Day 1 Tanzania – Moshi
Moshi is the gateway to Mount Kilimanjaro and the meeting place for trekking expeditions. Today is a meeting day where you will be briefed about the climb and if the weather is favourable, catching a glimpse of the world’s tallest freestanding mountain. (5895m). If you are making your own way to Moshi, please advise us of your estimated arrival time.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 Kilimanjaro National Park Machame Camp (3010M)
After breakfast, you will be collected from your hotel and after a 45-minute drive; you will arrive at the entrance to the Kilimanjaro National Park. Machame Gate is at 1840m. In a short time, you will be deep within the magnificent mountain rainforest. With a little luck, you may glimpse and hear the beautiful black and white thumb-less Colobus monkeys in the treetops. After 5 - 7 hours, you will reach today’s destination - The Machame Camp – situated just below the tree line at 3000m. Here, at the base of the Kilimanjaro, you will have dinner and overnight at the camp.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 Kilimanjaro National Park Shira Camp (3845M)
After an early morning start, you will leave the Machame Camp and the timberline behind you. The path steepens and the landscape turns into a moor and heath land, allowing you to take in the impressive mountain range. Today’s stage is shorter than the last one and by mid-afternoon, you will arrive at the Shira Plateau Campsite at the Shira Plateau. The camp offers a breath-taking view of the mountain, especially at sunset.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 Kilimanjaro National Park Barranco Camp (3960M)
Today, you will climb approx. 700m but you will be camping at an elevation only slightly higher than the previous night. This will allow your body to acclimatise as a height of over 4500m will be reached the next two days before descending again. The trek begins with a long ascent above the Shira Plateau in the direction of the Lava Tower Hut (4630m). After 6 – 7 hours, you will arrive at perhaps the most beautiful camp on Kilimanjaro- the Barranco Camp.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 Kilimanjaro National Park Barafu Camp (4640M)
The trek of today starts with the climb of the “Barranco Wall”. Safety is paramount and you will be secured where necessary along this route. Following the ridge as it wanders up and down, it offers splendid views of the south glacier of Kibo. In the Karanga Valley, you will have lunch in preparation for the 2 - 3 hrs climb to Barafu Camp (4700m). Once at camp, you can relax, have dinner and take an early night in preparation for the next day.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 Kilimanjaro National Park Uhuru Peak (Summit 5895m) – Mweka Camp (3080M)
Your guide will wake you around 11pm and the climb begins at midnight. Climbing the steps of the Kibo you will arrive at Stella Point after 5-7 hours of hard work. This is the crater rim of Kilimanjaro, from which you continue for another 1-2 hours along the edge to Uhuru Peak (5895m), the summit!
The simple descent runs almost along the same route and shortly before midday, you will arrive at Camp Barafu. After a well-deserved break of 1 - 2 hrs, you will be on your way to Camp Mweka (3100m) where an evening meal and a good night’s sleep awaits you.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 Kilimanjaro National Park Mweka Gate (1630M) - Moshi
The final leg of your amazing adventure begins after breakfast with a traditional farewell ceremony from the mountain guides. Then a gentle 2 hour descent through the rainforest to Mweka Gate, where your driver takes you back to the Hotel in Moshi.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 Moshi
After breakfast, you can continue with your travel plans; please let us know if you require any further transport?
Meals: Breakfast
≈AFRICA ADVENTURE TOURS (AAT)'Since 2002.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once you make a booking with Africa Adventure Tours (AAT) we will send you a Tour Dossier and a Pre-Departure Information document. This is a brief overview of the information contained in these documents
Food and Meals. Included are three hearty meals a day, (unless otherwise specified). Vegetarians are easily catered for and they're always impressed by our varied menu. Our guides can produce miracles on a camp-stove. Special dietary requirements can be catered for, but only by special request. In East Africa it is more difficult to cater to certain requirements.
Accommodation. On our camping tours you will be staying in two-man dome tents. We supply a mattress and you supply your own sleeping bag. The accommodated tours stay in traditional huts, permanent tented camps and hostel-style rooms.
Health. All people who join an adventure tour need to be in good health. Medical facilities are not always available. If you have a specific medical condition it is compulsory for you to advise us before departure.
Malaria. Malaria is a real concern in many areas of Africa, especially during the rainy season. Our advice is simple, prevent getting bitten by using an insect repellent and use an effective prophylactic. Speak to your doctor before selecting your Malaria medication.
Vaccinations. Please ensure you have the relevant vaccinations. Proof of inoculation is required on certain tours.
Terms & Conditions. All travellers will be required to sign our indemnity form on departure. Any person refusing to do so will not be allowed on the tour.
Currency, Money and Banking. This is covered comprehensively in the pre-departure dossier. South African Rand and Credit Cards work in Southern Africa. In East Africa (incl. Zimbabwe and Zambia) USD cash is best.
Age Restriction. Passengers under the age of 18 must have signed permission from a parent or guardian. Passengers over the age of 65 require a medical clearance certificate from their doctor stating they are fit enough to travel.
What to Bring? A sense of fun and a flexible attitude! A full checklist of essential items is included in the pre-departure info document.
What to Leave Behind. Your watch, cell phone, laptop, work, stress, concept of time, pre-conceptions about anything and any attitude that is not pure adventure.
Changes to Routes/Schedules. Although we will do our best at all times to ensure that the tour remains on schedule we want to make it very clear that this is not always possible. There is always something unexpected on a tour, sometimes the truck gets stuck in mud, or sand, sometimes it rains... Anything can happen, but nothing that a good sense of humour cannot overcome.
How to Make a Booking. You need to complete our booking form and pay a 25% non-refundable deposit to secure your seat. Full payment is due 28 days prior to departure.
Do I Need Travel Insurance? YES! Make sure your insurance covers being airlifted in case of serious illness/injury as good hospital facilities are often a long way from where our tours travel. Free credit card insurance is often insufficient, so a separate policy is recommended. As travel insurance is compulsory, you will be asked for the policy number before being allowed to board our vehicle.
How Many People Can Go On This Tour? The average number of passengers on a tour is 18. On the camping tours there is a maximum of 24 and minimum of 4. On the Accommodated tour the minimum is 4 and the maximum is 18. The maximum number on Gorillas, Serengeti and Masai Mara tours is 18. Single Supplements are limited to 4 per tour on all tours.
Do I Have To Help With Camp Chores? Of course not, but you will not make many friends! On our tours our guides do most of the work. On a camping tour your participation in camp chores is limited: taking turns to assist with washing-up duties, putting up and taking down your tent and loading your bags. On some of our accommodated tours we include a camp assistant.
Who Is Responsible For My Visas? You are responsible for your own visas. Please check the itinerary of your tour carefully and if you need a multiple entry visa be sure to get one. Your passport needs to be valid for 6 months after your departure date from Africa and you must have at least 3-4 blank pages available. Some countries will not allow you to enter without 2 blank pages in your passport.
What Are Local Payments (LP) For? The Local Payment is a USD cash portion of the tour payment that needs to be paid directly to your guide in Africa. This payment covers fluctuating expenses such as flights, National Park Fees, entrance fees etc. and also ensures that we have a reliable amount of hard currency on each tour. Our Local Payment is not a kitty, your food and accommodation are included in the tour price. All Local Payment amounts are subject to change without notice. Changes are very rare and are normally due to a sudden or unexpected price increase by a local service provider or National Park.
What Is a Single Supplement? All of our tours are priced on twin share accommodation. The single supplement is not compulsory on our camping tours but if you want your own tent you need to pay the single supplement. If you are booking one of our accommodated tours alone you have to pay the single supplement. There are a maximum of 4 single supplements available on all tours.
What Is an Activity Package? This is an optional additional package that covers what we consider to be "essential activities" on our tours. Ideally we would include all of these, but not everyone can afford this. This payment is 100% transparent and is listed under the itinerary of the tour and in our pre-departure information document.
≈AFRICA ADVENTURE TOURS (AAT)'Since 2002.
The Machame Route is one of the most beautiful trekking tours of Kilimanjaro. It offers more steep passages and higher altitudes than the Rongai and Marangu routes, and requires more thorough preparation by the mountain climber.
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