Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tanzania: Kilimanjaro by the Machame Route
9 days from Moshi: seven days on the Machame route via Shira, Lava Tower, the Barranco Wall and Barafu, a night summit attempt on Uhuru Peak and the walk down to Mweka.
9 days · Round trip from Moshi · up to 12 guests
Giant groundsels near Barranco Camp on the Machame route Photo: Stig Nygaard from Copenhagen, Denmark, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Senecio_kilimanjari_Barranco_Campsite.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Moshi
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Active
Seven walking days at altitude, from about 1,800 metres at the gate to 5,895 metres at Uhuru Peak. Most days are 3 to 7 hours on foot on rough paths; the Barranco Wall needs your hands for about an hour; summit night is 12 to 16 hours, starting around midnight, on loose scree in the cold. No technical climbing. You can turn back with a guide at any point, and Stella Point on the crater rim is a recognised place to stop.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 735 (estimated price)
- Season
- January to March and June to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Rainforest to moorland on the first two days, with the Shira Plateau and Mount Meru in the evening light
- Climbing to Lava Tower at about 4,630 metres and sleeping lower at Barranco, the classic acclimatisation day
- The Barranco Wall scramble in the morning, then a short afternoon into Karanga
- An extra night at Karanga, so the climb to Barafu is short and you rest before summit night
- The crater rim at Stella Point around sunrise, and Uhuru Peak at 5,895 metres if you are strong enough
- The long walk down through giant heather and forest to Mweka Gate, and a hot shower in Moshi
What makes this trip different
One price, nothing to pay on the van
Everything on the itinerary is in the price, and nothing is collected on the trip.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 735 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Moshi
Kilimanjaro International Airport to Moshi
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Moshi
- Drive about 1 h
We meet you at Kilimanjaro International Airport, whatever time you land, and drive about an hour east to Moshi, a market town at about 800 metres on the southern foot of the mountain.
Evening
On a clear morning or evening Kibo's snow cap shows above the town; much of the day it hides in cloud. Check in, sleep off the flight and walk into the centre for coffee grown on these slopes. At about 5 pm your lead mountain guide and See Sight Tours trip leader hold the briefing: how the next seven days work, how we watch for altitude sickness, and what happens if someone needs to turn back. We go through your kit piece by piece, hand out sleeping bags and walking poles, and pack the duffel the porters will carry. Then a welcome dinner and an early night.
Included
- Pick-up at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
- Climb briefing and kit check with your lead mountain guide
- Sleeping bag and walking poles handed out
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Afternoon free in Moshi
Activity: Arriving a day earlier is wise if your flights are long or tight; we can book an extra night at the same hotel.
Machame Gate and the rainforest
Moshi to Machame Gate, then on foot to Machame Camp
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Machame Camp
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive about an hour west through banana and coffee farms to Machame Gate, at about 1,800 metres. Registration takes a while: the rangers check passports and permits, and the porters weigh every load at the scale so nobody carries more than the park allows. We meet the whole crew here. The trail climbs steadily through montane rainforest under tall trees hung with moss, where blue monkeys and black-and-white colobus are sometimes seen and the path can be muddy after rain.
Afternoon
Lunch is on the trail. The forest thins into giant heather just before Machame Camp, at about 2,835 metres, roughly 11 kilometres and 5 to 7 hours from the gate.
Evening
The tents are up when you arrive, and there is warm water for washing, tea and popcorn, then dinner in the mess tent.
Included
- Transfer to Machame Gate
- Kilimanjaro National Park entry, camping and rescue fees
- Machame Gate to Machame Camp with licensed mountain guides, porters and cooks
Free time: Late afternoon at camp
Activity: About 11 km and 5 to 7 hours, climbing about 1,000 metres. Walk slowly from the first step; the guides will say pole pole, slowly slowly, all week.
Up to the Shira Plateau
Machame Camp to Shira Camp
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Shira Camp
A short, steep day out of the trees. From camp the path climbs a rocky ridge through giant heather and moorland, with a few easy hands-on steps, and the views open behind you over the cloud to the plains. Ahead, the Shira Plateau is the collapsed crater of the oldest of Kilimanjaro's three volcanoes.
Afternoon
We reach Shira Camp, at about 3,750 metres, around lunchtime, roughly 5 kilometres and 4 to 6 hours from Machame Camp, and lunch is hot at camp. The afternoon is for resting, drinking water and letting the body adjust.
Evening
In the evening the cloud often clears: Kibo stands behind the camp, and Mount Meru, about 70 kilometres west, floats on the cloud as the sun goes down. Your guides take the first evening oxygen and pulse readings here.
Included
- Machame Camp to Shira Camp
- Oxygen and pulse checks morning and evening from tonight
Easier option: Rest in camp all afternoon.
More active option: A short acclimatisation walk above camp with a guide, up and back in about an hour.
Free time: Afternoon at camp
Activity: About 5 km and 4 to 6 hours, climbing about 900 metres. Headaches are common tonight; tell your guide.
Lava Tower, then down to Barranco
Shira Camp via Lava Tower to Barranco Camp
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Barranco Camp
The day that does the most for your acclimatisation. We walk east across the high desert under Kibo, climbing gradually to Lava Tower, a 90-metre plug of volcanic rock at about 4,630 metres, the highest you have been so far.
Afternoon
Lunch is here, packed and eaten in the shelter of the rock, and it is normal to feel slow and short of breath. Then the path drops about 700 metres into the Barranco Valley, past stands of giant groundsels, tree-like plants found only on East Africa's high mountains, often in mist by afternoon. Barranco Camp sits at about 3,960 metres under the Barranco Wall and the Breach Wall glaciers.
Evening
Climbing high and sleeping lower is what makes summit night possible. Roughly 10 kilometres and 6 to 8 hours today.
Included
- Shira Camp to Lava Tower (about 4,630 m)
- Lava Tower to Barranco Camp
Activity: About 10 km and 6 to 8 hours, up about 900 metres and down about 700. The longest day before the summit.
The Barranco Wall to Karanga
Barranco Camp over the Barranco Wall to Karanga Camp
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Karanga Camp
Morning
We start after breakfast and take the wall at an even pace, stepping aside where porters need to pass. The Barranco Wall looks sheer from camp, but it is a scramble on a built path, about 250 metres of height in an hour or two, using your hands on a few rock steps and one narrow ledge known as the Kissing Rock. The guides place you hold by hold. From the top the southern glaciers are close and the plains are far below. The path then rolls up and down across valleys to Karanga Camp, at about 3,995 metres, roughly 5 kilometres and 4 to 5 hours from Barranco. Karanga is where the six-day climb pushes straight on to Barafu; we stop.
Afternoon
Lunch is hot at camp, and the afternoon is rest.
Included
- The Barranco Wall scramble with your guides
- Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
Free time: Afternoon at camp
Activity: About 5 km and 4 to 5 hours. No ropes or climbing gear, but you need to be comfortable with some height.
Up to Barafu, rest before the summit
Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Barafu Camp
A short climb on a bare, stony ridge into the alpine desert, where almost nothing grows. Barafu means ice in Swahili, and the camp, at about 4,673 metres, sits on a windy rock spine below Kibo's southern face.
Evening
Starting from Karanga, we arrive by lunchtime after roughly 4 kilometres and 3 to 4 hours, which is the point of the extra night: you have the afternoon to lie down, eat and drink, instead of arriving tired at dusk. Lunch is hot in camp. Your guides walk you through summit night in the mess tent, check your oxygen and pulse, and help you lay out every layer, your headtorch and your water so you can dress in the dark. Dinner is early, around 5 pm, and you try to sleep until the wake-up call around 11 pm.
Included
- Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
- Summit night briefing and kit check
Easier option: Rest in your tent from lunch until dinner.
More active option: A slow 30-minute walk up the ridge above camp with a guide to see the first part of the summit path in daylight.
Free time: Afternoon resting in camp
Activity: About 4 km and 3 to 4 hours. Barafu is cold and windy; keep your warm layers on in camp.
Summit night: Stella Point and Uhuru Peak
Barafu Camp to Stella Point and Uhuru Peak, then down to Mweka Camp
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Mweka Camp
Tea and biscuits around 11 pm, and we leave Barafu around midnight in a line of headtorches. The climb is about 1,200 metres of steep zigzags on scree, very slow and very cold, often well below freezing with wind. Your guides walk beside you, at least one for every two climbers, carrying hot drinks and emergency oxygen.
Morning
Around sunrise, after 6 to 7 hours, we reach Stella Point on the crater rim, at about 5,756 metres, as the sun comes up behind Mawenzi. From there it is about an hour along the rim, past the glaciers, to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 metres, the highest point in Africa. We stay only a few minutes. Then the long descent: back to Barafu for a rest and a hot meal, and on down to Mweka Camp at about 3,100 metres, where the thicker air feels wonderful.
Included
- Summit attempt via Stella Point to Uhuru Peak with licensed mountain guides
- Descent to Barafu and Mweka Camp
Easier option: Turn back with a guide at any point; Stella Point on the crater rim is a recognised place to stop.
Activity: About 5 km up and 12 km down, 12 to 16 hours in all. Nobody can promise the summit: the guides turn back anyone with signs of serious altitude sickness, and their decision is final.
Down through the forest to Moshi
Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate, then Moshi
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Moshi
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
A slow breakfast, then the last walk: about 10 kilometres and 3 to 4 hours down a stepped path through giant heather and back into the rainforest, steep and often slippery, so walking poles help your knees. At Mweka Gate, at about 1,640 metres, the rangers record your climb and issue certificates: green for Stella Point, gold for Uhuru Peak. Here we thank the crew together, with the tips already paid from the pool in your price, so the goodbye is about the people, not the envelope.
Afternoon
Lunch is at the gate or back in town, then a short drive of about half an hour to the Moshi hotel, where your town clothes, a hot shower and a real bed are waiting.
Evening
The afternoon is yours, and the group meets for a celebration dinner in the evening.
Included
- Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
- Summit certificates from the park
- Thank-you with the crew, tips paid from the pool
- Transfer to Moshi
- Celebration dinner
Free time: Afternoon free in Moshi
Activity: About 10 km and 3 to 4 hours, all downhill on steep, uneven steps.
Moshi, then home
Moshi to Kilimanjaro International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A slow morning after a hard week. Have a long breakfast, sleep in, or walk into the centre of Moshi for the covered market and the cafés that roast coffee from the farms on the mountain's lower slopes; if the morning is clear, Kibo shows above the rooftops and you can pick out the route you walked. The sleeping bag and poles the outfitter provided go back to them, and any spare kit you want to leave for the crew goes to your lead guide. We drive you to Kilimanjaro International Airport, about an hour away, timed to your flight. Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm. If you are going on to a safari or to Zanzibar, we can hand you over to that trip here instead.
Included
- Drop-off at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
Free time: Morning free in Moshi
- Moshi1 night
- Machame Camp1 night
- Shira Camp1 night
- Barranco Camp1 night
- Karanga Camp1 night
- Barafu Camp1 night
- Mweka Camp1 night
- Moshi1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: January to March is warmer and often clearer, with a chance of snow near the top. June to October is dry and colder at night, and busiest from July to September. We do not climb in April, May or November, the rainy months. Mountain weather changes fast at any time of year: plan for rain in the forest and temperatures well below freezing on summit night.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Fit walkers who want to try for the highest point in Africa with time to acclimatise
- Travellers happy to camp for six nights with no showers
- Climbers who want the crew treated and tipped fairly, without handling it themselves
- Solo travellers who want a group and a guide who knows the mountain
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who wants the summit guaranteed
- Travellers with heart or lung conditions their doctor has not cleared for high altitude
- Anyone who needs a bed and a shower every night
- People uncomfortable with a short scramble on a rock wall
- Children under 10, the park's minimum age
Minimum age: 10
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Moshi1 night
- Machame Camp1 night
- Shira Camp1 night
- Barranco Camp1 night
- Karanga Camp1 night
- Barafu Camp1 night
- Mweka Camp1 night
- Moshi1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 2 in a Moshi hotel (days 1 and 8) and 6 in full-service camps on the Machame route (Machame, Shira, Barranco, Karanga, Barafu, Mweka)
- Moshi hotel of at least a 3-star-plus standard, walkable to the centre, named when we confirm your dates, with storage for your town clothes during the climb
- Tents for two on the mountain, a mess tent with table and chairs and a private toilet tent for the group
- Sleeping bag and mat provided
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), at any time
- Transfers from Moshi to Machame Gate and from Mweka Gate to Moshi
- Porters carry a duffel for you on the mountain (about 12 to 15 kg, the outfitter's limit confirmed at booking)
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours trip leader with the group throughout
- Licensed Kilimanjaro mountain guides, at least one for every two climbers on summit night
- Cooks and porters from an outfitter that is a partner company of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project
Activities
- The 7-day Machame route: Machame Gate, Shira Plateau, Lava Tower, Barranco Wall, Karanga, Barafu, a summit attempt via Stella Point to Uhuru Peak, and down by Mweka
- Kilimanjaro National Park entry, camping and rescue fees
- Climb briefing and kit check in Moshi
- Oxygen and pulse checks morning and evening, emergency oxygen and a first-aid kit on the mountain
- Walking poles provided
- A tipping pool for mountain guides, cooks, porters and drivers
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 7 lunches, hot at camp where the day allows and packed on the long days
- 8 dinners: a welcome dinner and a celebration dinner in Moshi and six in camp
- Treated drinking water, tea, coffee and snacks on the mountain
Not included
- International flights to and from Kilimanjaro
- Tanzanian visa
- Travel insurance with trekking cover to 6,000 metres and helicopter evacuation
- Personal clothing, boots, down jacket and daypack
- Lunch on day 1 and day 9, and meals not listed
- Drinks in Moshi
- A tip for your See Sight Tours trip leader, which is optional
- Vaccinations, malaria tablets and altitude medicine
- Extra nights in Moshi before or after the trip
- Laundry and personal expenses
Local fees: none. Nothing is collected on the trip.
Tips for your guide are included.
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 735 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 4,160 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 4,505. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 4,895.
What does the price include?
Eight nights: two in a Moshi hotel and six in full-service camps on the 7-day Machame route. All park, camping and rescue fees, licensed mountain guides, cooks and porters, a sleeping bag, mat and poles, a private toilet tent, airport transfers at any time, 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 8 dinners, a tipping pool for the crew and a See Sight Tours trip leader throughout.
How big is the group?
The small group climbs with 7 to 12 people. On summit night there is at least one licensed mountain guide for every two climbers, so if someone has to turn back, a guide goes down with them and the rest of the group carries on.
Who leads the climb?
Licensed Kilimanjaro mountain guides lead on the mountain, as the park requires, with a lead guide who runs the briefing in Moshi. A See Sight Tours trip leader is with the group from the airport to the airport and climbs with you, looking after everything off the trail.
Will I reach the summit?
We cannot promise it, and nobody honestly can. Seven days on the mountain gives you more time to acclimatise than the shorter routes, but altitude affects fit people too. Your guides decide on the night whether it is safe to go on. Stella Point on the crater rim, at about 5,756 metres, is a real achievement and earns a park certificate.
How fit do I need to be?
Fit, not technical. You walk 3 to 8 hours a day for seven days, with one summit night of 12 to 16 hours, and scramble up the Barranco Wall using your hands. If you can hike six hours on hills two days in a row at home, you are in good shape. Train with a loaded daypack for two to three months.
How do you handle altitude sickness?
Slowly. The route climbs high and sleeps lower, and the extra Karanga night shortens the day before summit night. Guides check your oxygen level and pulse each morning and evening and carry emergency oxygen. The cure for serious altitude sickness is going down, so a guide takes you down at once. Ask your doctor about altitude medicine before you travel.
How are the porters treated?
We climb with an outfitter that is a partner company of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project. Loads are weighed at the gate and stay within the park limit, porters are paid fair wages, fed properly and given warm kit and tents, and their tips come from a pool already in your price.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only if you want your own space. If you are happy to share, we pair you with another solo climber of the same gender, when there is one, in a tent and a twin room and you pay the normal price. A tent and a hotel room to yourself are from CAD 735 more.
When is the best time to climb Kilimanjaro?
January to March and June to October, the drier months. January to March is warmer with a chance of summit snow; June to October is colder at night and busiest from July to September. We do not climb in April, May or November, when the rains make the forest muddy and the summit cloudy.
Can we climb privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the climb comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guides, crew and tents. If you would rather travel independently, ask us and we will quote the climb, a safari or Zanzibar to fit your plans.
Do I need a visa for Tanzania?
Most visitors, including Canadians, need a visa. Apply for the Tanzanian e-visa online well before you fly. If you arrive from or through a country with yellow fever risk, you may need a vaccination certificate. We confirm the current rules for your passport when you book.
How much does it cost and how do I book?
The small group starts from CAD 4,895 per person sharing, taxes included, and the private climb from CAD 8,810. Request to book and tell us your preferred month; we confirm your place within 24 hours. No payment is taken until then.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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