11 Days Machame Route and Safari

Route Overview

The ascent starts at Machame Gate, 1800 meters above sea level, with an approach to the mountain’s south-west. On the first day, it travels through a magnificent rainforest before continuing upward to Shira Camp, where the Lemosho route connects from the west. From here, you must travel around the mountain’s southern flank to Barranco via the Lava Tower before ascending the Great Barranco Wall to reach Barafu Camp. Instead of going back the way you came, you will take the Mweka trail down once you’ve reached the summit.

The Machame route is known as the “Whiskey Route” because it is seen as being more challenging than the Marangu path, which is known as the “Coca Cola Route.” In actuality, it is longer and at some points steeper than it is technically challenging. A considerably better chance of acclimatization is provided by the longer distance and the chance to “walk high, sleep low,” which leads to a very high success rate.

After your ascent, you can visit three of Tanzania’s top safari parks, each with their own distinctive features, for incredible game viewing possibilities. With over 25,000 animals living there, Ngorongoro is a “must-see” location where you can view the Big Five. Tarangire boasts the highest concentration of elephants in the world and is filled with bird life. Together with a sizable baboon colony, Lake Manyara is home to lions that can climb trees.

Route Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival

To get to Kilimanjaro International Airport, every hiker must arrange their own flights (JRO). We will set up a private transfer for you from JRO to your hotel. You will meet your local Tito Tanzania agent that evening or early the next morning and receive a thorough pre-climb briefing.

Transport: Private transfer (0.8 hour, 40 km)
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 2: From Machame Gate to Machame Camp

To register, take a ride from your accommodation to Machame Gate. Before we begin our trek through the forest trail to Machame Camp at 3000m, our porters prepare and load our supplies and bags. We’ll spend the night here.

Transport: Private transfer (0.8 hour, 30 km)
Hiking time: 6 – 7 hours
Ascent: 1200 m
altitude: 3000 m
Accommodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 3: Machame Camp to Shira Camp

Following breakfast, we go off on foot, leaving the rainforest behind. We gradually climb our way up to a steep, rocky slope that is covered in heather. Until we reach Shira Camp, our path now curves to the west along a river gorge. Tonight will be significantly colder than last night, with potential lows below zero.

Hiking time: 5 – 6 hours
Ascent: 850 m
altitude: 3850 m
Accommodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 4: Shira Camp to Barranco Camp Via Lava Tower

We will ascend to 4600 meters today and descend to the Lava Tower’s base for lunch and acclimatization. Our hardest day thus far will be today, and you might feel the effects of the altitude for the first time. Following the acclimatization maxim “hike high, sleep low,” we will descend by over 650 meters again to Barranco Camp after lunch. We descend to Barranco Camp over a two-hour period, which provides wonderful possibilities to capture some breathtaking images of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is located in a valley between the Great Barranco Wall and the Breach.

Hiking time: 6 – 7 hours
Ascent: 750 m
Descent: 650 m
altitude: 4600 m
Accommodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 5: From Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

A quick but enjoyable day that begins with a climb up the Great Barranco Wall. To reach the Karanga Valley (3930m), which is located beneath the icefalls of the Heim, Kersten, and Decken Glaciers, we then travel through scree. At the campsite at Karanga, we’ll spend the night.

Hiking time: 4 hours
Ascent: 260 m
Descent: 280 m
altitude: 4210 m
Accomodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 6: From Karanga Camp to Barafu Hut

In order to reach the intersection with the Mweka downhill trail, we leave the Karanga campground behind. We then ascend to Barafu Camp from here. You have now finished the Southern Circuit, which gives numerous perspectives of the summit. We may rest, eat dinner, and get ready for the summit day in camp. From here, it is possible to see Mawenzi and Kibo’s two peaks in full view.

Hiking time: 3 – 4 hours
Ascent: 670 m
altitude: 4600 m
Accomodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 7: Barafu Camp to Summit To Mweka Camp

Around 23:30, tea and cakes will awaken you. Starting between the Rebman and Ratzel glaciers, we ascend to Stella Point on the crater rim on our ascent to the summit. The hardest portion of the walk both psychologically and physically is this. We’ll take a little break at Stella Point (5732m), where we’re hoping to arrive in time to see the spectacular sunrise (weather permitting). The highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro on the African continent, Uhuru Peak (5895m), is now only an hour away. We take Barafu for lunch before descending to Mweka camp site from the peak. You’ll need trekking poles for the loose scree leading down to Mweka Camp (3100m). We will have our final meal on the mountain later in the evening before a well-deserved rest.

Hiking time: 14 – 16 hours
Ascent: 1295 m
Descent: 2795 m
altitude: 5895 m
Accommodation: Camping
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 8: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate

This is your last day of the journey; after breakfast, we continue our descent of 1300 meters to the Mweka Park Gate, where you can pick up your summit certificates from the park headquarters. to your hotel by transfer.

Transport: Private transfer (0.5 hour, 17 km)
Hiking time: 3 – 4 hours
Descent: 1300 m
altitude: 3100 m
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch

Day 9: Moshi to Lake Manyara

You will be picked up from your hotel by our safari guide and vehicle, and we will then drive to Lake Manyara, arriving in plenty of time for an afternoon game-drive. The pink flamingo, yellow-billed stork, and heron call the vast alkaline soda lake in the Lake Manyara National Park, which is tucked away beneath the Manyara Escarpment rocks on the border of the Rift Valley, home. If you’re lucky, you could have a chance to witness the national park’s exclusive tree climbing lions. Though Lake Manyara is thought to have the highest concentration of these primates anywhere in the world, keep an eye out for some entertainment and antics from the neighborhood baboons! In Karatu, we’ll spend the night at a safari lodge.

Accommodation: Safari Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 10: Ngorongoro Crater

an early breakfast, we’ll drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a “must-see” safari location, to experience its fascinating wildlife arena. With more than 25,000 huge mammals living there, it is common to witness all five members of the “Big Five” (elephant, rhinoceros, lion, tiger, and leopard) in a single day. The crater, which is more than 260km2 (100 miles2) and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, was created when a sizable volcano erupted and collapsed on itself two to three million years ago. It is frequently referred to as “Africa’s Eden” and is currently the largest complete volcanic caldera in the entire planet. We will arrive at the crater rim after driving through the Ngorongoro Highlands and then descend 610 meters (2000 feet) onto its floor to begin our safari spectacular. Our safari lodge will be our next stop after our wildlife drive.

Accommodation: Safari Lodge
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 11: Tarangire to Arusha to Kilimanjaro Airport

Elephants, buffalo, giraffes, and antelope are all attracted to the Tarangire River, which flows through the park. This is especially true during the dry season, which lasts from June to October. Large elephant herds can frequently be seen wandering through Tarangire’s savannah grasslands or resting in the shade of the park’s many bizarre-looking “upside-down trees,” or baobab. With approximately 550 different bird species—the most diversified collection in Africa—including the Kori Bustard, the biggest flying bird in the world, the park is also a must-see for serious birdwatchers.

We will depart for Arusha in the late afternoon to catch a flight out of Kilimanjaro. You will need to reserve a flight that departs after 9pm because we anticipate arriving back in Arusha by 5pm. If not, we may book you a hotel room in Arusha for an extra night.