Starting Point
Kilimanjaro Airport
Trip Days
7 Days
Hotel
5 Star
Transportation
Safari Vehicle
Climb Kilimanjaro with Encircle East Africa Travel
Walk through rainforest, camp above the clouds and work towards Uhuru Peak, Africa's highest point at 5,895 metres. Our seven-day Machame Route climb takes you through some of Kilimanjaro's most varied scenery, with an experienced Tanzanian mountain team supporting the journey.
The full package is 9 days and 8 nights: seven days and six nights on the mountain, plus a hotel night in Arusha before the trek and another after your return. Airport pickup and drop-off, return mountain transfers, mountain meals, park fees and camping equipment are included.
Encircle East Africa Travel was founded by Sianga Kuyan, a Tanzanian Maasai based in Australia. Speak directly with Sianga about your plans, ask questions and understand the arrangements before booking.
Price: AUD $4,800 per person. Contact us with your preferred dates and number of climbers to check availability and receive booking information.
Seven-Day Machame Route — Nine-Day Tanzania Package
Often called the Whiskey Route, Machame approaches Kilimanjaro from the south-west, climbing through rainforest before opening onto heathland and the Shira Plateau. The trail then follows the mountain's southern slopes, passing Lava Tower and the Barranco Valley before reaching Barafu Camp for the summit attempt. You descend by the Mweka Route, experiencing another side of the mountain on your return.
The landscape changes throughout the week. Forest paths give way to rocky ridges, giant groundsels and open moorland, followed by the sparse alpine desert above. At camp, your crew prepares the tents and meals while you rest and get ready for the next stage.
Our seven-day itinerary includes a night at Karanga Camp, dividing the journey from Barranco to Barafu over two days. The route also takes you higher during the day before descending to sleep at Barranco. These stages provide time for acclimatisation, although altitude affects everyone differently and the summit cannot be guaranteed.
A Challenging Trek, with Support Along the Way
You do not need technical mountaineering experience, but you do need good fitness, endurance and a commitment to training. Expect consecutive walking days, uneven ground, cold nights and a particularly long summit day. On the Barranco Wall, some sections require you to use your hands for balance.
Your mountain guides lead the trek and set the pace. Porters carry the main trekking luggage and camp equipment, while you carry a daypack with the items you need on the trail. Your cook prepares meals on the mountain, and purified drinking water is provided.
Preparation and Personal Service
Speak with us before booking about your experience, preferred dates and any questions. Before departure, we will explain the equipment and travel arrangements. Your mountain briefing and equipment check take place before the trek, with timing arranged around your arrival.
Your first hotel night gives you time to settle in before the climb. After seven days on the mountain, return to Arusha for a shower, a comfortable bed and your second hotel night before your airport transfer the following day.
Stay Longer in Tanzania
Combine your climb with a wildlife safari, a Maasai cultural experience or a Zanzibar beach stay. We can arrange an extension around your interests, dates and budget. Optional extensions are quoted separately.
Practical Information and Booking
Distances, elevations and walking times are approximate. Your guide may adjust the daily schedule for weather, trail conditions, park requirements or the wellbeing of the group.
Your hotel name, room arrangements and hotel meal plan will be confirmed before booking. Mountain meals are included as described in the daily itinerary. Park rescue fees do not replace personal travel insurance or cover every evacuation or medical expense.
Send us your preferred dates and number of climbers. We will confirm availability and provide deposit requirements, payment deadlines and cancellation conditions before any booking payment is requested.
Price
AUD $4,800 per personLocation
TanzaniaTotal duration
9 days / 8 nightsMountain trek
7 days / 6 nightsAccommodation
2 hotel nights + 6 camping nights
Type
Kilimanjaro TrekkingStart point
Kilimanjaro International AirportEnd point
Kilimanjaro International AirportHotel base
ArushaRoute
Machame ascent / Mweka descent
On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), our team will meet you and transfer you to your hotel in Arusha. Settle into your room and take time to rest after the flight.
Before the trek, meet your mountain team for a briefing and equipment check. This is the time to discuss the route, clothing, luggage and summit preparations, and ask any remaining questions. The briefing time will be arranged around your arrival; please check your flight plans with us before booking.
Included transport: Airport-to-hotel transfer.
Accommodation: Hotel in Arusha, first included hotel night.
Meals: Hotel meal arrangements will be specified in your booking confirmation.
Mountain day 1
Elevation: Approximately 1,640 m / 5,380 ft to 2,850 m / 9,350 ft.
Distance: Approximately 11 km / 7 miles.
Walking time: Approximately 5–7 hours.
Habitat: Montane rainforest.
After breakfast, leave Arusha by road for Machame Gate on the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro. The drive passes through the cultivated foothills and Machame area before reaching the park entrance.
Your guide will complete registration while the porters organise the luggage and mountain equipment. With the preparations complete, set out along a winding forest trail, climbing steadily through tall trees, ferns and moss-covered vegetation. Watch for birds and colobus monkeys, although wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
The rainforest can be wet, misty and muddy. Walk at a comfortable pace, with a lunch stop along the way. At Machame Camp, the crew will prepare the tents, drinking water and a hot evening meal. Keep warm layers close at hand: even this first mountain night can be cold.
Included transport: Arusha hotel to Machame Gate.
Accommodation: Machame Camp, mountain camping.
Mountain meals: Lunch and dinner. Breakfast arrangements at the hotel will be confirmed before booking.
Mountain day 2
Elevation: Approximately 2,850 m / 9,350 ft to 3,810 m / 12,500 ft.
Distance: Approximately 5 km / 3 miles.
Walking time: Approximately 4–6 hours.
Habitat: Heath and moorland.
After breakfast, continue uphill as the trees thin and the rainforest gives way to heather and open moorland. The path follows a steeper rocky ridge before opening onto the Shira Plateau.
Cross the open landscape and gullies towards Shira Camp, with wider views across Kilimanjaro as the weather allows. The contrast with yesterday's forest is striking: the vegetation is lower, the air cooler and the mountain feels much more open.
Your tents will be prepared at camp, with drinking and washing water and an evening meal. Rest, eat well and prepare for a cold night on the exposed plateau.
Accommodation: Shira Camp, mountain camping.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Mountain day 3
Shira to Lava Tower: Approximately 3,810 m / 12,500 ft to 4,630 m / 15,190 ft; 7 km / 4 miles; 4–5 hours.
Lava Tower to Barranco: Approximately 4,630 m / 15,190 ft to 3,976 m / 13,044 ft; 3 km / 2 miles; 2–3 hours.
Total distance: Approximately 10 km.
Total walking time: Approximately 6–8 hours.
Habitat: Moorland transitioning to alpine desert.
Leave the plateau after breakfast and follow the trail east, then south-east towards Lava Tower. The vegetation becomes sparse as you enter a rocky, exposed landscape beneath Kibo.
Pause for lunch near Lava Tower as conditions allow, then descend towards Barranco Valley, passing the distinctive giant groundsels that grow on these slopes. The high point of the day is well above your overnight camp, forming an important part of the route's acclimatisation profile.
Barranco Camp lies below the Southern Ice Fields and the Barranco Wall, with impressive views in clear weather. Enjoy a hot dinner before settling into your tent. Tell your guide promptly about headaches, nausea, unusual breathlessness or any other symptoms; do not wait until the next morning.
Accommodation: Barranco Camp, mountain camping.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Mountain day 4
Elevation: Approximately 3,976 m / 13,044 ft to 3,995 m / 13,106 ft, with climbs and descents along the way.
Distance: Approximately 5 km / 3 miles.
Walking time: Approximately 4–5 hours.
Habitat: Rocky alpine terrain.
After breakfast, descend into the ravine below the Barranco Wall before beginning the climb. The wall looks imposing from camp, but the trekking line follows a series of rocky steps rather than a technical rock-climbing route. Some sections require your hands for balance, and your guides will lead you through at a steady pace.
From the top, continue over a series of ridges and valleys, with views towards the glaciers and across the southern slopes when the weather is clear. Descend into the Karanga Valley, then make the final uphill approach to camp.
This shorter day allows time to rest before continuing to Barafu. Spend the afternoon eating, drinking and preparing for the next stage.
Accommodation: Karanga Camp, mountain camping.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Mountain day 5
Elevation: Approximately 3,995 m / 13,106 ft to 4,673 m / 15,331 ft.
Distance: Approximately 4 km / 2 miles.
Walking time: Approximately 4–5 hours.
Habitat: Alpine desert.
Leave Karanga after breakfast and climb towards the junction with the Mweka Trail. Continue across rocky, sparsely vegetated ground to Barafu Camp, your base for the summit attempt.
Barafu means “ice” in Swahili, and the camp occupies an exposed ridge where wind and cold are part of the experience. In clear weather, there are views of Mawenzi and Kibo. Familiarise yourself with the campsite before dark, organise your summit clothing and equipment, and rest as much as possible.
Your guide will give a detailed summit briefing, including the planned departure time, layers, food, water and the pace of the ascent. After an early dinner, return to your tent to sleep before the late-night wake-up.
Accommodation: Barafu Camp, mountain camping, followed by the late-night summit departure.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Mountain day 6 — summit attempt
Ascent: Barafu Camp, approximately 4,673 m / 15,331 ft, to Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m / 19,341 ft.
Ascent distance and time: Approximately 5 km / 3 miles; 7–8 hours.
Descent: Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp, approximately 3,068 m / 10,065 ft, via Barafu.
Descent distance and time: Approximately 12 km / 7 miles; 4–6 hours, plus rest and meal stops.
Habitat: Alpine desert and summit terrain, descending towards the upper forest.
Your guides will usually wake you around 11:30 pm for a light snack and hot drink before a departure around midnight. This is the most demanding stage of the climb: the ascent takes place in darkness, often in strong wind and very cold conditions.
Move slowly up the scree, taking short breaks as directed by your guide. Reach Stella Point on the crater rim, then continue towards Uhuru Peak if your wellbeing and conditions allow. Sunrise may fall during the ascent or around the crater rim, depending on the group's pace.
At Uhuru Peak, pause briefly for photographs and the views before beginning the descent. Time at the summit is limited by conditions and your guide's assessment. The summit is an objective, not a guarantee; turning back may be necessary.
Descend to Barafu Camp for food and a rest, then continue to Mweka Camp. The rocky descent can be tiring on the knees, and trekking poles can help. As you lose altitude, the landscape changes again, eventually reaching the upper forest where mist and rain are possible.
Enjoy your final dinner on the mountain and a well-earned night's sleep. Allow the whole day for the summit attempt, descent and rest stops; it may take 12–16 hours or longer.
Accommodation: Mweka Camp, mountain camping.
Meals: Breakfast or summit snack, lunch and dinner, timed around the summit schedule.
Mountain day 7
Elevation: Approximately 3,068 m / 10,065 ft to 1,640 m / 5,380 ft.
Distance: Approximately 10 km / 6 miles.
Walking time: Approximately 3–4 hours, excluding any additional walk to the vehicle collection point.
Habitat: Rainforest.
After breakfast, take time to thank your guides, cook and porters before continuing down through the forest. The lower paths can be wet and muddy, so keep your rain gear and walking poles available.
At Mweka Gate, complete the park formalities and receive the certificate appropriate to the point reached on your climb. Say farewell to the mountain crew, with time to offer gratuities in line with the tipping guidance provided before departure.
Meet your transfer vehicle at the arranged collection point. Depending on access and the day's arrangements, a further walk towards Mweka Village may be required. Return to Arusha and check into your hotel for a shower, rest and your second included hotel night.
Included transport: Mweka collection point to your Arusha hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel in Arusha.
Meals: Breakfast on the mountain. Any additional meals will be specified in your booking confirmation.
After your final hotel night, our team will collect you at the arranged time for the transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). Your pickup will be planned around your flight and the time needed for the road journey and airport check-in.
If you are extending your trip with a safari, Maasai cultural experience or Zanzibar stay, we will confirm your onward arrangements separately.
Included transport: Arusha hotel to Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Meals: According to the hotel meal plan stated in your booking confirmation.
Included
Nine-day package with a seven-day Machame Route trek and descent by the Mweka Route.
Arrival pickup from Kilimanjaro International Airport and transfer to your Arusha hotel.
Departure transfer from your Arusha hotel to Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Two hotel nights in Arusha: one before the trek and one after returning from the mountain.
Return transfers between your Arusha hotel and the mountain entry and exit collection points.
Six nights of mountain camping in quality, waterproof, four-season sleeping tents.
Professional, experienced English-speaking mountain guides.
Porter support for your main trekking luggage, with the baggage allowance confirmed before departure.
A mountain cook and the support crew required for the trek.
Mountain crew salaries and their park fees.
All meals while on the mountain, with arrangements for the first and last trekking days as described in the itinerary.
Purified drinking water on the mountain, plus washing water at camp.
Dining tent, tables, chairs and sleeping mattresses.
Portable toilet and toilet tent.
National park entry and camping fees for the advertised climb.
Park rescue fees.
Pre-trek mountain briefing and equipment check.
Mountain safety and crisis-management procedures.
Fair and ethical treatment of porters.
Excluded
International and domestic flights.
Tanzania visa and passport-related expenses.
Personal travel insurance, including suitable cover for trekking to 5,895 metres, emergency evacuation and repatriation.
Tips and gratuities for guides, assistant guides, cooks and porters.
Hotel meals and other meals not expressly included in your booking confirmation.
Alcohol, soft drinks and other beverages beyond the drinking water provided on the mountain.
Personal trekking clothing, footwear, daypack and other personal equipment.
Sleeping bag; rental can be requested at the time of booking and is charged separately.
Laundry, telephone charges and other personal expenses.
Additional accommodation, meals or transport outside the agreed itinerary, including costs arising from an early descent or changes to your travel plans.
Optional safaris, Maasai cultural experiences, Zanzibar stays and other extensions.
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Mount Kilimanjaro Preparation List
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