shop in town for those of us who like great coffee and ever better pies. A team briefing and dinner will be held for everyone on our first night together at a trendy Moshi restaurant. This will be the first opportunity for everyone to get to know each other and hear the details about the days to come. Bag checks will be conducted upon returning to the hotel.
DAY 2: MACHAME CAMP
Our first day on the trail starts later than usual. We’ll depart from the hotel at 9am in the direction of the Machame gate. The drive takes a little under one hour. Once at the gate we’ll perform the check in procedures. This can take a while so we’ll be having lunch at the gate before departing for the trail. The first section of the trail is fully in the deep rain forest. It’s an opportunity to see monkeys and other wildlife. This section boasts the most beautiful flora of the trail and we’ll have a lot of time to stop and take pictures. We expect to arrive at Machame camp (3,000 meters) by sunset where dinner will be waiting.
DAY 3: SHIRA
Our second day on the trail starts early as we make our way out of the rainforest into the short grass vegetation zone. The look and feel changes from jungle to alpine vegetation as we make our way to 3,900 meters before descending to Shira camp at 3,700 meters. Lunch on this day will be at Shira camp because we usually arrive early. The afternoon will be spent relaxing and taking pictures of the epic views we get of Mount Meru on the horizon. Dinner will also be at Shira camp.
DAY 4: LAVA TOWER
The trek to Lava Tower is the first real taste of the high altitude environment as we reach almost 4,600 meters of altitude before descending to Baranco at 3,900 meters. We purposely choose the high route to Baranco to enable our bodies to acclimatize. This is also the first full day on the trail. We’ll be having a packed lunch on this day at the Lava Tower before descending to Baranco for our hot dinner. The environment shifts into an alpine desert as we weave our way past dramatic rock formations. It is common to find snow at the higher altitude.
DAY 5: THE BARANCO WALL
The Baranco Wall is a 300-meter-high wall that flanks our camp. From far it appears like a challenging rock climb but as we approach it the trail becomes clear. After a short walk from the camp we’ll begin our ascent. This is traditionally the most exciting day of the trek with plenty of photo opportunities. Once we reach the top there is a gradual trek over fairly well marked terrain. The last section before the camp is an ascent that usually takes around 45 minutes and we intend to reach Karranga camp in time for a hot lunch. The rest of the day will be spent recovering and acclimatizing before dinner later in the evening.
DAY 6: BARAFU SUMMIT BASE CAMP
This is the shortest day on the mountain. The three hour walk to Barafu (4,600 meters) is a beautiful one with the summit ridge of Kilimanjaro clearly visible above us throughout the day. On this day we’ll be running the walk as we do on the summit night. This means that breaks will be short and the pace will be slow but consistent. After arriving at Barafu we’ll have lunch and dedicate the rest of the day to much needed rest. Dinner will be early at 5pm where a full briefing will take place for the summit push. We’ll be woken up at 11pm to prepare to make our move to the top at midnight.
DAY 7: SUMMIT
At midnight, after having some tea and biscuits, we’ll depart the camp in the direction of the summit. The first section to a region known as Kosovo is a little rocky but very manageable. Once at Kosovo the trail eases onto a flat section before starting a section known as the switchbacks. This is where the biggest altitude gain on the trail takes place as we weave our way to reach the crater ridge at Stella Point. From Stella Point the summit becomes visible and it’s a 40 minute easy ascent to Uhuru peak. After taking our pictures we’ll make a direct descent back to Barafu where we’ll rest and have lunch. After lunch we’ll continue down the mountain to Mweika camp at the edge of the rainforest.
DAY 8: MWEIKA
From Mweika we’ll descend the three last hours of the trail to the gate of Kilimanjaro and return to the hotel. A BBQ dinner will be our last event together!
DAY 9: HAKUNA MATTATA!
The final day is dedicated to airport transfers. Breakfast is included at the Chanya Lodge. Team members will be shuttled to the airport depending on flight schedules.
Gallery
From the rainforests of Moshi to the glaciers of the Uhuru summit and every conceivable environment in between, that’s why Kilimanjaro sits at the top of everyone’s bucket list.
WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS TRIP
- LHO Original Photography
- Pre-Adventure Guide
- Airport Pick-Up & Drop-Off
- All Internal Transfers/Flights
- Fitness & Nutrition Guides
- Gear Shopping Assistance
- Meals in the Itinerary
- Accommodations in the Itinerary
- Dedicated LHO Team Leader
- Guides, Porters, Chef & Permits
- Indicated Camping Equipment
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THIS TRIP
- International Flights
- Entry Visas
- Tips & Gratuities for Local Team
- Personal Gear & Rentals
- Personal Medical Insurance
- Personal Travel Insurance
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Additional Nights Outside the Itinerary
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE
You should be confident and excited to plan your trips. This is why we’ve designed special Covid-19 booking rules to alleviate the stress. If you're affected by Covid-19 restrictions or can't travel due to contracting the virus, please check the Covid-19 booking rules that make it easy to amend or change bookings without losing your booking deposit. Special rules may apply on selected trips where permits are non-refundable, but we'll always do our best for you.
LEARN MORE
HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDELINES
We do our best to ensure your wellbeing on LHO adventures. That's why the facilities we use throughout our trips are required to meet our health and safety standards. We also follow the laws and protocols of every country that hosts our adventures. This extends to national regulations requiring Covid-19 testing, vaccination certificates, mask wearing or any other local guidelines that may apply. Contact us for the most up to date protocols related to your destination.
LEARN MOREHighlight Video
Hear From Our Community
Top Questions
Are there any vaccines or medications I need to take for Tanzania?
Vaccines: As a general recommendation for travel, make sure that your tetanus & hepatitis shots are up to date. If you live, are transiting through or have previously visited any country in sub-Saharan Africa in the past 5 years, you will be required to have a yellow fever vaccine and carry the booklet as proof of vaccination.
Medications: We recommend taking over the counter Malaria medication. Please consult your doctor for the tablets that work best for you.
Vaccines: As a general recommendation for travel, make sure that your tetanus & hepatitis shots are up to date. If you live, are transiting through or have previously visited any country in sub-Saharan Africa in the past 5 years, you will be required to have a yellow fever vaccine and carry the booklet as proof of vaccination.
Medications: We recommend taking over the counter Malaria medication. Please consult your doctor for the tablets that work best for you.
What's the toilet situation?
There are fixed toilets at the campsites and at different points on the trail. The campsite toilets are relatively well maintained. We also have a private toilet tent that can be used at the campsites. We don't advise anyone to poop in nature because we want to preserve the environment, especially in the higher altitude locations where poop doesn't disappear with rain nor gets absorbed by the soil. It freezes and stays there!
There are fixed toilets at the campsites and at different points on the trail. The campsite toilets are relatively well maintained. We also have a private toilet tent that can be used at the campsites. We don't advise anyone to poop in nature because we want to preserve the environment, especially in the higher altitude locations where poop doesn't disappear with rain nor gets absorbed by the soil. It freezes and stays there!
Where does the drinking water come from? Is there a need to get a purifier for drinking or tablets that purify the water?
Drinking water is sourced from local springs on the mountain then boiled and sanitized with special tablets to ensure it's safe to drink. You will have unlimited treated water refills throughout the expedition.
Drinking water is sourced from local springs on the mountain then boiled and sanitized with special tablets to ensure it's safe to drink. You will have unlimited treated water refills throughout the expedition.
What's the temperature and weather like?
The lowest temperatures experienced on Kilimanjaro are during the summit night when it can go as low as -15 Celsius. The coldest portion of the entire trip is usually the first hour of summit night and just before sunrise at around 4:30 am. On most other days temperatures can reach up to 20 degrees Celsius or higher if there's no wind. On most nights temperatures can dip to 0 degrees Celsius.
There's no way to climb Kilimanjaro and not experience all the seasons at some point. Even du
The lowest temperatures experienced on Kilimanjaro are during the summit night when it can go as low as -15 Celsius. The coldest portion of the entire trip is usually the first hour of summit night and just before sunrise at around 4:30 am. On most other days temperatures can reach up to 20 degrees Celsius or higher if there's no wind. On most nights temperatures can dip to 0 degrees Celsius.
There's no way to climb Kilimanjaro and not experience all the seasons at some point. Even during the dry season, it will still rain in the rainforest because of humidity clouds that form at the base of the mountain, and get pushed up to higher altitude by midday. We'll also feel warmer weather and may even find ourselves in shorts and t-shirts as high up as summit base camp (4,600m). Your gear list has everything you need in order to make sure you're able to go through all the different weather conditions and enjoy every aspect of this beautiful mountain.
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
ALL INCLUSIVE PRICE
£2,520
- LHO Original Photography
- Pre-Adventure Guide
- Airport Pick-Up & Drop-Off
- All Internal Transfers/Flights
- Fitness & Nutrition Guides
- Gear Shopping Assistance
- Meals in the Itinerary
- Accommodations in the Itinerary
- Dedicated LHO Team Leader
- Guides, Porters, Chef & Permits
- Indicated Camping Equipment
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
INQUIRE NOW
This adventure is only available as a private trip and is customized to your requirements, experience and skill level. To get started, please fill out the form below. We’ll be in touch soon to put it together for you.
"(Required)" indicates required fields
CONTACT US
We’re passionate about guiding you to epic adventures and beyond. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to hear from you.
JOIN THE LIFE HAPPENS OUTDOORS COMMUNITY!
Get £50 off your next adventure!
Sign Up To The Newsletter
Invite & Earn
