Super Luxury SafarisSuper Luxury Safaris
7 day itinerary

7 Day Kilimanjaro Climb: Machame Route

Machame in seven days with a Karanga camp, the extra night most climbers should take for acclimatization.

From $12,600 per personFinal quote depends on travel dates, lodge choice and group size.

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Route map

From start to finish

Starts in Mount Kilimanjaro and ends in Arusha.

Start: Mount Kilimanjaro End: Arusha

Tanzania

  1. Start Mount Kilimanjaro (Day 1-6)
  2. End Arusha (Day 7) Land Cruiser

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Digital itinerary

Day by day

Every package has a shareable digital itinerary: overnight notes, the route, and a print-ready PDF view.

  1. Day 1 Machame Gate to Machame Camp in a mountain tent at Machame Camp
  2. Day 2 Machame Camp to Shira Camp in a mountain tent at Shira Camp
  3. Day 3 Shira Camp to Barranco Camp in a mountain tent at Barranco Camp
  4. Day 4 Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp in a mountain tent at Karanga Camp
  5. Day 5 Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp in a mountain tent at Barafu Camp
  6. Day 6 Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp in a mountain tent at Mweka Camp
  7. Day 7 Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate to Arusha

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Kilimanjaro & Trekking

Seven-day Machame is the same trail as six-day Machame with a night at Karanga before Barafu. That extra camp is the difference between a rushed summit and a fair acclimatization plan. We recommend this length unless you are already well acclimatized.

Camping, crew and park fees are included.

Karanga Camp under Kibo

Day 1: Machame Gate to Machame Camp

Rainforest trail to Machame Camp

Forest walk from Machame Gate to Machame Camp. Steeper than it looks on a map, quieter than the gate, and the first night you sleep at the tree line with a Super Luxury crew who will still be with you at midnight on summit night. Overnight in a mountain tent at Machame Camp.

Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira Camp

Shira plateau

Out of the trees onto the Shira plateau. Kibo sits at the far end of an old caldera. This is the day the mountain opens, and the reason seven-day Machame feels like a stay instead of a rush. Overnight in a mountain tent at Shira Camp.

Day 3: Shira Camp to Barranco Camp

Barranco Valley

Lava Tower for acclimatization — walk high, sleep lower — then down into Barranco Valley under the icefields. Giant groundsels, a wall you will climb tomorrow, and a camp that feels hidden. Overnight in a mountain tent at Barranco Camp.

Day 4: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp

Karanga Camp at 4,000 metres

The Barranco Wall in the morning, then a short afternoon to Karanga so you sleep lower than Barafu. This is the night six-day climbers skip, and the one we want you to have. Acclimatization is not a slogan here. It is a camp. Overnight in a mountain tent at Karanga Camp.

Day 5: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp

Barafu Camp, high camp before the summit

A short climb to Barafu on a rocky ridge. Rest, eat, sleep before midnight. This is the last camp before Uhuru, wind-cut and honest. Overnight in a mountain tent at Barafu Camp.

Day 6: Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp

Uhuru Peak at dawn

Summit night via Stella Point to Uhuru Peak, then the long descent to Mweka Camp. Headlamps, crater rim, sunrise if the weather holds. This is the day you will tell first. Overnight in a mountain tent at Mweka Camp.

Day 7: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate to Arusha

Mweka forest descent

Gate, certificates, transfer to Arusha or Moshi, which ends the climb. The forest on the way down is a gift after the alpine desert.

The package

What is included — and what is not

Two separate lists, so you can see what the itinerary price covers before you request a quote.

Covered

Included in this itinerary

In the package price, for the dates and lodge or camp class on your quote.

  • Kilimanjaro National Park fees, camping or hut fees, and rescue fees for this route.
  • Certified mountain guide, assistant guides, cook and porters as required for the group size.
  • Transport between Arusha or Moshi and the gate.
  • Mountain tents, sleeping mats, dining tent and all meals on the mountain.
  • Purified drinking water on the mountain.
  • All meals cooked and served on the mountain.
  • A live-music and traditional-dance farewell evening in Arusha or Moshi after your descent.
  • Two nights in Arusha or Moshi on a bed-and-breakfast basis — one before the climb and one after — unless the quote uses a different hotel plan.

You arrange these

Not included

Budget separately, or ask us to add them to your proposal.

  • International flights
  • Airport taxes and visa or eTA fees
  • Alcoholic drinks and any specialty dining not named on your quote
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Items of a personal nature, laundry and souvenirs
  • Travel insurance
  • Optional extras such as a hot-air balloon, Maasai village visit or spa, unless added to the quote
  • Sleeping bag, trekking poles and personal climbing clothing (rent in Arusha if needed)
  • Tips for the mountain crew, paid on the mountain

When to travel

Season and routing

Dry months (January–March and June–October) are the usual climbing window. April–May and November are wetter, with heavier trail mud. We still run climbs in the rains if you accept that. Summit night is cold on every route. The extra Karanga night is why we recommend seven days over six for most guests.

Where you sleep

Choose your stay style

Four ways to travel the same parks. Pick one style for the whole safari, or mix nights — we quote what you actually want. Names below are properties we often confirm. The lodge or camp on your quote is the booking; nothing here is reserved until you approve it.

  1. Camping Safari tents, a cook, the night sounds of the park. The honest, close-to-the-ground way to safari.
  2. Mid-range En-suite lodges and tented camps we use most — a proper bed, a shower, and the game still at the door.
  3. Luxury Pools, full-service dining, the better rooms in the same parks.
  4. High-end Suite camps and private houses when the trip is built around silence and space.

Arusha or Moshi — the night before and after the climb

Camping

We do not camp in town. You need a proper bed, a shower and a breakfast before the gate.

Mid-range

Planet Lodge, Mvuli Hotel, or a similar Arusha / Moshi hotel on bed and breakfast.

Luxury

Gran Meliá Arusha, Arusha Coffee Lodge — a quieter garden night before Machame or Marangu.

High-end

Legendary Lodge, Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge — small, private houses when the climb is part of a longer high-end safari.

Before you book

Practical notes

  • This is a trekking itinerary, not a technical climb. You still need fitness for six to eight hours a day and a summit night that starts around midnight.
  • We follow park altitude rules. If the guide turns you back, that decision stands.
  • Tips for the mountain crew are not included. We send a suggested tipping sheet with the quote.
  • Town nights before and after the climb are camping-to-high-end hotels in Arusha or Moshi. On the mountain you sleep in park huts (Marangu) or mountain tents (all other routes).

OUR AFFILIATES

Singita Elewana Collection Meliá Karibu Africa Safaris Legendary Expeditions