Join Alpyr on an unforgettable 9-day Kilimanjaro adventure via the iconic Machame Route, widely regarded as one of the most scenic and successful paths to the summit of Africa's highest mountain. 

Our carefully designed 9-day package includes arrival and departure days, along with a 7-day mountain itinerary that maximises acclimatisation and significantly improves summit success rates. Following the proven "climb high, sleep low" principle, trekkers have the time needed to adjust to the altitude while enjoying a safer and more rewarding ascent. 

Rising to 5,895m, Mount Kilimanjaro is widely regarded as the perfect first high-altitude mountain. Unlike many of the world's major peaks, Kilimanjaro is a non-technical climb, meaning no ropes, ice axes, or previous mountaineering experience are required. Instead, success comes down to good fitness, determination, and a sensible approach to acclimatisation.

For those looking to challenge themselves beyond traditional trekking, Kilimanjaro offers an achievable yet demanding objective. The altitude provides a real test, while the well-established routes and experienced local support teams make it an excellent introduction to high-altitude mountaineering. Reaching the summit of Africa's highest mountain is a truly unforgettable achievement and often the first step towards even bigger mountain adventures.

You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi town. The rest of your day will be free; you might want to explore the small and pretty town of Moshi, or you can just relax by the pool. Later on, our operations team and your mountain guide will meet with you and give you a thorough briefing in preparation for your trek. There will be an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear.

Half an hour drive from Moshi lies the gate to the Machame route, where you will complete park registrations, then you are off on your 6-day trek. The first section of the route climbs steadily and passes through magnificent, dense rainforest. This path is less well-trodden so it can get somewhat overgrown in places and it is often wet and muddy underfoot

Our route continues on up through the forest until we reach the steep ascent onto the Shira Plateau, where there are rewarding views of the mountain. Looking back, you will be able to see Mt Meru rising high above Arusha town in the distance

Walking now on high moorland, the landscape changes the entire character of the trek. We traverse the southwest side of Kilimanjaro, passing underneath the Lava Tower and the final section of the Western Breach and finally reach camp The day has been spent at altitude (up to 4600m), but we have followed the mountaineering code of ‘walk high, sleep low’ to aid your body’s acclimatization to altitude.

Our day starts by descending into the start of the Great Barranco, a huge ravine. We then exit steeply, up the Great Barranco Wall, which divides us from the southeastern slopes of Kibo. It’s a climb over rock, not technical but long and tiring. Passing underneath the Heim and Kersten glaciers, we head towards the Karanga valley. From here we have a steep climb up from Karanga valley to our night’s camp at Karanga camp, set at 3963m. For those feeling strong we will go for a mid-afternoon acclimatization trek up to around 4200m before descending back to camp for the night

After a good night’s rest and breakfast, we set off on our walk to Barafu camp at 4640m. The climb will take us across desolate scree slopes with no vegetation around us at all. It’s a tough steep walk made more difficult by the altitude. On arrival at camp we eat and spend the afternoon resting as we prepare for a long night and day ahead. It is important to keep hydrated and warm. We have an early dinner and then try to get some sleep as we will be getting up at between 11pm and 12pm to start the climb to the summit.

We start off at around midnight, and walk steeply upwards to the summit glaciers. We will be climbing scree for 4 to 5 hours but gain incredible height over a short distance. The views are spectacular. We should be on the crater rim at Stella Point (5739m) as the first rays of the sun hit us. Spectacular ice cliffs within the crater surround us and the views to jagged Mawenzi peak and beyond are breathtaking. Another hour’s walking takes us to the summit, Uhuru Peak (5895m). We begin our descent by returning to Stella Point and then descending on scree slope and track back to Barafu Camp for breakfast, before finally heading down to Millennium Camp for a long well-earned rest

A gentle trek takes us down through the rain forest to Mweka Gate, where we complete park formalities and receive certificates, which you can hang up with pride! We are then met by our vehicles and return to the hotel in Moshi, where you can treat yourself to a welcome shower (and a cold beer or two!) before our big celebration. Overnight in Moshi

The day is left free to rest and relax after a long, challenging week of

trekking. You will be transferred to the airport to catch your morning flight

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