Day 1 -- Arrival

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, you are met by a member of your guide team and transferred by road to your hotel in Arusha. After a long day of travel, we enjoy a quick meal before retiring.

Transfer Time - 50 min
Meals - Dinner
Accommodation - Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge FB


The hotel has 139 rooms including: 30 chalets with 60 rooms, 72 rooms in the main building, 7 presidential suites.

Accommodating up to 350 guests, all rooms have spacious en suite bathrooms, telephones and most of them have Jacuzzis. The luxury rooms comprise of spacious beds, with some rooms having a magnificent view of both Mt Meru and Mt Kilimanjaro. All the rooms have mini bars, satellite TV's, tea/coffee making facilities, safe deposit lockers. Some rooms can comfortably accommodate disabled guests and are close to the reception and public areas.

DAY 2 -- Arusha National Park A day to acclimatize to the time zone, on this day we recommend our clients to go to Arusha National Park, for a guarder walk by game rangers. Nothing strenuous by a chance to enjoy game while walking in the National Park with picnic lunch boxes from Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge. Back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

DAY 3 -- Machame Gate to Machame Camp
Elevation (m): 1830m to 3100m
Elevation (ft): 6000ft to 10,200ft
Distance: 18km
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
Habitat: Montane Forest

The drive to the gate of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. The journey passes through the village of Machame, which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain.

We now leave the park gate and walk through the rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters and trekking poles are a good idea here. We continue a short distance until we reach the Machame Camp.

DAY 4 -- Machame Camp to Shira Camp
Elevation (m): 3100m to 3840m
Elevation (ft): 10,200ft to 12,600ft
Distance: 9km
Walking Time: 4-6 hours
Habitat: Moorland

After breakfast, we leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the little valley walking along a steep rocky ridge, covered with heather, until the ridge ends. The route now turns west onto a river gorge. Time for rest, dinner, and overnight at the Shira campsite.

DAY 5 -- Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp
Elevation (m): 3840m to 4630m to 3860m
Elevation (ft): 12,600ft to 12,700ft
Distance: 15 km
Walking Time: 5-7 hours
Habitat: Semi-desert

From the Shira Plateau, we continue to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As we continue, our direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the "Shark's Tooth." Shortly after the tower, we come to the second junction which brings us up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 4876m / 15,997 ft. We now continue down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 3860m / 12,664. Here we rest, enjoy dinner, and overnight. Although you end the day at the same elevation as when you started, this day is very important for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for summit day.

DAY 6 -- Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp
Elevation (m): 3860m to 4600m
Elevation (ft): 12,700ft to 15,100ft
Distance: 13km
Hiking Time: 8 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert

After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge up the Barranco Wall, through the Karanga Valley (lunch at 4200m / 13, 779 ft), and the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the Barafu Hut. You have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position.

DAY 7 -- Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Hut
Elevation (m): 4600m to 5895m (and down to 3100m)
Elevation (ft): 15,100ft to 19,300ft (and down to 10,200ft)
Distance: 7km ascent / 23km descent
Hiking Time:6- 8 hours ascent / 7-8 hours descent
Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit

Very early in the morning (midnight to 2am), we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. At Stella Point (5685m / 18,652 ft), 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 may encounter snow all they way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit. It can be very cold at night at these elevations, but it will be quite warm by the end of the hiking day. You will want clothing for both extremes with you. From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon.

Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.

DAY 8 -- Mweka Camp to Arusha
Elevation (m): 3100m to 1830m
Elevation (ft): 10,200ft to 6000ft
Distance: 15 km
Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
Habitat: Forest

After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy).

From the gate, continue another hour to Mweka Village. A vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive you back to hotel.

Recommended tipping guidelines
- Porters USD $5 to $10 per porter per day
- Guide, assistant guide, cook USD $15 to 20 per person per day
Please note that tipping depends on ones heart and is customarily recommended

Equipment. Our climbs are equipped with the finest climbing and camping apparatus, safety equipment and communications network on Mount Kilimanjaro. Comfortable and private igloo-shaped tents allow our travellers to bypass the very rustic mountain huts where most trekkers spend their nights.

Acclimatization. While most trekkers spend a total of five days on the mountain, we schedule seven days (six nights) to allow more time for premium altitude acclimatization, giving Standout Adventures a successful summit rate of 98 percent!

All-inclusive. The 7 day climb includes all of the necessary arrangements — guide, porters and camp staff, provisions, safety equipment and park entry fees.

The Machame Route. This program travels the scenic Machame Route, with some game-viewing and bird watching opportunities along the first days’ paths. Then it's up across the Shira Plateau through the Grand Baranco Canyon and on to the top. If all goes as planned, you’ll reach Stella Point at dawn, with a chance to continue around Kibo’s rim to the summit, Uhuru Peak.

Fit to trek. The Machame Route is a strenuous, but not technical, climb and no mountain-climbing experience is necessary. But there’s no avoiding the steep ascents and high altitudes that make robust physical fitness (and a minimum age of 16 years) a prerequisite for this trip. You’ll want to consult your physician before undertaking this unforgettable adventure.

Alternative independent itineraries. These include the more remote and demanding Rongai, Shira, Umbwe and Western Breach routes - ask for details.