Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing combined with Tanzania Safari

14 day - Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing Machame route + Tanzania Safari

The Machame route can also be completed in 5 days. On day 3 on the itinerary below, you go directly to Kibo with an overnight at the Arrow Glacier camp, with your final summating attempt on day 4. An extremely physically and mentally demanding option, not recommended for the average climber.

Day 1: Arrival - Arusha
On arrival at Kilimanjaro Airport, met and assisted. Transfer to a hotel for an overnight. Dinner and Overnight.

Day 2: Machame Gate (1490m) - Machame camp (2980m)
Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: About 18 km's
Habitat: Montane forest
Your day starts early with a briefing, followed by breakfast and a 45-minute drive from Moshi (910m) to the Machame village (1490m). The guides and porters prepare and pack the supplies and your equipment in the village. You will receive a lunch pack and you can also buy mineral water in the village. Depending on the condition of the road, it is possible to drive from the village to the Machame gate, Machame Forestbut if not, the muddy 3 km walk will take about 1 hour to complete. After registering at the gate office, you start your ascent and enter the rain forest almost immediately. There is a strong possibility of rain in the forest, which will transform the trail into a very soggy, muddy and slippery experience. You will have a welcome lunch stop about half way and will reach the Machame camping area in the late afternoon.
Your porters (arriving at the camp site long before you) will have erect your tent on your arrival. In the evening the porters will boil drinking and washing water and the cook will prepare dinner, before you retire to your tent for the night. Night temperatures can already drop to freezing point at this campsite.

Day 3: Machame camp (2980m) - Shira camp (3840m)
Hiking time: 6 hours
Distance: About 9 km's
Habitat: Moorland
Shira tent Camp. You rise early at Machame camp and after breakfast you climb an hour or so to the top of the forest and then for 2 hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone. After a short lunch and rest, you continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. By now you will be able to see in an easterly direction, the Western Breach with its stunning glaciers. You are now due west of Kibo and after a short hike you will reach the Shira campsite at 3 840m. The porters will boil drinking and washing water, before serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will even be colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing.


Day 4: Shira (3840m)-Lava Tower (4630m)-Barranco camp (3950m)
Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: About 15 km's
Habitat: Semi desert
Lava Tower.The route now turns east into a semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630m after about a 5 hours walk. Lunch is served in a designated area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4630m). Definitely the toughest day so far. It is normally around this point, where for the first time, some climbers will start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability and headaches. After lunch you descent again by almost 680m to the Barranco camping area and after reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, the true acclimatisation benefit of this day becomes clear. This 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, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your dinner.

Day 5: Barranco camp (3950m)- Barafu camp (4550m)
Hiking time: 7 hours
Distance: About 13 km's
Habitat: Alpine desert
After spending a night at the Great Barranco Wall (a very imposing sight at first), you make your way up this awesome looking obstacle, which in the end normally turns out easier than what you anticipated. Topping out just below the Heim Glacier, you now appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley over intervening ridges and valleys, and then joins up with the Mweka route. This is the preferred route down from the summit, so remember it. Turn left up the ridge and after another hour or so, you reach Barafu Hut.
The last water stop on the route is the Karranga Valley, as there is no water at Barafu camp. Barafu is the Swahili word for "ice" and it is a bleak and inhospitable camping area to spend the night. Totally exposed to the ever-present gales the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge. Make sure that you familiarise yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any accidents. The summit is now a further 1345m up and you will make the Barafu Tent Camp.final ascent the same night. Prepare your equipment, ski stick and thermal clothing for your summit attempt. This should include the replacement of your headlamp and camera batteries and make sure you have a spare set available as well. To prevent freezing it will be wise to carry your water in a thermal flask. Go to bed at round about 19h00 and try to get some precious rest and sleep.

Day 6: SUMMIT ATTEMPT
Barafu camp (4550m)-Uhuru Peak (5895m)-Mweka (3100m)
Hiking time: 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak
7/8 hours to descend to Mweka
Distance: About 7 km's ascent - 23 km's descent
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

Stella Point.You will rise around 23h30, and after some tea and biscuits you shuffle off into the night. You will head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This 6-hour walk to Stella point is for many climbers, mentally and physically the most challenging on the route. At Stella Point (5685m) you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point you will normally encounter snow all the way on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. The time you will spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop here for too long, as it will be extremely difficult to start again due to cold and fatigue. Enjoy your accomplishment and a day to remember for the rest of your live. The walk back to Barafu from the summit, takes about 3 hours. Here you will have a well earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear, beforeSummit Group. heading down to Mweka hut (3100m). The route is not difficult and will take you down the rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest. The camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Dinner, and washing water will be prepared.

Day 7: Mweka camp (3100m)- Mweka Gate (1980m)
Hiking time: 3 hours
Distance: About 15 km's
Habitat: Forest

Mweka Gate. After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short 3-hour and scenic hike back to the Park gate. It is strongly recommended not to pay your porters any tips until you and all your gear have reached the gate safely. Click here for more info on tips. At Mweka gate you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. From the Mweka Gate you will continue down into the Mweka village, normally a muddy 3 km (1 hour) hike. In the Mweka village you will be served a delicious hot lunch!! You now drive back to Moshi for a long over due hot shower, dinner and celebrations!! Overnight in Springlands hotel.

Day 8 Lake Manyara
Depart Arusha for lake Manyara arriving by lunchtime. Afternoon game drive. Meals and overnight at the camp. All meals included.

Day 9 Serengeti
After breakfast in Ngorongoro proceed to Serengeti National Park through Olduvai Gorge (an archeological site, to see the earlier sign of mankind existence): en route game viewing with lunch boxes, late afternoon game drive and thereafter dinner and overnight at the camp. All meals included.

Day 10 Serengeti.
Spend the day in Serengeti with two game drives, meals and overnight at Serengeti Sopa Lodge. All meals included.

Day 11 Serengeti
Another day in Serengeti with morning and afternoon game drives in search for wild game you might have missed in the previous game drives. Dinner and overnight at the camp. All meals included.

Day 12 Ngorongoro
In the morning drive to one of the natural wonders of the world, the Ngorongoro crater. Dinner and overnight at the camp. All meals included.

Day 13 Ngorongoro Crater
Leave after breakfast with picnic lunch for a full day crater tour, explore the crater, enjoy picnic lunch at the crater before ascending back to the camp for dinner and overnight. All meals included.

Day 14 Arusha
After breakfast drive to Arusha arriving by lunch time. Transfer to the airport for your flight home.