Kilimanjaro - Machame Route (5,895m)

Includes:

• Professional mountain guides, cooks and porters
• Accommodation
• Permits
• Tents, sleeping bags and mats
• Airport Transfers
• Food & filtered water

Excludes:

• International Flights
• Tips
• Personal travel/rescue insurance
• Any Visa fees (£40 from the UK)

Please note that all plastic bags regardless of their thickness will be prohibited from being brought into Tanzania. Plastic packaging for medical services, sanitary is not prohibited. 

Documents

• Passport

• Travel insurance details

• Boarding passes for flights

• 2 passport photos

• Driver’s license (if needed)

• Cash

• Credit/Debit Card

Sleeping

• Sleeping bag liner (optional)

Footwear

• Trekking boots: 3 or 4 season lightweight

• Shoes for the plane (optional)

Clothing

Please make sure that you have non-cotton clothing for trekking.

• 2 base-layer t-shirts (e.g. running t-shirts)

• Fleece/soft-shell jacket

• Waterproof jacket

• Down jacket for warmth

• Travel clothes and City Wear

• Underwear

• Base-layer trousers (optional)

• Waterproof trousers

• Trekking trousers

• Trekking shorts (Optional)

• 2 thick wool mountaineering socks

• Lightweight and breathable trekking socks

• Gloves and wool hat

Other

• A daysack: 35 litres

• A duffel or rucksack with straps to go over your back

• Dry Liner or Dry Bag

• Water bottle/thermos: At least 2L. Nalgene bottles best.

• Sunglasses

• Suncream

• General Toiletries, Contact lenses, Glasses (if needed)

• Towel

• Electronics - Head torch, travel adaptor, phone & charger

• Lipsil

• Book

• MP3/Music and headphones

• Travel wash

• Hand sanitizer, wet wipes

• Trekking Poles (Optional)

You can see the latest NHS advice at https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/africa/united-republic-of-tanzania 

Kilimanjaro is a steep mountain with a long summit day.  We recommend you train with sport or jogging 2-3 times a week in the run-up to your trip.

There is a Wildlife Safari trip which works well with the Kilimanjaro dates.

The minimum age for this trek is 18, or 16 with a parent/guardian.

Start: There are three pick-up times (10:00 am, 5:00 pm or 11:59 pm) from Kilimanjaro International Airport on the first date of your trip. 

End: On the last date you can fly at any time, and your guides will arrange transfers that work best for the group.

Guests typically fly with BA, Air France or Qatar, however we'd recommend comparing a few airlines e.g. https://www.skyscanner.net . 

Most groups have 12 people, with a maximum of 14.

You stay in a hotel at the beginning and end of the trek. The lodges offer twin shared rooms and basic showering facilities.

During the trek, you will be given a 3-man tent and use it as a twin share.

Single supplements are available for the duration of the trip for $90. Please ensure you request this on your registration form before you depart.

If you need to book any additional nights at the hotel, you can do so here: http://www.panamagardenresort.com/

You will have chefs with you on the hike who can cater for all dietary requirements. You will have 3 nutritious and filling meals each day, which help keep your energy levels high. Please make us aware of any requirements on your registration form before departure.

Filtered water will be readily available free of charge.

The currency used in Tanzania is Tanzanian Shillings. Some places will accept USD ($), but generally with a poor exchange rate.

When purchasing your visa, be aware that there are many companies online that are not legitimate. Please be mindful of this if buying online. Here is the official Tanzanian High Commission website: https://tzhc.uk/

When you go above altitudes of 2,500m, you need to allow your body time to acclimatise properly. When you are at altitude, you enter a lower oxygen environment. All relevant itineraries are designed to ensure that this process is met.

So, what does this mean? This may mean that you may need to follow a longer route during the ascent phase to achieve the end goal. In this case, reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro. It may also mean that you must rest for a day or so at certain altitudes to ensure that our bodies acclimatise properly to the change in environment. You will work alongside some of the most experienced local guides to help you reach your goals when at altitude. High altitude sickness can happen to anybody – old or young, in a good shape or not. Being in hurry in the mountains can be deadly. Your body can adjust to this altitude, but only if given enough time. If you find symptoms of altitude sickness, then you must descend down at any cost. The symptoms are totally different from one person to other. Sometimes you might feel a headache, you may feel you need to throw up, your fingers may go slightly numb or you may start breathing heavy. If you have these kinds of symptoms you should stop at this height. Drinking lots of water can help you out.

You are advised to move slowly, don’t rush and ensure you protect yourself from the weather.

Kilimanjaro is very close to the equator, so the temperatures are very similar year-round. They can range from around 20C (70F) at the base -10C (-15F) on the summit.

The dry season is June-September, and during these times there is typically just a dusting of snow on the summit. These are also the busiest months. The wet season is Nov-May, where snow depth on the summit can regularly be 20-30cm. 

It is customary in Tanzania to tip guides and porters.

The amount that you tip is completely up to you. As a good rule of thumb, generally participants will tip around $150 USD per customer (not per guide). You can give this to the head guide and they will distribute it amongst the team of guides, porters and cooks.