7 Days Machame Route – Kilimanjaro Trekking.
The 7 Days Machame Route luxury trekking package is one of the most scenic and comfortable ways to reach the Roof of Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters). The Machame Route, nicknamed the “Whiskey Route,” is appreciated for its unrivaled scenery, variety of terrains, and great success rate of reaching the summit.
This itinerary combines adventure with comfort, with luxury accommodation both pre- and post-trek, high-end camping gear, and exemplary service from trained guides, chefs, and porters. Each day’s journey will bring different scenery, from lush rainforests to alpine deserts and glacial peaks, ensuring an unforgettable experience in the mountains.
Tour Highlights.
Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport—Arusha Transfer.
Day 2: Arusha National Park – Pre-Trek Excursion and Acclimatization.
Day 3: Machame Gate (1,800 m) – Machame Camp (3,000 m).
Day 4: Machame Camp (3,000 m) – Shira Camp 2 (3,840 m).
Day 5: Shira Camp 2 (3,840 m) – Lava Tower (4,630 m) – Barranco Camp (3,950 m).
Day 6: Barranco Camp – Karanga Camp (4,035 m) – Barafu Camp (4,640 m).
Day 7: Barafu Camp – Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) – Mweka Camp (3,100 m).
Day 1: Arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport—Arusha Transfer.
On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), you will be greeted by a professional guide from Nyumbu Beyond Journeys with a personalized sign. After a short meet and greet, you will transfer in your luxury vehicle and start the drive to your hotel in Arusha, your base town for the majority of Kilimanjaro climbs. You will be treated to amazing views of Mount Meru and the surrounding scenery.
After checking into your hotel for the evening, you’ll have some time to relax, whether that means relaxing, swimming, or indulging in a relaxing spa after your long flight. Then in the later evening, your head mountain guide will meet you for a trip briefing for your trek the following morning. Your guide will review your gear, talk about the route, and answer any last-minute questions so that you are totally prepared for your Kilimanjaro experience.
Luxury Hotel.
Gran Melia Arusha or Legendary Lodge Arusha
Dinner and overnight accommodation in Arusha.
Day 2: Arusha National Park experience.
On the 2nd day of the safari, you will wake up early in the morning and enjoy breakfast and meet your safari guide and then get ready for a full-day excursion to Arusha National Park, a perfect means of beginning to acclimatize to higher altitudes while seeing some wildlife at the same time. After breakfast, you will head to the park with your guide, where you will have an option to do a short walking safari with an armed ranger. In the park, you’ll see giraffes, zebras, colobus monkeys, and flamingos around the Momella Lakes.
Alternatively, you can do a scenic drive to see the Ngurdoto Crater and get your first view of Mount Meru as well as Kilimanjaro in the distance. Lunch will be served as a gourmet picnic inside the park. Later in the afternoon, return to your hotel for dinner, relaxation, and final preparations for your climb.
Overnight accommodations will be in Gran Melia Arusha or a similar property.
Day 3: Machame Gate (1,800 m) – Machame Camp (3,000 m).
After an early breakfast, you will drive to Machame Gate, the official starting point of the Machame Route. At Machame Gate you will check in with the park authorities and meet your experienced mountain team—guides, porters, and chefs—who will be with you the entire adventure.
After beginning the trek, you will walk in a very lush rainforest zone, featuring towering trees and tropical flowers, while possibly encountering wildlife, such as colobus monkeys and colorful birds. After passing a few porters and hikers along the trail, you will begin to ascend at a moderate pace, allowing for your reflection on the natural sounds and sights surrounding you. You will be provided with a picnic lunch while trekking.
In the afternoon, you will arrive at Machame Camp (3,000 m), your first overnight stop on the mountain. Your luxury dome tent will already be set up and ready for you, with a comfortable mattress, warm sleeping bag, and a private dining tent, where a chef will serve you a hot dinner under the stars.
Overnight: Machame Camp (3,000 m).
Day 4: Machame Camp (3,000 m) – Shira Camp 2 (3,840 m).
You will wake up to a delicious cup of coffee or tea brought to your tent before enjoying a hearty breakfast. Today we start our hike with a steep uphill walk-through heather and moorland, as we leave trees and enter shrubs and rocky slopes. The views over Mount Meru and the Shira Plateau from this trail are stunning.
After breakfast, we start trekking along ridges and open ground to Shira Camp 2 (3,840 m) on the Shira Plateau. From this camp, you can see the towering peak of Kibo, Kilimanjaro’s highest volcanic cone. The afternoon is free for a short acclimatization walk around the camp. Dinner is provided in the dining tent with hot meals and fresh fruit, and you can enjoy the beautiful starry night sky in high mountain silence.
Overnight: Shira Camp 2
Day 5: Shira Camp 2 (3,840 m) – Lava Tower (4,630 m) – Barranco Camp (3,950 m).
After breakfast, you will continue on the trek through the alpine desert zone on a rocky path toward Lava Tower (4,630 m). In this zone, you will notice the air becoming thinner, and you may start to feel the effects of altitude and fatigue, but this section of the trek is purposely designed to help your body adapt.
At Lava Tower, you will stop for lunch and a well-deserved break while taking in amazing views of the glaciers above and the sheer rock walls. Then, after lunch, you will descend into the lush Barranco Valley, where you will see the unique high-altitude vegetation, including giant senecio plants. In the early evening, you will arrive at Barranco Camp (3,950 m), an idyllic campsite under the famous Barranco Wall. Dinner will be served while you take in the multi-dimensional mountain views at sunset and hope the colors will not change to grey too quickly.
Overnight: Barranco Camp.
Day 6: Barranco Camp – Karanga Camp (4,035 m) – Barafu Camp (4,640 m).
On the 6th day of the safari, you will enjoy the breakfast, and you will finally climb the Barranco Wall, an exhilarating but non-technical scramble that will reveal one of the most rewarding and enjoyable viewpoints on Kilimanjaro. The top of the Barranco Wall has one of the most scenic viewpoints on all of Mount Kilimanjaro. You will enjoy this view while sustaining energy and enthusiasm for the rest of the day. Once you are on top, the trail will continue along beautiful alpine ridges to Karanga Camp, where you will stop for lunch.
After a short rest, you’ll advance to Barafu Camp (4,640 m), your last base camp before summit day. The scenery is barren and lunar-like with sparse vegetation. You’ll have an early dinner before your guide gives the talk about the summit attempt, which begins just after midnight. At Barafu Camp, you’ll have a fully outfitted luxury camp with a comfortable bed, hot meals, and oxygen available if needed as an emergency. Get to bed early, and rest for your big day.
Overnight: Barafu Camp
Day 7: Barafu Camp – Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) – Mweka Camp (3,100 m).
On the 7th day of the safari, it’s time to get to bed around midnight. You’ll start with a light snack and warm drink and begin your summit attempt under the stars. The ascent is steep and exposed as you traverse scree slopes heading to Stella Point (5,739 m), where you’ll experience one of the most amazing sunrises of your life, over Africa.
Continue for about one more hour to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), the highest point in Africa. To be on the Roof of Africa, surrounded only by glaciers and vast skies, is truly life-changing. You will celebrate and take pictures and begin your descent.
Walk back down to Barafu Camp for breakfast and rest, then continue down to Mweka Camp (3,100 m) for your last night on the mountain. Celebrate with your team with a farewell dinner while reminiscing on your accomplishment.
Overnight: Mweka Camp
End of 7 Days Machame Route
Luxury Package Inclusions.
Airport transfers to/from Kilimanjaro International Airport.
Two-night luxury accommodation in Arusha (before and after the trek).
Private 4×4 transfers to/from Machame Gate.
Professional English-speaking mountain guides.
Trained cooks and an entire team of porters.
All park fees, camping fees, and rescue fees.
Luxury mountain tents with thick mattresses, pillows, and dining setups.
All meals on the mountain (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Bottled drinking water, hot beverages.
Oxygen cylinder and pulse oximeter to monitor altitude.
Portable toilet tent for your use.
Summit certificate for successful climbers
Luxury Package Exclusions.
International flight to/from Tanzania.
Tanzania entry visa.
Travel and medical insurance.
Personal hiking gear (boots, sleeping bag, trekking poles, )
Gratuities for guides.
