Kilimanjaro Trek 7Nights

Karibuni Tanzania!

Upon exiting the terminal at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you will be transferred to your lodge in Arusha/Moshi, on the foothills of Kilimanjaro.

Day free to mentally prepare for the climb. It is recommended to do a slow walk for 2 hours to acclimatise. 

Your guides will meet you at your hotel for a detailed briefing of the trek.

Sleep early.

Overnight at lodge.

Today you will check-out and transfer with only your rucksack and day pack to the Machame Gate, leaving your belongings with the concierge at the lodge.

Stage 1: Machame Gate to Machame Camp [Distance 10.75km / Altitude gain 1210m]

Departure from your hotel will be at around 7: 30am for Machame Gate [1811m] where you will complete entry formalities. Use the toilets!

The trek is finally underway. First 45 minutes on 4WD road.  Walk another 95 minutes before the lunch break.  

Post lunch walk for 2 hours 20 minutes before you reach the final stop for the day - Machame Camp. Enjoy the view of Kibo and Meru from here.

Overnight at Machame Camp [3021m].

Stage 2: Machame Camp to Shira Camp [Distance 5.3km/ Altitude gain 818m]

This leg is short but strenuous. The climb is steep and very dusty. Gaiters are a must.

After 70 min we will arrive a viewpoint - savor the memory / take some pics. 

After another 75 min we will stop for lunch.

Post lunch resume trek. After 55 min we will reach the highest point of the day and then descend to our campsite.

Overnight at Shira Camp 3839m].

Stage 3: Shira Camp - Barranco Camp [Distance 10.75km / Altitude gain 147m]

For around 3 hours we will proceed steadily upwards to "Lava Tower" where we will stop for lunch.

In the afternoon, we descend the steep trail into the Barranco Valley.

Today is the best day for acclimatisation as you will reach the highest point of 4627m on the Lava Tower, before descending to your camp at Barranco for the night. Some people experience headaches which usually disappear by the time you arrive at the lower camp. The views are stunning and only the cold forces you into your sleeping bag inside your cozy tent.

Overnight at Barranco camp [3986m].

Stage 4: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp [Distance 5.1km / Altitude gain 48m]

The first eighty minutes are the toughest as you scale the Barranco Wall, also known as the Breakfast Wall as it is climbed just after breakfast, where you may need to get on all fours, a welcome change from the standard trekking done so far.  After enjoying the view from the top of the Wall, you will continue your trek which will be mostly downhill from this point. 

In order to acclimatise better,  there will be a short climb in the direction of Barafu Huts before descending to the campsite for the night.  

Overnight at Karanga Camp [4034m]. 

Stage 5: Karanga Camp to Kosovo Camp [Distance 3.9km / Altitude gained 829m]

This is a steep climb though a short distance. We will go as slow as possible to acclimatise before the attempt to summit on the morrow.

Get as much food, water and rest as possible!

Overnight at Kosovo Camp {4863m].

Stage 6: Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak 5895m [Distance 4.9km / Altitude gain 1233m]

Today is the most important day of the trek.

At midnight, we will be woken early and after a cup of tea and some biscuits, we will begin the ascent for the summit of Africa's tallest mountain. It will be slow going. The weather will be freezing. The loose scree beneath your feet will add to your discomfort. All through the night you will have to keep a slow but determined rhythmic forward movement. It will take 5.5 hours to reach Stella Point, where you will get a short break. The final 45 minutes to the summit will seem like eternity. 

The exhilaration at reaching the summit will get your adrenalin flowing again! You are now at the highest point in the continent and at 2/3rd the height of the world's tallest mountain Everest!

Stage 7: Uhuru Peak to Mweka Huts [Distance 11.5km / Altitude loss 2789m]

After a brief celebration and some pictures with your team members, you will begin your descent. At Barafu Camp you will have your first pit stop. As you continue on your descent, the slope will be steep but you need to resist the temptation of descending too fast as the loose stones can and do cause a lot of injuries. The next stop will be at the Millennium Rescue Huts, after which you will head towards your final destination for the day, Mweka Huts. 

Enjoy the last night on the mountain.

This is also the day where you thank your team members, and pay your tips to the guide, assistant guide, cook and porters.

Overnight at camp.

Stage 8: Mweka Huts to Mweka Gate [Distance 9.1km / Altitude lost 1473m]

Don't be in a hurry to leave the mountain just yet. There is still a walk of approximately three hours ahead.  As you begin your descent you will notice how the heather suddenly gives way to a cloud forest! The colour returns to the mountain and how. All around you are colorful flowers and sunbirds. You can hear the calls of colobus monkeys and spot the  blue monkeys. 

At the Mweka Gate, sign the last registration book at the park office. Pick up a souvenir to remind you of your trek. You will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

First things first, ensure your belongings are moved to your room from the storage area where you left it before the trek.

Celebration time!

Overnight at the hotel.

All grand things must come to an end...

After a leisurely breakfast, you will checkout and transfer to the Kilimanjaro International Airport for your departure flight.

Tour ends.