Itinerary for 7 days budget Kilimanjaro climbing Machame route
Day 1: Moshi to Machame gate and hike up to Machame camp
The day for 7 days of Kilimanjaro climbing via Machame will start with your Morning breakfast from your hotel in Moshi town where you will have the final check of your climbing equipment and you will do your minutes shopping for some bites like chocolate, biscuits and of a kind.
Thereafter you will take a 50-minute drive from Moshi town to Machame gate. At the gate, you will have your lunch and after the park formalities it is when you will start your polepole hike for 5 to 6hrs which is a distance of 11 kilometers walking through the misty montane forest where you can enjoy seeing the fairytale in lush, deep and green.
You will hike from the gate to Machame camp, where you will meet your porters readymade your tents and the evening meals ready for your dinner and overnight stay.
Time and distance:hiking of 5 to 6hrs a distance of 11km
Elevation:1830m/6000ft to 3050m/9950ft
Day 2: Machame camp to Shira camp
The day will start with your morning breakfast at Machame camp and have your parked lunch which you will take on your way up as the chefs and porters will meet you at the camp. The hike will be through the moorland crossing the valley along a steep rock ridge, with a hike of 4 to 5hrs a distance of 5 Kilometers reaching the Shira camp.
On your hike to the Shira camp you will have an awe-view of the Kibo volcanic cone, the western breach, and Shira cathedral and you will enjoy the best sunset. Reaching the camp you will find your tents are ready for your rest.
Time and distance:hiking of 4 to 5hrs a distance of 5km
Elevation:3050m/9950ft to 3850m/12,600ft
Day 3: Shira Camp to Lava Tower then to Baranco
The third Kilimanjaro climbing day is a long hike for a distance of 10 kilometers that will be a hike of 5 to 6 hours walking through the semi-desert rocky ground of Lover Ridge. The hike will start prior after your breakfast leaving your camps ascending to the Kilimanjaro volcanic plug called Lover Tower and then descending to the massive landline of the Baranco valley where you will be camping and the Baranco camp.
Baranco camp can be reached with people from Lemosho, Shira, and Machame. Hiking up to the Lover Tower and descending to Baranco there are altitude difficulties with some shortage of oxygen, but is it the best hiking day for acclimatization? This is a long day of climbing where you will be ascending to the lava tower which is the volcanic plug that remains after Kilimanjaro was volcanic.
Time and distance:hiking of 5 to 6 hours at a distance of 10km
Elevation:3850m/12,600ft to 4000m/13,000fts
Day 4: Baranco camp to Karanga camp
This is the adventurous day when climbing the Kilimanjaro via Machame route where you will be facing the climb of the Baranco wall.
Considering the distance, it is a short climb because it is just a distance of 4 Kilometers, but considering the climbing challenges it will take 4 to 5hrs climbing through the Baranco wall and the alpine desert valleys where you will be enjoying the view of the Kibo peak which will be closer, the southern glaciers and the western bridge.
Reaching the Karanga camp you will have your rest collecting some energy for your next day's venture.
Time and distance:hiking of 4 to 5hrs a distance of 4km
Elevation:13,000ft to 13,100ft
Day 5: Karanga camp to Barafu camp
The hike will begin after your breakfast; you will be hiking through the alpine desert enjoying the stunning view of the two Kilimanjaro cones of Kibo and Mawenzi. It will be a 4 to 5hrs hike a distance of 4 Kilometers.
You will be walking hitting the junction that connects with the Mweka trail and head up to the Barafu camp where you will complete the southern circuit of the Kilimanjaro Mountain.
Here you will do camping with an early sleep and meals ready for the next day's complete adventure which starts at midnight.
Time and distance:hiking of 4 to 5hrs a distance of 4km
Elevation:13,100ft to 15,300ft
Day 6: Summit Day then descend to Mweka camp
This is the lifetime memory day of reaching the highest point of Africa, “the roof of Africa” of Kilimanjaro Mountain. The day will begin at midnight when you will be leaving your tents and the porters as you will be accompanied by the guides and summit porter heading to the summit point.
Heading up there, it is a physically and mentally challenging hike with extreme cold and elevation. As you will start the hike at nearly midnight, you will have a dark hike as you will need your head-lump than ever, you will hike up to Gilman’s Point where you will be amazed at a stunning sunrise from the Mawenzi cone
Then you will have a short walk and finally you will be there “CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE REACHED THE HIGHEST PEAK IN AFRICA” Due to the weather you will not last long here you will take some photos at the signpost of the Uhuru point and starts your descend through the Mweka route
You will take some photos at the signpost of the Uhuru point and start your descent through the Mweka route, where you will have a stop at the Barafu camp for your Lunch and trek down up to the Mweka camp for your overnight stay and dinner.
On descending it is a very rocky trail and can be quite hard on the knees, trekking poles are helpful.
Time and distance:hiking of 6 to 8hrs ascending and 5 to 6hrs descending a distance of 5km up and 13km down respectively.
Elevation:15,600ft to 19,341ft up and 19,341ft to 10,065 down
Day 7:Mweka camp to Mweka gate, then back to Moshi
Finally you will be on the last day of your lifetime memory adventure, you will have your breakfast at your camp and start your trek down up to Mweka gate, and you will be walking through a wet and muddy forestry trail which requires your walking poles.
At the gate you will meet our driver waiting for you where you will be picked up and drive back to Moshi town for your next schedule.
Time and distance:hiking of 3 to 4hrs a distance of 10km
Elevation:10,150ft to 5500ft