Mount Kilimanjaro Trek

The drive from Moshi to the Machame Gate takes about an hour. The journey passes through the village of Machame which is located on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. You will pass through the cultivations of Banana, Coffee and many root crops.

The Machame Gate lies about 2 km away from the village, on the south-western foot of Kilimanjaro. The gate is guarded by armed personnel of TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks). They only allow pre-registered tour operators and trekkers to pass once the backpacks are checked and weighed by the authorities. The entire process of registering the names and following the formalities can take about 2-3 hours.

Once this is complete, your trek starts by taking a well-made forest route that leads into the tropical rainforest. After an hour into the forest, you are on a trail which is approximately 4.5 ft wide, leaving behind the wider man-made road. Depending on which season you’re trekking in, the trail will be either wet and slippery or dry and muddy.

Giant trees are surrounded entirely around you as you trek through some lovely sections. Spot some giant ferns and pretty flowers like the luminous orange-red Kilimanjaro Impatiens, which are found only on Kilimanjaro when you are trekking.

About 2 hours of trek later, you’ll arrive at the lunch spot where you’ll have your packed lunch. Rest and recover while you have lunch inside the forest, and continue on the trail that becomes narrower and steeper, winding its way through large trees. You’ll hear the screams of the primates frequently. If you are lucky, you may spot a few Colobus Monkeys swinging about on tall trees. You are sure to miss this setting of the rainforest zone once you cross the next day until the last day of the trek.

The landscape is covered by trees that are almost two metres in diameter, with roots the size of houses. It looks as if the jungle wants to take over the path, which becomes evident as you scramble over roots and trees.

As you trek for about an hour, the scenery changes from damp rainforest into a foggy moorland zone filled with moss-covered Erica heather. One can compare this surreal landscape to the moorlands seen in the “Lord of the Rings” films. These are also called Spanish Beard Moss.

In about 11 km and close to 7 hours of climbing through the forest, you reach the Machame Camp where you’ll rest for the day.

Though today’s trek is not long. It can get challenging as you have to navigate through rocky and steep sections. Exercise caution in exposed areas with deep ravines, and always be firm-footed.

Wake up to a clear view of the snow-covered summit of Kilimanjaro, and continue north-east in the heather zone towards Shira 2 Camp. Soon, the trail becomes steeper and passes through the tall Erica trees on either side of a narrow ridge.

The narrow trail is filled with large boulders and unique rock formations. You’ll either walk or scramble over them. The lava rocks are slippery when wet. Be careful when you hop, skip and jump.

Look back to see the trail you took to reach this point. On a clear day, you’ll see the Machame Camp, all the way to the Machame village in the valley.

Notice the vegetation slowly decreasing, as you trek past black rocks and lava sand on the trail. Carefully navigate the deep gorge along an exposed rock wall as you move forward.

A series of undulating trails later, you take the path that goes northwest through open ground. Around you, occasional Groundsels, Erica Arborea/Tree Heather and Lobelias dot the landscape. Head straight in the west direction on the Shira Plateau towards Shira 2 or New Shira campsite, past the Shira caves.

Once you reach Shira 2 Camp, your day comes to an end. If the weather is good, you’ll get to see Mount Meru, which is about 60 km to the west.

Take a walk in the later part of the evening towards the Shira Cave. You need to enter your name at the forest check post to visit. Later after coming back, just sit back and witness the magic of the alpenglow on Mount Kilimanjaro.

Today is very beneficial in acclimatising you to the altitude. Even though you gain an altitude of over 2,500 ft, you will descend and camp just about 500 ft above the previous day’s altitude. Ascending to a higher altitude and then resting at a lower altitude will help in getting your body acclimatised better.

Your day begins with a panoramic view of Mt Meru, overlooking the valleys between Moshi and Arusha. You can even see the snow-white Kibo Peak if the weather is good.

After a hearty breakfast, continue on the trail towards the Lava Tower. Turn back to see Mt. Meru looming behind and getting smaller. You’ll walk in a desert of black lava sand and many huge boulders that resemble alien rocks from a distant world. You’ll spot a few man-made cairns too along the way.

It is so quiet here that all you hear is the whistling of the wind and your pulse racing. Almost 3 hours later you’ll arrive at the Lava Tower, a 300-foot high lava rock formation. This is your highest point for the day, at 15,160 ft.

From this point onwards, mild symptoms of altitude sickness like lightheadedness may creep in. It is normal as you have gained much altitude in a short period. Take it slow and stick to a very easy pace. The symptoms will ease out as your body acclimatises to the altitude and thin air.

Have a quick lunch before you have a good long descent. Altitude sickness symptoms should subside as you descend towards Barranco Camp from here. You’ll notice the black desert slowly turning into heath and moorland as you approach the Barranco Valley.

Giant Tree Groundsels rise to 30 ft all around you in a grassy landscape. It almost feels like you are walking in some alien land here. The underneath of these groundsels has some cotton-like texture which usually collects water from the air. You’ll also find Everlastings and Lobelias spread across the valley.

About 8 hours into the trek, you have reached today’s goal. Barranco Camp is located on exposed ground, just 5 km below Kibo Peak. The Great Barranco Wall rises across the campsite.

Cold wind blows over Barranco Camp once the sun sets below the western horizon. Brace yourselves for a cold night of below-freezing temperatures, and head to bed early. Get as much sleep as possible as this is the last night to get a good rest before the summit push the following night.

Today’s trek is difficult. The strenuous climb combined with high elevation will test your endurance.

Start the day early. Since Barranco Camp is where trekkers from the Lemosho, Machame, and Umbwe routes converge, there are chances of having a traffic jam while climbing the Great Barranco Wall. An early start will ensure you are over the Barranco Wall and reach Barafu Camp with enough time to rest before your summit push.

The initial 30 minutes are the most strenuous when you start pushing yourself up the Great Barranco Wall through rocks and ledges, scrambling on all fours. It will easily take you about 2 hours to come up the wall. During your brief breaks while climbing, look back at the entire Barranco Valley below you.

Mt Meru still rises above the clouds far ahead of the forested hills of the Umbwe route. It is breathtaking to see the lush green ridges of Kilimanjaro from this point.

Once you are up the wall, a stony plateau with a spectacular view of Kibo awaits you. You’ll see the three south-facing glaciers of Kibo – Heim, Kersten, and Decken – much better and much closer than any other point on the trek.

A series of steep descents and ascents continues for the next 3-4 hours until you descend to Karanga Camp. Have your lunch here and much-needed rest after a tiresome trek. While you rest, don’t forget to catch a view of the grand Rebmann Glacier on the south-eastern slopes of Kibo.

The entire day of Day 6 has been considered for rest and acclimatization for trekkers.

Barafu Camp is only about 3-4 hours from Karanga Camp. After a good breakfast, make your way through rocky terrain. Moorland scenery slowly turns into a rocky, inhospitable stone desert with millions of black and grey blocks of stone. The landscape is dominated by lava rocks and gravel.

On top of the natural rocks, man-made cairns of different shapes and sizes add to the otherworldly feeling while walking through this landscape. Go around the campsite and explore for an hour or two before returning back.

Barafu Camp is located on uneven, hard ground where you’ll rest and recover for your big night ahead.

Take in as many calories as you can before catching some sleep, because you are going to need all the energy to climb to the summit.

Tomorrow (at midnight, to be precise or even slightly earlier), you’ll start the summit push to Uhuru Peak.

Start your trek around midnight after a hot, wholesome meal which is your source of energy for the longest day of the trek. Though Uhuru Peak is just 5 km away, the relentless ascent of 4,000 ft at extreme altitude, bearing bitter-cold temperatures makes the climb the hardest of all trek days combined.

It is a straight ascent on the ridge filled with ice and scree. During other seasons, you will have dry dusty lava sand to navigate. Since you start the trek in the dark, exercise caution and be surefooted at all times.

Important Note: There are high chances for even the fittest trekker to show signs of AMS. If your body is not doing good or showing symptoms of AMS, then it is very important for you to take the call of descending down. Going up and gaining altitude is a bad choice. It can even be life-threating and taking a risk which you should not.

As you climb up, one step at a time, you’ll start seeing daylight approaching from the eastern horizon, on your right. You should be at Stella Point, the first contact of the Kibo crater rim in time for sunrise.

Spend some time here taking a breather and waiting for the sun to come up. After a hard climb, the sunrise that you see takes away your breath and the scenery stays etched in your mind for years to come. The colours in the sky change from jet black to a beautiful fiery red and turn into a Tangerine Orange. This sight will take you back the memory lane of why you are here and taking up this trek.

From Stella Point, the tremendous Rebmann Glacier stands tall on your left. You’ll see different colours of sun rays passing through the glacier before the sun is too high.

Walk on the crater rim for another kilometre to reach Uhuru Peak, the highest point on the African continent. A few signboards at the Peak congratulate you on your tough journey to the top of Africa.

Click invaluable pictures and take in the scenery around you with a tremendous sense of accomplishment.

If you reach Uhuru Peak early, make your way to the Reusch Ash Pit, which is the tip of the volcano before you start the descent from Stella Point.

Note: Plan your trek to Reusch Ash Pit only if you have enough time on hand, and only if your Trek Leader allows you to go ahead, based on the weather conditions. You would have already been exhausted by this point in time. It easily takes more than 2 hours to go to the pit and be back.

Start the descent early as exposing yourself to harsh weather conditions above 19,000 ft can be extremely dangerous. Return along the crater rim, back to Stella Point and downhill past the gigantic Rebmann Glacier. You’ll start seeing the route that you had taken in the dark.

About 4 hours of descent through the same dusty and rocky terrain brings you to Barafu Camp. Have your lunch here and get some much-needed rest before heading further down to either the Mweka Camp or Millenium Camp.

As you descend to Mweka Camp, you’ll notice the landscape changing from the desert full of rock, sand and gravel, to heath and moorlands filled with grass and bushes. You feel good to be back amidst the lush green setting.

Almost 6 hours after the start from Barafu Camp, you finally reach Mweka Camp where you will end the most tiresome day of your trek. Have a hearty dinner and retire on your last camping night on Mount Kilimanjaro.

If your trek leader plans on not heading all the way down to Mweka Camp, then you have a new campsite called Millenium Camp. This campsite is much better in terms of views and for the trekkers' experience. However, it would be at a higher altitude (12,450 feet). This also means descending about 2,000 feet more to reach Mweka Gate the next day.

Note: This call is usually taken depending on how the team is fairing (in terms of physical, morale and dynamics of what is better considering the entire group)

The long and hard trekking days are behind you. After the much-needed rest, get ready to descend through well-laid out forest trails and wooden bridges over gushing streams that originate from the glaciers of Kilimanjaro.

As you make your way down, you’ll start hearing animal voices and the sounds of hornbillls echoing through the rainforest. It feels as if you hadn’t heard the sound for ages. In a couple of hours, you’ll start seeing children gathering firewood for their homes. This is the sign that Mweka Gate is not so far away.

Upon reaching Mweka Gate, you need to enter the details of your climb along with your registered guide in a records book. Collect your summit certificates and make your way to Mweka Village, which is 2 km away.

Your pick-up vehicle will be waiting at the village which will take you to Moshi. Your trek to Mount Kilimanjaro with Indiahikes ends here.

Upon arrival in Moshi and post your debriefing, you are free to roam around and carry on with your plans of either visiting the Safari or the sandy beaches of Zanzibar to make the most out of your visit to Tanzania.

Today is the day you bid adieu to Tanzania and head back to the airport.

If you plan to explore Tanzania further, our local coordinator will help you plan you're itinerary after Day 8.

Head over to the "How to Reach" and "Nearby Places to Visit" sections to plan an extended itinerary after your trek to Mount Kilimanjaro.