11-Day Kilimanjaro Machame Climb & Safari
Seven days climbing Kilimanjaro on the classic Machame Route, then a three-day safari to Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire. Want the climb on its own? See the 9-Day Machame Route Climb.
- Length
- 11 days, 10 nights (7 days on the mountain, 3 on safari)
- Starts and ends
- Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
- Route
- Machame up, Mweka down
- Sleeping
- Tented camps on the mountain; hotel and safari lodges
- Summit
- Uhuru Peak, 5,895 m
- Group size
- From 1 climber
- Fitness
- We advise when you enquire
- Best months
- We advise when you enquire
From
US$4,385
per person
Starting price per person.
Prices are a guide. Park fees and availability change, so we always confirm your exact price in a personal quote before you book. Your price depends on your group size and travel dates. Request a quote at any time, with no obligation to book.
Includes park fees, guides, crew, meals on the mountain, hotel nights, and the three-day safari with full board. A 30% deposit confirms your booking; the balance is due 30 days before you travel.
Overview
The Machame Route is one of Kilimanjaro’s most popular and scenic trails, more demanding than Marangu and rewarded with changing landscapes all the way up. You climb through rainforest to the Shira Plateau, acclimatise at Lava Tower, scramble the Barranco Wall and reach the summit from Barafu Camp. After the climb, a private safari takes you to three of the northern parks.
Highlights
- The classic Machame Route, through rainforest, moorland and alpine desert
- Acclimatisation at Lava Tower and the Great Barranco Wall
- Sunrise near Stella Point and the summit, Uhuru Peak
- A game drive in Lake Manyara, beneath the Rift Valley escarpment
- A full day in the Ngorongoro Crater and a morning in Tarangire
Route
Kilimanjaro Airport → hotel → Machame Gate → Machame Camp → Shira Cave → Lava Tower → Barranco → Karanga → Barafu → Uhuru Peak → Mweka → Moshi → Lake Manyara → Karatu → Ngorongoro Crater → Tarangire → Arusha → Kilimanjaro Airport
Day by day
Arrival
All trekkers need to organise their own flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). From JRO we will arrange a private transfer to your hotel. That night or early the next morning you will meet your local Tanzania Willdcats Safaris representative and have a full pre-climb briefing.
Machame Gate to Machame Camp
Transfer from your hotel to Machame Gate for registration. Our porters prepare and pack our supplies and luggage before we start our ascent along the forest trail to Machame Camp at 2,850 m. We will stay here overnight.
Machame Camp to Shira Cave Camp
After breakfast we start walking, leaving the rainforest behind, and continue our ascent, crossing a small valley and up to a steep rocky ridge, covered with heather. Our route now turns west into a river gorge until we reach Shira Cave Camp. It will be colder tonight than the previous night with temperatures possibly falling below freezing.
Shira Camp to Barranco Camp via Lava Tower
Today we will climb to the base of Lava Tower (4,630 m) for lunch and acclimatisation. This will be our toughest day so far and you may, for the first time, feel the altitude. After lunch we will descend again by about 650 m to Barranco Camp, following the “walk high, sleep low” golden rule of acclimatisation. Our 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.
Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
A short, but fun, day starting with a scramble to the top of the Great Barranco Wall. We then traverse over scree to the Karanga Valley (about 3,995 m) beneath the icefalls of the Heim, Kersten and Decken Glaciers. We will stay overnight at Karanga campsite.
Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
We leave Karanga campsite behind to meet the junction connecting with the Mweka descent trail. From here we continue up to Barafu Camp. Here we can rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The camp offers amazing views of the summit and the two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo.
Summit day: Uhuru Peak, then down to Mweka Camp
You will be woken around 23:30 with tea and biscuits. We start our trek to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers through heavy scree up to Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging part of the trek. At Stella Point (5,756 m), we will stop for a short rest and hopefully be in time to witness the magnificent sunrise (weather permitting). We are now only an hour away from the summit, Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. From the summit, we descend to Mweka camp site, via Barafu Camp for lunch. Trekking poles will be needed for the loose scree going down to Mweka Camp (3,068 m). Later in the evening, we will enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
Your final day on the trek, departing after breakfast we descend about 1,430 m to the Mweka Park Gate to pick up your summit certificates from the Park Headquarters. Transfer to your hotel.
Safari: Lake Manyara
Your safari guide collects you from your hotel for the drive to Lake Manyara National Park, beneath the Rift Valley escarpment, in time for an afternoon game drive. Look for flamingos and storks on the soda lake, baboons in the forest and, with luck, tree-climbing lions.
Safari: Ngorongoro Crater
An early start for the Ngorongoro Crater, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where lion, buffalo, elephant and, with luck, black rhino can all be seen in a single day. A full day of game viewing on the crater floor.
Safari: Tarangire, then fly home
A game drive in Tarangire, where the river draws elephants, buffalo and giraffe in large numbers, especially in the dry season from June to October. Then drive back via Arusha to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your flight.
Where you sleep
| Night | Camp, hut or hotel | Altitude |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hotel near Kilimanjaro | (named in your personal itinerary) |
| 2 | Machame Camp | 2,850 m |
| 3 | Shira Cave Camp | about 3,800 m |
| 4 | Barranco Camp | 3,976 m |
| 5 | Karanga Camp | 3,995 m |
| 6 | Barafu Camp | 4,673 m |
| 7 | Mweka Camp | 3,068 m |
| 8 | Hotel in Moshi | |
| 9 | Safari lodge, Karatu | |
| 10 | Safari lodge | (named in your personal itinerary) |
Included
- Hotel nights before and after the climb
- Airport transfers
- National park entry, camping, climbing and rescue fees
- A fully supported climb (an average of four support staff to each climber)
- All meals and drinking water on the mountain
- A clean, private portable toilet
- A dining tent and sleeping tents with foam mattresses
- Emergency oxygen and a first aid kit
- Safari lodges with full board
- Private 4×4 safari vehicle and English-speaking driver-guide
Not included
- International flights and visas
- Tips for your guides, crew and safari guide
- Travel insurance covering trekking up to 6,000 m
- Your personal trekking gear and medicines
- Snacks on the mountain
- Meals and drinks at the hotel in Moshi
- Drinks at the safari lodges
Make it yours
Add Zanzibar
Warm up on Mount Meru
A longer safari
Request a quote for this climb
Tell us your dates and how you like to travel. We will confirm availability and an exact price for your group. No obligation to book.
We reply within 24 hours.
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Adventure That Gives Back
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