Kilimanjaro Machame Route
Our Kilimanjaro Machame Route trek is one of our most rewarding offerings. We have worked so hard to ensure our guests experience the rich culture of Tanzania throughout their trek and witness the most sensational views from the world’s largest standalone mountain.
Our World Wide Trekking Mountainside Camps are infamous along the Machame Route. We provide spacious 4-person tents to our guests at a 2-person occupancy, providing plenty of room for you and your gear. We also have a large dining tent with flooring, lights, and a table and chairs for our guests to eat comfortably. We set up our dining dome for all our meals to ensure our guests have the time and comfort to rest during our long days of hiking. One of the most frequently voiced concerns for guests is where they can go to the bathroom as they hike– we have multiple bathroom tents that have light, space, and the luxury of flushable toilets. If you travel to the bathroom at night, you don’t have to worry about getting lost in finding your tent. We number each guest tent, and everyone’s luggage bags, to ensure everyone is keeping up with their belongings.
Our porters and chefs provide fresh food and drinks to our guests daily. Each meal is prepared in real-time and is served hot to each guest. You can rest assured knowing your nutrition is a top priority as it helps protect your health along the hike. We take all dietary or allergy-related restrictions seriously and accommodate everyone on the mountain. We deliver a fresh hot towel and beverage of your choice when you wake each day to ensure we start our day’s trek on the right footing. If there are any specific needs, contact our team before travel.
Our team of medically and practically trained Guides is here to help you every step of the way. From the first point of contact with the office through the end of your trekking experience with us, World Wide Trekking will work with you to ensure you feel comfortable and prepared to embark on your journey.
Tanzania is a focal point of the Human Outreach Project. Our efforts in Tanzania are some of our most visited and utilized across our projects. We are proud to have an orphanage, two school lunch programs, and offer support to small businesses in the local region.
We think it’s imperative to offer our guests the ability to hear from one another. This way, guests can get the nitty-gritty details about the trek… like finding out just how challenging that hike really is!
“Our Kilimanjaro Trek was INCREDIBLE!!!!! Amazing experience with professional staff to walk us through each and every step. The guides were incredible, and the whole experience felt super bougie despite camping for 7 days! Staff that made incredible food, set up tents and a table and chairs for us to enjoy each meal, provided our group with our own toilet tents, and carried hot tea up the mountain on summit night to help warm our frozen bodies! Forever grateful for the experience and those that made it possible. We ended the trip with a 4 day safari which included some cultural experiences…truly remarkable.” – Amber
“Kilimanjaro – the ultimate trek for part-time adventurers like myself. I have trekked all over the world including in the Indian Himalayas, but nothing has matched the challenge and experience of Kilimanjaro. The altitude alone is daunting (19,341 ft.) but add to that the trail intensity and going through five climate zones and you end up with something that will take you beyond yourself. It is at these times you need folks like Dean and his crew to help you fill the ability void. Never have I experienced such a professional group. They are experts on Kilimanjaro, and most importantly, they are a part of the Tanzanian culture. The guides, porters, and attendants are well cared for and treated with respect. This attitude is reciprocated by them being kind and compassionate to you. World Wide Trekking also has the philosophy to leave the places of adventure better than when they came. The Human Outreach Project is a prime example of this philosophy in action. So, with World Wide Trekking, all the boxes were checked: challenging trek, climbing a mountain, knowledgeable staff, supportive staff, and caring for the people who welcomed us to their land.” – Jack
Upon booking, you will gain access to a Personal Trip Detail Site. This site contains helpful contact information for your Adventure Specialist and your Guide while also hosting packing lists, flight schedules, and your daily trekking itinerary for easy access. Our World Wide Trekking Representatives are always here to help answer any questions, but we have found these sites to pose very useful to our Guests.
Tanzania, Africa | Kilimanjaro Machame Route
When planning for something as monumental as summitting the “Roof of Africa”, Uhuru Peak (19,341′), you want to know that the journey you are embarking on will be safe and enjoyable. This is why World Wide Trekking takes you up one of the most successful routes flanking Kilimanjaro, the Machame route. This trek begins from the south, then heads east under the southern ice field, crossing through 5 ecozones before the summit. The ecology of this trek adds to its uniqueness and allows for spectacular views the entire way up the trail. You will not be disappointed, we think you’ll feel an overwhelming sense of pride.
Summary
TRIP TYPE: Mountain Trek
ACTIVITY RATING: Strenuous
TRIP LENGTH: 10 days/9 nights
SPACES AVAILABLE: Up to 14
DATES 2024
January 19 – 28, 2024
June 2 – 11, 2024
June 14 – 23, 2024 3rd Annual CLIMB 4 KIDS
June 29 – July 10, 2024 SOLD OUT
September 2 – 11, 2024
DATES 2025
January 20 – 29, 2025
June 15 – 24, 2025 4th Annual CLIMB 4 KIDS
June 26 – July 5, 2025
September 21 – 30, 2025
HIGHLIGHTS
- Our distinctive mountain camps boast spacious dining and kitchen domes, flushable toilet tents, and four-person North Face tents to allow for comfort, rest, and relaxation.
- During this trek, you will experience a different terrain and climate each day as you pass through five different ecozones; rainforest, cultivation zone, moorlands/heath, alpine deserts, and arctic.
- Acclimatization plays a critical role in our trek; on your first day above (15,000′), we will descend back to (13,000′) before setting up camp. You can rest assured knowing that your health and comfort are our top priorities, a large part of what makes our trek so successful.
- You can extend your trip to include a Safari expedition, a trip to Zanzibar Island, or Gorilla tracking! We recommend the 4-Day Serengeti Safari to follow up on your summit, but you’re guaranteed to be blown away by the wildlife and culture found within each experience.
- You can get an in-person glimpse of our Human Outreach Project, an effort of ours to help others, help our planet, and change lives. Being able to give back to the people within the communities we trek through is extremely special to us, and that’s why we take such pride in the growth and expansion of our orphanage and school lunch programs.
Double Occupancy
From
$ 4,900
per person
7 or more guests
Single Supplement
Add+
$ 850
per person
Tanzania-Imposed
VAT TAX
(2024 treks)
Add+
$ 350
per person
Small Group fee
+$1,000 per person | Group Size 1-3 Guests
+$500 per person | Group Size 4-6 Guests
ITINERARY
- Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) Tanzania Africa.
- A World Wide Trekking representative will meet you and transfer to the lodge in Arusha, Tanzania, where we will hold a private welcome reception.
- Overnight: Serena Lodge or comparable
- Meals included: Welcome Reception
- After breakfast this morning, your guide(s) will conduct a trip briefing to go over the itinerary and what to expect on your trek.
- We will then explore the foothill villages surrounding Kilimanjaro, stopping to take a tour of a coffee plantation along the way.
- In the afternoon we will conduct individual gear checks to ensure guest preparedness before our hike begins the next day.
- You will pack one duffel for your porter to carry on the mountain and pack another to leave at the hotel with your travel and safari gear.
- Overnight: Serena Lodge or comparable
- Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Today we will travel to the Machame trailhead, winding through coffee fields, small villages, and forests of ferns and flowers.
- At the trailhead, we will meet the rest of our crew and mountain team and register with the Kilimanjaro Park Service.
- We will trek underneath a beautiful rainforest canopy to the Machame Camp, stopping for a sit-down lunch along the way.
- Overnight: Machame Camp
- Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Ecozone: Rainforest
- This morning we will leave the Machame camp to cross the valley and continue our ascent.
- The environment changes from heath forest to moorlands.
- Halfway up the trail we meet the river gorge and ascend across the Shira Plateau.
- Each day along the trail, we stop for a sit-down lunch in our large dining dome outfitted with tables and chairs, as well as setting up our private, flushing toilet tents.
- Overnight: Shira Camp
- Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Ecozone: Heath | Moorland
- Today we will ascend from the Shira Camp up the Shira Plateau.
- While crossing the ridge at the Lava Tower, we will have great views of the African plains far below.
- Here we will eat lunch, acclimate and admire the ancient glacier ice of the Breach Wall from the Lava Tower.
- We will then descend about 2,000 feet into Barranco Camp for the night.
- Overnight: Barranco Camp
- Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Ecozone: Alpine Desert | Moorland
- Today after breakfast, we will climb the Great Barranco Wall, also known as the breakfast wall.
- We will top out at about 14,500 feet before traversing across the Karanga Valley to our camp at the Karanga River.
- This completes another day of acclimatization as we pass below the famous Breach Wall, the largest ice and rock face in Africa.
- Overnight: Karanga Valley Camp
- Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Ecozone: Moorland | Alpine Desert
- From the Karanga Valley camp, we trek to Barafu (Ice) Camp, where we will enjoy a sit-down lunch and a short rest.
- Afterwards, we will wind through a sparsely traveled high desert plateau, littered with volcanic boulders. Looking south, we view the desert plains as the pinnacles of Mawenzi Peak tower before us.
- After lunch we will continue up to the Kosovo Camp. Staying at the Kosovo Camp puts us roughly 1.5 hours closer to Uhuru Peak than most other trekkers. This makes our trek to and from the summit an even more enjoyable experience.
- While our cook staff prepares our dinner, we will spend our time packing and preparing for our midnight departure, the final push for a sunrise summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
- Overnight: Kosovo Camp
- Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Ecozone: Moorland | Alpine Desert
- We climb wearing headlamps until the predawn light is reflected off the African plains and high mountain glaciers.
- Following a distinct ridge we approach the crater’s rim, then traverse northwest along the rim to the main summit of Uhuru Peak!
- We are now on the highest freestanding mountain in the world, as well as the highest point on the African Continent!
- After enjoying the view from the “Roof of Africa”, we descend to Kosovo Camp where we will rest, eat lunch, break camp, and begin our trek down the Mweka route on the southern side of the mountain.
- We descend down into the jungle to the Millenium Camp for our last night on the mountain.
- Overnight: Millennium Camp
- Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Ecozone: Alpine Desert | Arctic | Alpine Desert
- The sun’s rays congratulate us with a spectacular light show as we awake below the towering mountain on our final day of our Kilimanjaro journey.
- We descend through the lush green landscape of the Mweka Route into the thickest jungle we have encountered yet.
- The environment becomes primordial, with 20 foot-tall fern trees creating a prehistoric atmosphere.
- After reaching the Mweka Gate we say our farewells to the mountain staff and drive back to our lodge for a well-deserved shower and celebration dinner.
- Overnight: Serena Lodge or comparable
- Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Private Celebration Dinner
- Ecozone: Rainforest
- After breakfast you can relax at the lodge and prepare for your departure flights home. (JRO)
- Meals included: Breakfast
- Ecozone: Cultivation
- Pre-trip planning, consultation, and customization
- Transportation by private vans, vehicles, and buses throughout
- 9 breakfasts, 8 lunches, and 9 dinners, and a welcome reception
- 6 nights accommodations in World Wide Trekking Kilimanjaro camps (4-person tents with 2 guests per tent)
- 3 night hotel accommodations in Lodges/Hotels
- Transfers and baggage handling on program arrival and departure for all participants
- Baggage handling throughout adventure
- World Wide Trekking Lead Guide(s) and local Tanzanian guides based on group size
- Services of local English speaking guides throughout
- Services of local porters and staff
- All services, tours, hikes, entrance and excursion fees described in the attached itinerary
- Any necessary permits for trekking, national parks, etc.
- Services of World Wide Trekking Operations Manager in Tanzania
- Services of local crew, cook staff, tent manager & staff, servers, porters and additional staff
- One local Tanzanian licensed guide per every two guests on Kilimanjaro
- Medical expenses and immunizations
- International airfare (origin > Tanzania > origin)
- Passport and Tanzania visa expenses and handling fees (1-year visa is: $100, paid upon arrival to JRO airport)
- Travel and medical insurance
- Meals outside of scheduled itinerary
- Personal trekking gear other than that which is provided with the guest amenity package
- Optional excursions or deviations from the scheduled tour
- Excess baggage charges
- Items of personal nature, laundry, wifi charges, incidentals, etc.
- Expenses incurred due to circumstances outside of World Wide Trekking’s control
- Gratuities for local Kilimanjaro Mountain Crew
- Gratuities for WWTrek Lead Guide
- Tourism Taxes When Applicable
Trip Add-Ons
TRAVEL NOTES
Our personal favorite time to travel is from June through September or December through February. The rainy season has just ended, providing plentiful vegetation and biodiversity with less dust in the air. Additionally, late June through early August offers cooler temperatures. January, February, and September are the driest and warmest months in Tanzania, and therefore the busiest months. March through early June is a rainy season, and visibility is low, though the crowds are gone.
All flights should be made through the Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) located in Tanzania. Often, arriving to this location is most easily done through Amsterdam (AMS) on KLM airlines (one direct flight daily). You will go from AMS and connect on KLM airlines into Tanzania (JRO).
*Many guests prefer to leave after the scheduled itinerary to head on Safari, go Gorilla Tracking, or visit Zanzibar Island. We will happily help you make these arrangements. Additional charges for transportation, lodging, meals, and activities will apply.
Although there are many flight options to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), flying through Amsterdam offers the best route.
International airfares are not included in program pricing. When booking international travel, we recommend working with an experienced travel agent. One that World Wide Trekking is proud to coordinate with is Brian Mei from Eastern Travel. You can reach Brian directly by calling 801.792.1721 or by email at brian@easterntravel.com. Additional support is always available by calling the Eastern Travel Office at 801.466.8811 or by emailing Michelle at michelle@easterntravel.com.
The benefit of using a travel agent is in the event of itinerary changes, the travel agent will find the best flight connections, and land arrangements, for you. Though third-party travel websites are convenient, we do not recommend using them, due to instability in the itineraries. We also recommend that you protect your flight with travel insurance and a refundable ticket.
We also recommend that you protect your flight with travel insurance and a refundable ticket. Contact AIG Travel Guard to get more information.
We recommend you safeguard your trip by purchasing travel insurance. World Wide Trekking has partnered with AIG Travel Insurance as our preferred travel insurance provider. For a price quote, or to purchase travel insurance, visit
Please Note: You must purchase this plan within 14 days of your deposit payment. Please send us a copy of your plan if you choose to purchase one.
Before arrival in Tanzania, you will be required to purchase a 12-month multiple-entry tourist visa for $100. Please keep your landing card (received in flight) and a pen handy for customs.
Contact G3 Global Services for more information on how to receive your visa prior to your arrival.
*Please be sure to have at least six months validity on your passport. Most countries won’t allow travelers in their country unless their passport is expected to expire six months after the last day of travel. Make two copies of your passport, leave one at home and bring the other with you to Tanzania. Ensure you provide a copy of your passport to WWTrek 90-days prior to your departure date.
Luxury Lodges:
- Pre/Post trek you will stay in some of Tanzania’s most premiere lodges.
Mountain Camps:
- Tents: 4 person, large guest tents (2 guests) with closed cell foam sleeping pads.
- Dining Dome: Our large solar lit dining tent with tables and chairs.
- Private Toilet Tents: Portable flushing camp toilets will be available to you.
- Food: 3 nutritious meals daily, along with snack and drinks (tea, coffee, coco).
All of this is with the help of our mountain crew which includes, cooks, waiters, tent crews, porters and more.
A World Wide Trekking representative will privately transport you from the airport to your lodge. During the trek, travel light while carrying just your daypack. Porters carry all other bags and equipment up and down the mountain.
Proper nutrition plays a vital role in the success of all our adventures. Rest assured that our full kitchen staff including chefs, dishwashers, and servers prepare hearty, western-style meals every day. Typical meals include breakfast complete with coffee and tea, lunch, and dinner. Enjoy all of your meals in our luxurious dining tents complete with tables, chairs, dinnerware, and solar lighting.
*Please contact us if you have any special dietary needs or food restrictions. We can accommodate any special diets. We are happy to help!
Our stringent commitment to safety means you have access to our medically certified Professional Western Guide(s) before and throughout your trip. Our staff also carries emergency medical equipment such as a medical kit, Gamo Bag (hypobaric chamber) and satellite communicator. Ahead of each day, we do high-altitude medical checks with each guest; ensuring everyone is healthy and safe along our journey is what leads to such a high success rate.
Prior to the trip, we recommend you bring a prescription for Acetazolamide (Diamox) to aide in acclimatization and Malarone for malaria. In addition, we recommend visiting your International Local Clinic one month before your trip. Needed vaccinations include a current tetanus shot, annual influenza shot, Varicella, Typhoid, Hep A, Yellow Fever, and MMR.
For more information, feel free to contact us directly with any questions, at 801-943-0264. We can schedule a phone call with our medical advisor, Dr. Levy, to answer any specific questions regarding your personal needs. Visit our trek tips series on YouTube.
Once you sign on with WWTrekking, we are here for you every step of the way! You will be assigned an adventure specialist who will help you prepare for your trip. Whether your questions or needs are regarding flights, packing, early arrivals, departures, accommodations or anything else, your adventure specialist is only a phone call away!
Once your trip begins, World Wide Trekking boasts an extensive support crew. We provide medically certified, Professional guide(s) for all adventures as well as a plethora of local professionals to aid the group on the mountain including porters, a tent crew, chefs, servers, dishwashers, and toilet attendants. Additionally, you have access to a Local Operations Manager throughout your adventure.
In many parts of the world, gratuities are given in appreciation for a job well done. Our guides will take care of tipping service personnel along the way so that you don’t have to think about it.
For any additional services outside of our itinerary, plan to tip 10% (transport, restaurants, baggage, lodges, etc). We will provide you with detailed tipping recommendations on your ‘Trip Detail’ site once you sign up.
At the trails end you will have the opportunity to contribute to a group tipping pool that will be presented to your WWTrekking guides and trekking staff as we say our goodbyes.
We recommend exchanging a small amount of money at the airport as soon as you clear customs. We will offer additional exchange opportunities, but it is the most convenient at the airport. We always recommend bringing $500 cash with you on your trip for incidentals and gratuities.
*Credit cards are accepted at lodges for extra amenities.
We provide a complimentary 6-week extensive fitness and nutrition program to help our guests prepare for their journey ahead. The program is tailored specifically for our trips and includes virtual 1 on 1 coaching sessions with our Fitness and Nutrition Specialist.
ADD ONS
Many guests prefer to arrive early or leave late to add another adventure to their vacation. We can help you make arrangements. Additional charges for early arrival, transportation, lodging, meals, and activities will apply. Below are some of our favorite and most popular add-on adventures.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Tanzania is one of the world’s oldest inhabited regions. For three million years, man has roamed its regions, savanna to mountains, carving out an existence from the African countryside. Drawn to exotic Africa, explorers have tried to tame her wildness to no avail. The story of Tanganyika, Tanzania, is one of unaltered wilds and progressive politics. “Kilimanjaro,” according to the President of Mozambique, Chissano, “carried the torch that liberated Africa.”
49.25 million
Tanzania operates on East Africa Time Zone – UTC+03:00, putting it 8 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST) and 11 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time (PST).
Dodoma, Tanzania
Tribes of Tanzania
Sukuma comprise the largest tribe with three million Tanzanians. Living in the northwestern area of Tanzania, they speak Bantu and are traditionally cattle herders and farmers of subsistence crops such as cassava.
Nywamwezi, also known as the “people of the moon,” are the second largest tribe in Tanzania. Similar to the Sukuma, they are also historically cattle herders, farmers, and Bantu speakers. Living in the northwest of Tanzania, near Lake Victoria, the tribe has about 1.5 million members.
Members of the third largest tribe of Tanzania reside on the south and eastern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru and Mosh. The Chaga speak Kichagga, a Niger-Congo language. They were one of the first tribes to convert to Christianity. Among the richest and most powerful people in Tanzania, they hold a strong sense of identity. Known for their advanced farming techniques, trade, and politics, they thrive as a successful tribe.
Descended from Persia, the Shirazi encompass the majority of the people of Zanzibar island. They speak Swahili and practice Sunni and Shia Islam.
Tanzanians bear a surprisingly strong national association, or ujamaa (family-hood). They rarely identify themselves by tribe upon an initial meeting. This collective attitude comes from the Julius Nyerere days and his push to unify over 120 tribes in a socialistic type society. This national mindset allows Tanzania a relatively peaceful existence with tribes coexisting. Christians and Muslims live side by side with minimal friction.
The official currency in Tanzania is the Tanzanian shilling abbreviated TZS. TZS replaced the East Africa shilling in 1966. Currency exchangers subdivide the shilling into 100 senti and it is written as x/y where x is the amount over one shilling and y is the senti. Due to the fluctuating exchange rates, we recommend searching online to find out the current rate.
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