Kilimanjaro stands at an impressive 5,895 m/19,340 ft above sea level, making it the highest free-standing mountain globally and earning it the title of the "Roof of Africa." Mount Kilimanjaro is a top travel destination on the continent, attracting over 40,000 visitors annually. Its popularity is due to its stunning beauty and the fact that climbers do not need advanced technical skills to conquer it. A good level of fitness is all that is required to reach the summit, which is why many choose to start their Seven Summits journey with this iconic mountain. 

The Machame Route, also known as the "Whiskey Route," is the most popular path up the mountain. It offers spectacular views and excellent acclimatization. Starting at Machame Gate on the southern slope of Mount Kilimanjaro, this route takes trekkers through various climatic zones, from tropical forest to the Arctic desert zone at the summit. 

During your trek, you will have the opportunity to walk alongside Dave Ashley, a climber who has conquered Mount Everest and the Seven Summits. You can benefit from his climbing tips, advice, and stories of high-altitude mountaineering from all over the world.

Dave Ashley, Mount Everest/7 summits climber will be the trip leader for this adventure.  

Prepare yourself to be amazed as soon as you disembark from the aircraft. Tanzania, with its astonishing array of wildlife and breathtaking national parks, offers endless opportunities for adventure. Once you have completed all the necessary border control procedures, keep an eye out for a signboard bearing your name. Our representative will be waiting at the arrivals zone exit, ready to assist you with your luggage and transport you to your hotel. Our modern and comfortable mini-vans, equipped with refreshing soft drinks and air conditioning, will offer a well-deserved respite after a lengthy flight.

Today you have the opportunity to relax and recuperate from the lengthy flight and jet lag. However, there is one significant event scheduled! In order to guarantee that you are completely ready for the upcoming challenges, a briefing will be conducted along with a gear check. If any necessary gear is missing, you will have the choice to rent it. Take pleasure in a swim in the hotel pool!

Your expedition to the top of Africa will take you along the popular seven-day Machame route. Take in beautiful panoramic landscapes and learn more about Tanzania from your guides as you climb Kilimanjaro on the Machame route. You will enjoy evenings at the overnight camps and see marvelous African sunsets.

The ascent will start on the southern side of Mount Kilimanjaro. You will pass through five climatic zones of Kilimanjaro, from the rainforest at the very base to the arctic zone and glaciers at the summit. It's like a trip from the equator to snow-covered Antarctica in just a week!

A guide and a mountain support crew will arrive at your hotel in the morning in order to meet you and hold a quick briefing. Then you will travel by vehicle to Kilimanjaro National Park's entrance: Machame Gate. After the quick formality of acquiring climbing permits and registering with the search and rescue service, the group will start trekking up to Machame Camp. Day 1 on the Machame Route includes passage through a rainforest where tropical showers are highly probable, so we recommend you take not only spare clothes but also a raincoat.

After breakfast, you will start trekking up to the second high-altitude camp, Shira Camp. On this day you will emerge from the rainforest and for the first time be able to see stunning views of the Shira Plateau laid out in front of you. Technically speaking, trekking is not very difficult, but you may feel the change in altitude, so pay attention to your body and remember that choosing the proper pace is extremely important for good trekking. When you reach the camp, you will have lunch and some rest, after which the group will go on an acclimatization hike towards Lava Tower Camp with a 400-meter (1312-foot) gain in altitude. Back down at Shira Camp, you will be served a hot dinner.

After breakfast, your group will depart Shira Camp and head towards Lava Tower. The rise-and-fall nature of this trek may present some difficulties. However, reaching the 4,600m/15092f altitude at the Lava Tower is crucial for proper acclimatization, which is why we encourage our groups to eat lunch at the top of the Lava Tower. This allows you some additional time at a high altitude before descending approximately 700m/2297f to Barranco Camp, which is the next overnight stop on this route.

Here you can see the famous Barranco Wall, impressive in both its massive size and steepness! The next day you will be hiking it, but don't worry: it features a very simple hiking trail and is not intimidating at all.

On this day it is best to make an early start to avoid crowding on the way up Barranco Wall. Despite the Wall's seemingly daunting height and steepness the actual climb is rather simple and takes only an hour or so to complete. The top of the wall provides a great photo opportunity with Kibo Peak as the backdrop.
The next part of the day is rife with ups and downs and your guides will choose the best pace for individual trekkers.
A lunch break at Karanga Camp will be followed by an acclimatization hike in the direction of Barafu Camp with its highest point of the hike being 4,270m/14009f. The group then hikes back to Karanga Camp for the night.

After breakfast, you will begin your way to Barafu Summit Camp. Our team will set up a camp for you ahead of time, including tents and sleeping bags, so you can relax upon arrival. After regaining strength, you have to complete an acclimatization climb towards the intermediate Kosovo Summit Camp with its highest point being 4,800m/15748f and then back to Barafu Camp, where you will be served a hot dinner. It is better to spend the remainder of the day resting and sleeping before the night summit.

Summiting starts around midnight. You will begin at an altitude of 4,673m/15331f and climb to Uhuru Peak at 5,895m/19340f. While the trek itself is fairly simple, the high altitude means that even regular physical exercise will feel strenuous. Therefore, climbers will be put in groups of two and assigned a personal guide who will monitor their condition throughout the climb for the entire summit trek. Upon summiting, you will have an opportunity to walk to the nearest glacier.
You will enjoy a 2-hour rest at Barafu Camp and then continue descending to Millennium Camp.

You are sure to enjoy a good night's sleep at the lower altitude, and the sense of satisfaction from reaching the top. Breakfast will be followed by another descent, down to 1,640m/5380f and arrival at Mweka Gate. After a short celebration with the whole of the climbing crew, you will receive your climb certificates and be transported back to your hotel.

Our driver will pick you up from your accommodations and take you to the airport. If you're flying out with an international flight, please be ready to leave the hotel 4 hours before the scheduled take-off. If you're taking a domestic flight, you'll need to leave 3 hours before the flight.