Day 1 Airport Pick-Up – Drop Off At Hotel

A Mash Trekker’s representative meets you upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). He will drive you to your hotel, which provides all the amenities necessary for your comfort: pleasant rooms with hot showers, swimming pool, restaurant and access to the internet.  

Your briefing, in the course of which your guide will provide all the details of the upcoming trek, takes place in the evening. A final check of your gears to tackle Kilimanjaro is the final part of your preparations.

Accommodation: Hotel

Journey time and Distance: 1 hour, 40 km from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Moshi

Day 2 Moshi – Machame Gate – Machame Camp

After an early breakfast (07.00), you leave the hotel two hours later to arrive at the Machame Gate for around 11.00, passing en-route the house of the village chief. You arrive ready for registration and the start of your trek.

Excitement builds as the porters load up equipment and you meet the trekking team who will accompany you up the mountain. The Machame-Mweka Route (normally just referred to as the Machame Route) approaches from the mountain’s south-western side. Your first day of walking, starting at an altitude of 1,800 meters, will end at a height of over 2,800 meters, cover a distance of 11 km and take around 4.5 to 5 hours of actual walking time. The beginning of today’s walk is characterized by a wide track that winds its way up through dense forest, beautiful tall trees laden with green moss. As the route becomes steeper and narrower, so the vegetation changes and the appearance of flowers such as impatiens kilimanjari and impatiens pseudoviola introduce some bright colours to the scenery. The cloud forest trees can reach over 25 meters in height. A picnic lunch is enjoyed around 13.00, water bottles can be refilled and then your walk continues. The emblematic giant heathers appear as you reach heathland and the forest thins out. You get your first glimpse of Kibo peak. Machame Camp is reached at around 17.00. You will be surprised by the richness of the birdlife here. Dinner is served at 19.30.

Accommodation: Machame Camp

Hiking time and Elevation: 5 hours, from Machame Gate (1,800 m) to Machame Camp (2,835 m)

Day 3 From Machame Camp To Shira Cave Camp

You will soon become used to the early, 07.00 breakfast and today you aim to leave the camp at 08.00. You have a further 915 meters of ascent, finishing the day at 3,750 meters, and although the overall distance is short (5 km) you will spend around 5.5 to 6 hours walking.

Your path today is dusty, narrow, rocky and steep. The vegetation is initially made up of forests of heather but soon you will encounter the first of the giant groundsels. The climb before your midday picnic lunch is steep, but there are then great views to the south, mt. Meru and to Kibo, all to savour as you eat. With today’s early start and the short distance, you should be at the camp by 14.00, by which time you will have met the moorland lobelias and the distinctive dark obsidian rock of Shira Plateau for the first time. Once at the camp, you will have plenty of time to admire sights such as the sun set if the weather is good, the so-called Shira Cathedral, Klute Peak and Mount Meru, before your dinner at 18.00.

Accommodation: Shira Cave Camp

Hiking time and Elevation: 6 hours, from Machame Camp (2,835 m) to Shira Cave Camp (3,750 m)

Day 4 From Shira Cave Camp To The Lava Tower And Descent To Baranco Camp

Today’s trek is longer than yesterday’s, though your overall gain in height is modest. Starting at 3,750 meters, by the time you reach camp this afternoon you will only be 150 meters higher, though in between your start and finish you climb up to the base of the famous Lava Tower at 4,600 meters, before descending again to your camp.

The benefits for the purposes of acclimatization today are enormous, as you climb high and then descend again for the overnight stop. The overall distance of around 10 km means that you will actually be walking for around 6.5 to 7 hours, excluding breaks. Once again, your day will begin with breakfast at 07.00 and departure at 08.30, when you begin your trek across the stony landscape of Shira Plateau. The vegetation is sparse at first, with just a few hardy lichens to admire. You climb towards the Lava Tower and your picnic lunch is taken at 13.00. After passing the highpoint of the day by the Lava Tower, you descend down to the Baranco Camp. Once at camp, which you expect to reach by 16.00, you should take time to admire the views of the southern face of Kibo as well as the Heim Glacier. Dinner tonight is served at 19.00.

Accommodation: Baranco Camp

Hiking time and Elevation: 7 hours, Shira Cave Camp (3,750 m) – Lava Tower – (4,600) – Baranco Camp (3,900 m)

Day 5 From Baranco Camp To Karanga Camp

Today you breakfast slightly later (07.30) and your walk is short, being only 6 km but still taking between 3.5 and 4 hours of walking time. Your departure time today will be 08.30 and you will enjoy a hot lunch at 13.00 at Karanga and have the afternoon to enjoy the views before dinner at 18.00. Your altitude gain today is only 95 metres.

At the beginning, you encounter the hardest part of today’s stage as you have to scramble up the near-vertical face of the Baranco Wall (also commonly referred to as the ‘Breakfast Wall’ as you tackle it right after your breakfast!). At the top of this climb, you will be rewarded with views of the Heim Glacier. After this, the rest of today’s walk becomes a bit easier as you first descend to the gully below, and into the cold but beautiful Karanga Valley. You then continue and finally climb up a steep series of zig-zags until reaching the Karanga Camp.

Accommodation: Karanga Camp

Hiking time and Elevation: 4 hours, from Baranco Camp (3,900 m) to Karanga Camp (3,995 m)

Day 6 From Karanga Camp To Barafu Camp

Another short day -in terms of distance – begins with your breakfast at the camp at 07.30 and another 08.30 departure. Today you will ascend about 670 meters in a distance of around 4 km and walking time once again is between 3.5 and 4 hours.

You will be aiming to arrive the Barafu Camp by 13.00, when you will be rewarded with a hot lunch. (With tomorrow being the summit day, it will be important to relax and prepare for the hard work ahead.) Dinner tonight is served at 17.30, giving you time to get to bed early. After leaving Karanga, today’s stage climbs steadily, passing through barren, rocky landscape, with the Decken and Kersten glaciers visible away to your left. At the top of the climb, the landscape remains bleak as you descend into a valley and you get your first sight of another glacier, Rebmann. At the end of this valley is today’s goal, the Barafu Camp, at which you arrive after a short, steep scramble and a walk.

Accommodation: Barafu Camp

Hiking time and Elevation: 4 hours, from Karanga Camp (3,995 m) to Barafu Camp (4,673 m)

Day 7 Ascent To Uhuru Peak And Descent To Mweka Camp

Today is the most challenging day, but hopefully with the great sense of achievement of reaching your goal – the summit of Kilimanjaro! Your schedule for your ‘Summit Day’ is of course very different. Rising at 23.00, you take your tea and biscuits (23.30) before a midnight departure.

The day starts with the long, tough climb from Barafu at 4,673 meters to Stella Point at 5,756 meters; for some of this you will be walking on scree, making your trek more difficult. From there it is another 139 meters of ascent and 45 minutes’ walk to the summit. Your goal is to reach the summit by around 07.00 then celebrate reaching the top, take your precious photos and enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience. After the summit, you return to Barafu, where you rest for a couple of hours, take a hot lunch and then leave again at 13.30 to continue to descend to Mweka Camp (3,100 meters) where you spend the night. You would expect to arrive at 17.00 and take your dinner at 19.00. (In total, you cover around 17 km today with about 13 hours of walking.)

Accommodation: Mweka Camp

Hiking time and Elevation: 13 hours, Barafu Camp (4,673 m) – Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) to Mweka Camp (3,100 m)

Day 8 Descent From Mweka Camp To Mweka Gate – Moshi

Still thrilled by your achievement, breakfast is taken at 07.00 and at 08.00 you can take the chance to reward your trekking team at the ‘Tipping Celebration.’

Departure is at 09.00 and you descend down to Mweka Gate at an altitude of 1,640 meters, where you will be served a hot lunch at midday and be presented with your hard-earned certificate. Your transport will be waiting to bring you back to your hotel in Moshi, where you can choose to relax – or celebrate!

Accommodation: Hotel

Hiking time and Elevation: 3 hours, from Mweka Camp (3,100 m) to Mweka Gate (1,640 m)

Day 9 Departure – Kilimanjaro International Airport

After a good night’s rest at your hotel, you will take breakfast ready for the scheduled check-out by 11.00.(In case you need a late check-out because of an evening flight, please advise us of this when you book your trip and we will inform you of the cost for day room which ends at 18:00hrs, and then make the booking on your behalf.)

As a transfer to the airport is included on this trip, you will be collected from your hotel and dropped off at the airport. For those travellers who have booked to go on safari, a Mash Trekker guide will be meeting you in the evening to provide you with a briefing.

Our Package Includes

• Professional Guide: An experienced and certified guide who leads the climb, provides guidance, and ensures safety throughout the trek.

• Park Fees: Entrance fees and permits required for climbing Kilimanjaro are usually included in the package.

• Camping Equipment: Tents, sleeping mats, and dining tents are provided for accommodation during the trek.

• Meals: All meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are typically provided during the climb, along with snacks and drinking water.

• Porter Services: Porters carry the majority of the gear, equipment, and supplies, relieving climbers of heavy loads during the trek.

• Rescue Fees: Emergency rescue fees are often included in the package to cover the cost of evacuation in case of emergencies only in the park. Helicopter rescue is not included.

• Transportation: Transport from the hotel to the starting point of the trek (and return).

• Safety Equipment: Basic safety equipment such as oxygen cylinders and first aid kits are typically provided.

• Climb Briefing: A pre-climb briefing session to provide information about the route, safety procedures, and what to expect during the climb.

• Accommodation: Accommodation in a hotel or lodge before and after the climb.

• Certificate: A certificate of achievement for reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro (if successful) is usually provided.

• Airport Transfers: Transportation to and from the airport in Tanzania.

Not Included

• International Flights: The cost of international flights to and from Tanzania is usually not included in the climb package.

• Visa Fees: Travelers may need to obtain a visa to enter Tanzania, and the associated fees are typically not included.

• Travel Insurance: Climbers often need to arrange their own travel insurance covering medical expenses, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation.

• Personal Gear: Climbers are responsible for bringing their own personal gear such as clothing, boots, sleeping bags, and other equipment necessary for the trek.

• Tips: Tips for guides, porters, and other staff are customary but are not usually included in the package price.

• Additional Meals and Drinks: While meals on the mountain are generally provided, climbers may need to cover the cost of additional meals and drinks before and after the trek.

• Optional Excursions: Any additional activities or excursions outside of the climb itself, such as safari tours or cultural experiences, are typically not included.

• Personal Expenses: Any personal expenses incurred during the trip, such as souvenirs or additional snacks, are not usually included.

• Medical Expenses: While some medical services may be covered in the event of an emergency, additional medical expenses are generally not included.

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