Machame Gate to Machame Hut

1200 m to 3100 m, 10 km, 7,5 hrs

Arriving at Kilimanjaro International Airport by shuttle bus from Nairobi, you will be picked up with our representative and transfer to a hotel where you will spend a night before the tour begins on the next day. You will have the opportunity to go over any last minute questions. At this point, you will also have the chance to leave a bag behind with anything you don’t need on this trek. Your left-behind gear will be secured at the storage room and will meet you as soon as you back from the Mountain. Stay overnight on Machame Camp.

Early pick-up at Mountain village lodge and a 1hr drive to Machame gate (5,400’) where trekking formalities take about 30 minutes. From the gate, we begin our trek following an easy track for the first hour through the dense forest. The path continues to follow the ridge, rising steadily with several steep sections. The gradient eases slightly as the forest merges into heather covered ground we will reach Machame Hut in 10 km (6.2 miles) after a 1,200-meter (3,936’) ascent and 5-7 hours of walking.

Machame Hut to Shira Hut

3100 m to 3800 m, 6 km, 7 hrs

From the Machame Hut, we cross the stream onto its west bank and follow the path up the steep rocky ridge criss-crossing a few times before reaching Shira Hut at the base of a semi-circular wall of rocks. We will have ascended 900 meters (3,000’) in 5-7 hours and done about 6 km (3.72 miles) of walking.

Shira Hut to Barranco Hut

3800 m to 3900 m, 5 hrs

From Shira Hut hike to Lava Tower (15,000’) and then proceed to Barranco via the Great Barranco Wall. This route offers panoramic views of Kibo through Karanga Valley as we hike high and sleep low, dropping back down to Barranco after lunch. Today’s hike will take most of the day Barranco campsite located on elevation of 3,950m.

Barranco Hut to Barafu Hut

4000 m to 4600 m, 4 km, 3.5 hrs

Today involves gaining a little more elevation, acclimatizing and resting for the summit attempt the next morning. This day will take us 4 to 6 hours of walking.

Barafu – “UHURU PEAK – Mweka

4000 m to 5895 m, 5 km, 5 hrs – SUMMIT – 5895 m to 3100 m, 12 km, 5 hrs

We will start trekking early before sunrise (1-2 AM), as the walk today will take 10-14 hours or more. We will avoid the mist that sets in later in the day; the scree and snow will still be safely frozen. The 1,100-meter (3,600’) ascent in just over 3 km (1.86 miles) will take us about 6-8 hours. After a brief stay at the summit of the highest point in Africa, Uhuru Peak, at over 5,898 meters (19,340′), we descend via the Barafu Route roughly 2,500 meters (8,200’) in 12 km (7.44 miles) in about 4-7 hours to Mweka Camp.

Mweka Hut to Mweka Gate

3100 m to 1828 m, 10 km, 4 hrs

Today we descend about 1400 meters (4,592’) through the forest on a jungle path for about 10 km (6.2 miles) in 3-4 hours to reach Mweka Gate. Our driver will transfer you back to Le Jacaranda hotel/Outpost lodge. Stay overnight on bed and breakfast basis.