Kilimanjaro - Machame Route | 8 Days

Backpacker's Paradise & African Charm

Adumu Safaris invites you on a once in a lifetime journey to see the best of Maasailand in Kenya and Tanzania including, the famed Masai Mara, Nairobi National Park, Amboseli National Park, Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater, and more! This 14-day all-inclusive adventure, led by Adumu Safaris’ local expert naturalists and cultural guides, takes you on a wildlife safari through the stunning Maasailands of Kenya and continues to iconic Northern Circuit of Tanzania. It includes a variety of activities that explore the natural environment, as well as the history and culture of the people in this magnificent region–particularly the Maasai people who live in and near the parks. You also have the opportunity to give back to your host community through a service visit in the Ngorongoro region. Feel good knowing that this trip strictly abides by socially responsible ecotourism practices and supports our social impact mission of Maasai empowerment.

The wildlife safari portion of this trip takes you through Kenya and Tanzania’s most famous parks where you will see the lauded “Big 5” and a variety of other majestic fauna up close in their natural habitats. Feel like an adventurer as you encounter a myriad of breathtaking landscapes deep in the African bush. View the world-famous Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra (and the predators that follow them!) from your spacious and comfortable hatch-top Land Cruiser, and perhaps even while enjoying a beverage at camp! Explore the unique Ngorongoro Crater, alkaline Lake Manyara, and other natural wonders. Retreat to your fantastic accommodations where you’ll experience Tanzania’s warm hospitality and impeccable service. Savor delicious African-inspired continental cuisine prepared with the bounty of fresh, local ingredients. Learn about the culture of the Maasai, as well as other vibrant local cultures as you pass through the parks and visit a Maasai social project.

Itinerary

Destination: Arrival in Tanzania
Accommodations: Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge
Activities: Forest hike; croquet

Arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport. After clearing customs you will be met by an Adumu Safaris representative and transferred to Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge. Set in lush gardens amid forest and crystal clear waters on the slopes of Mount Meru, Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge is a wonderful place to relax and simmer in the immense beauty of East Africa. Here you can spend the days amid nature, watching the changing colors of the Kilimanjaro glaciers while sipping drinks on the verandah or hiking in the forest inhabited by colobus and Sykes monkeys as well as hundreds of small animal and bird species. Enjoy hearty farm-to-table meals made with ingredients from the organic garden in the warm and comforting restaurant or out on the veranda overlooking the croquet field. Get a good night’s sleep in your garden room, anticipating tomorrow’s adventure.

Destination: Machame Gate (1490m); Machame camp (2980m)
Hiking time: ~7 hours

Your day starts early with a briefing, followed by a drive from Arusha (910m) to the Machame village (1490m). The guides and porters prepare and pack the supplies and your equipment while you are in the village. Depending on the condition of the road, it is possible to drive from the village to the Machame gate, but if not, the muddy 3 km walk will take about 1 hour to complete. After registering at the gate office, you start your ascent and enter the rainforest almost immediately. Your porters (arriving at the campsite long before you do) will have all your tents pitched up. In the evening the porters will boil drinking and washing water. After a nourishing dinner prepared by your cook, retire to your tent for the night. Night temperatures can already drop to freezing point at this campsite.

Destination: Shira camp (3840m)
Hiking time: ~6 hours

Rise early at Machame camp. After breakfast, climb an hour or so to the top of the forest and then two more hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone. After a short lunch and rest, continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. You are now due west of Kibo, and after a short hike you will reach the Shira campsite at 3840m. The porters will boil drinking and washing water, before serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will even be colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping well below freezing.

Destination: Lava Tower (4630m); Barranco camp (3950m)
Hiking time: ~7 hours

The route now turns east into a semi-desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630m after about a 5 hours walk. Lunch is served in a designated area before ascending the rocky screen path to Lava Tower (4630m). Definitely the toughest day so far. It is normally around this point where, for the first time, some climbers will start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability, and headaches. After lunch you descent again by almost 680m to the Barranco camping area and after reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, the true acclimatization benefit of this day becomes clear. This descent to Barranco camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your dinner.

Destination: Barafu Camp (4550m)
Hiking Time: ~7 hours

After spending a night at the Great Barranco Wall (a very imposing sight at first), you make your way up this awesome looking obstacle, which in the end normally turns out easier than what you anticipated. Topping out just below the Heim Glacier, you now appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley over intervening ridges and valleys, and then joins up with the Mweka route. This is the preferred route down from the summit, so remember it. Turn left up the ridge and after another hour or so, you reach Barafu Hut. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any accidents.

Destination: Stella Point (5685m); Summit (5895m); Mweka Camp (3100m)
Hiking time: ~6 hours

You will rise around 2330h, and after some tea and biscuits you shuffle off into the night. You will head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This 6-hour walk to Stella Point is, for many climbers, mentally and physically the most challenging on the route. At Stella Point (5685m) you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point, you will normally encounter snow all the way on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. Do not stop here for too long, as it will be extremely difficult to start again due to cold and fatigue. Enjoy your accomplishment and a day to remember for the rest of your life. The walk back to Barafu from the summit, takes about 3 hours. Here you will have a well-earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear, before heading down to Mweka hut (3100m). The route is not difficult and will take you down the rock and screen path into the moorland and eventually into the forest. The camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Dinner and washing water will be prepared.

Destination: Mweka Gate (1980m); Arusha
Hiking time: ~3 hours

After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short 3-hour and scenic hike back to the Park gate. At Mweka gate, sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates—Green for those who reached Stella point (5685m) and Gold for the Uhuru Peak summit (5895m). From the Mweka Gate, continue down into the Mweka village, normally a muddy 3 km (1 hour) hike. In the Mweka village you will be served a delicious hot lunch then drive back to Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge for a relaxing evening. Perhaps treat yourself to a massage in the spa before enjoying another hearty farm-to-table dinner, a well-deserved drink, and a good night’s rest.

Destination: Departure to Kilimanjaro Airport for international flight home or direct connection to Tanzania Northern Circuit, Southern Circuit, Western Circuit, Kenya, or Zanzibar

After a hot breakfast, you will be driven to the Kilimanjaro airport where you will board your international flight home or connect to the next leg of your wildlife safari in Tanzania Northern Circuit, Southern Circuit, Kenya’s Parks, or Chimp trekking in the Western Circuit. Alternatively, connect with a flight to the magical island of Zanzibar, which lies just off the coast of Tanzania. See our complimentary itineraries for these locations. NB: If you are planning to hike Kilimanjaro, we always recommend starting your East African holiday with this part of your itinerary so that the next leg will be more relaxing.

Safari Includes:

  • Pick up/drop off at Arusha or Kilimanjaro airport before and after the trip and/or transfer to the next leg of your holiday
  • Park entrance fees
  • Drinking water [mineral water]
  • Flying doctor services in Tanzania
  • Transfer to/from Kilimanjaro Park Gate
  • Camping fees
  • Government Taxation
  • Full board/all meals
  • Climbing/camping equipment
  • Sleeping bags and mattresses
  • Service of an English speaking professional driver/guide
  • Mountain guide and porters
  • Cook and all kitchen utensils
  • Accommodation in a two-person tent
  • 2 nights at Ngare Sero Mountain Lodge
  • Generous Giving Fund

Safari Excludes:

  • International airfare & flights (unless connecting from another leg of you Adumu Safaris East African Holiday)
  • Passport & visa fees
  • Personal health insurance
  • Travel insurance (highly recommended and offered upon making your deposit
  • Laundry services, unless provided by the lodges
  • Additional alcoholic beverages & sodas, except as stated as included above
  • Optional massages and spa services
  • All items of personal nature
  • Gratuities to safari guides and lodge/camp staff

Please note: Adumu Safaris makes every effort to customize your safari itinerary in order to cover areas where wildlife habitats are known to be plentiful during the season and precise time of year that you are traveling. However, since wild animals move freely in their environment, we cannot absolutely guarantee sightings of every species. We also use our best effort to provide the lodging set out in this itinerary, but occasionally there are circumstances that occur which require lodging substitutions. We reserve the right to make comparable lodging substitutions or upgrades whenever necessary or in your best interest to do so. Fortunately, we have vetted all of our lodges and stand by their ability to provide an amazing accommodation experience.

Cost:

Based on double occupancy …………………………….……3948 USD LOW / 3990 USD PEAK

**NB: Prices drop for larger parties traveling together. Children are accommodated at lower rates than adults. Adumu Safaris customizes itineraries to fit your preferences, desires, party size, and budget.

To reserve this trip we require $500 per person. The remainder is due 59 days before departure. All major credit cards and PayPal are accepted. We will send a secure payment link when you are ready to confirm this trip.

Please note that we offer these variations to demonstrate some of the ways that we can modify an itinerary to suit your preferences (destinations, activities, level of luxury, type of accommodations, length of stay, budget, etc.). If none of these options looks best for your group, we are more than happy to gather more information from you and customize the perfect trip. You can call us at +1 530 574 9519 or email us at to discuss this itinerary or others on our website.

Karibu Africa!
The Adumu Safaris Team