Kilimanjaro Machame Route & Zanzibar

Jambo! Welcome to Tanzania. Your hiking adventure begins in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro in Moshi. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight for a full briefing and kit inspection by an experienced Kilimanjaro climber. If you arrive early, the hotel is just a short walk from the village’s bustling market and some excellent coffee shops, so you can head out and explore at your own pace. After the meeting, fuel up on a hearty dinner with your fellow trekkers and get a good night’s rest, ready to start your climb tomorrow!

Meet your guides and porters after breakfast this morning, then take the opportunity to organise your gear before setting off to the Machame Gate – the south-western entrance to the Mt Kilimanjaro National Park. Begin your hike around lunch time, starting with a stroll through the rainforest, looking out for some of the many brightly coloured birds here. Set up camp at Machame in the mid-afternoon, ready for your first night on Kilimanjaro! The huts fell into disrepair some years ago, so with the help of the porters, you’ll be setting up tents for the night. Tonight, enjoy a meal prepared by the porters and savour the first night of sleeping outdoors.

Your second day on the mountain takes you out of the rainforest and up a steep ridge into moor land. Watch as the vegetation grows sparser as you ascend along the path to the Shira Plateau – soon, several distinct species, including the giant groundsel and lobelia, will be the only plants dominating the harsh landscape. Spend the night camping on the edge of the plateau and be treated to a golden sunset over the snow-dusted peaks of Kibo.

After breakfast today, enjoy a fantastic walk as you continue through the rolling landscape and deep river valleys, stopping for a packed lunch along the way. The undulating land here offers a great chance to acclimatise and as you ascend to the more rugged areas of the mountain, there are great views of the Kibo Massif and its scenic surroundings. Tonight, you’ll sleep at Barranco Camp.

Have breakfast together at Barranco Camp this morning, then begin today’s hike. From Karanga, head up to the intersection of the South Circuit and the Mweka route where you’ll start climbing up a ridge to Barafu Hut. Barafu is Swahili for ‘ice’ – as the name suggests, it can be very cold here at night! You should arrive at Barafu around lunchtime, allowing plenty of time to rest before the final summit attempt very early tomorrow morning.

At around midnight, you’ll be woken by the guides with some hot tea and biscuits to give you energy before the long, difficult ascent up scree, and sometimes snow, to Stella Point (5780 m). Pass the giant Rebmann Glacier on the way, and hopefully arrive at Stella Point in time for sunrise and superb views of the crater and the glacier glistening in the morning sun. From Stella, it’s a further 1-hour hike along the rim of the crater to Uhuru Peak (5895m) – the highest point in Africa! From the summit, take in unforgettable views of the crater, the ice fields and the vast East African plains below. After some photos and well deserved pats on the back, you’ll begin your descent. Back at Barafu Camp, enjoy a well-earned lunch and much thicker air. After, continue to Mweka Camp for the night for a well-deserved rest.

Today, you’ll continue to descend the mountain, traversing alpine meadows and rainforest to the Mweka park gate. When you arrive, have some lunch after checking out of the park and then transport back to the hotel for a relaxing shower – a real treat after the physical exertions of the last few days! Tonight, gather with your trekking companions for dinner, sharing your experiences of the past six days on the mountain.

This morning, bid farewell to your crew, transfer to Arusha Airport and take an included flight to Stone Town, Zanzibar – an archipelago with gorgeous beaches, busy markets and a layered history. On arrival, you will be picked up and transferred to your accommodation before joining a local guide this afternoon to explore the many shades of historic Stone Town through its winding alleys, lively markets and local food. Once home to Arabian sultans, Zanzibar’s culture has been shaped by African, Arab and European influences.

This morning, you have the option to visit the spice plantations for a guided tour, where you'll learn about the history of the region's spice trade and have the chance to touch, smell, and taste spices like cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger, followed by a tea sampling. Alternatively, you can head directly to the white sands and sparkling blue seas of the northern beaches.

Wake up in paradise and perhaps start your day with a peaceful stroll along the coast as the sun rises over the Indian Ocean. Enjoy a full day to soak up the best of island life – whether that means relaxing on the sand with a good book, in the warm, turquoise waters, or indulging in freshly grilled seafood for lunch. Speak with your local representative for recommendations on how to make the most of your time in this idyllic setting.

Your trip comes to an end today. Please advise your booking agent at the time of booking if you need help with transfers to Stone Town Airport or the ferry terminal. If you’d like to spend more time in this island paradise, post trip accommodation can also be pre-booked at your beach resort or in Stone Town.