Mount Kilimanjaro Climb via Machame Route

6 DAYS MACHAME ROUTE

All year 

6 Days / 5 Nights

Kilimanjaro international Airport 

Machame Gate, Machame Camp, Shira Cave Camp, Baranco Camp, Barafu Camp , Uhuru Peak, Millennium Camp, Mweka Gate 

Trip Overview

The 6 Days Machame Route is one of the most popular routes to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. Known for its scenic beauty and challenging terrain, it offers trekkers the chance to experience diverse landscapes, from lush rainforests to alpine deserts, before reaching Uhuru Peak.

Machame Route Benefits

Scenic Diversity:

The route takes trekkers through a variety of landscapes, offering incredible views of Mount Kilimanjaro's natural beauty, including rainforests, moorlands, and glaciers.

Better Acclimatization:

Machame’s “climb high, sleep low” approach allows trekkers to adapt gradually to the high altitude, which increases the chance of a successful summit.

Challenging Yet Rewarding:

While the Machame Route is more difficult compared to others like Marangu, the challenge is balanced by its higher success rate due to proper acclimatization.

Affordable with Hut-Free Camping:

Unlike the Marangu Route, Machame offers a full camping experience, making it more affordable for budget travelers while still offering a full mountain adventure.

Tour Map

Detailed Itinerary

Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport

After arriving at the Airport, you will be picked up by a Nafika tours representative and transferred to your hotel in Moshi. Later on, you will enjoy dinner with your group before being briefed on the trek followed by an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. We can organize the rental of any missing equipment should it be needed.

Day 1: Machame Gate (1800 m) to Machame Camp (2835 m)

After breakfast, you will be picked up at the hotel around 8:00 am and transferred to Machame gate. On the way, you will see coffee and banana plantations grown by Chagga people, the cultivation zone, the first of the five zones of the mountain. After arriving at Machame gate, Nafika tours will handle all pre-hike formalities and once complete you will start your Kilimanjaro climb at the Machame gate. Your first day hike is through a tropical rain forest up to Machame camp (2835 m), be on the lookout for the blue monkey that can be found high up in the trees. On the route, you will have a picnic lunch, before continuing to Machame camp where you will stay your first night.

  • – Hiking time: 7 hours
  • – Distance covered: 11 km
  • – Habitat: Montane forest
  • – Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included

Day 2: Machame Camp (2835 m) to Shira Cave Camp (3750 m)

Wake up is early, but who would want to sleep in with the first view of the mountain. After a hearty breakfast, you will start hiking around 8:00 am. You will climb roughly an hour to the top of the forest and then before reaching a gentler gradient through the moorland zone. After a short lunch (snacks) and break, you continue up a rocky ridge, the Shira plateau. At this point you will be able to see the western breach with its stunning glacier. Overnight at Shira Campsite (3750 m).

  • – Approx. hiking time: 3 hours
  • – Distance covered: 5 km
  • – Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included
  • – Habitat: Moorland

Day 3: Shira Cave Camp (3750 m) to Baranco Camp (3900 m)

To take advantage of acclimatization, we will hike to a higher altitude and then descend back down to camp to sleep for the night. The trek will take us into the alpine desert and up to Lava Tower(4600 m) before descending to Baranco Camp (3900 m). The descent to Baranco Camp takes about 3 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful pictures of the Western Breach and Baranco wall. The campsite is situated in a valley below the Barranco wall, which should provide you a memorable sunset while waiting for dinner before retiring to your tent for the evening.

  • – Approx. hiking time: 6 hours
  • – Distance covered: 10 km
  • – Habitat: Alpine desert
  • – Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included

Day 4: Barranco Camp (3900 m) to Barafu Camp (4640 m)

Today our Kilimanjaro trek takes us from Baranco Camp, famous for its giant groundsels. We will ascend the great Barranco wall, which divides us form the southern slopes of Kibo. Climbing the Barranco is not technical, but long and tiring. It will take us to Karanga Camp where we will have lunch and the staff will collect water for the next day, as this is the last stop for water before the summit. Afterwards we will continue to walk through the alpine desert towards Barafu Camp (Base Camp, 4640 m).

  • – Approx. hiking time: 8 hours
  • – Distance covered: 8 km
  • – Habitat: Alpine desert
  • – Meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner included

Day 5: Barafu Camp (4673 m) to UHURU PEAK (5895m) then down to Millennium Camp (3950 m)

This is the big day! You wake up very early, around midnight, and have a light breakfast. After fueling up, you’ll start the tough climb to the summit. It takes 4-5 hours and you’ll go up really high in a short time!

Just before sunrise, you’ll reach Stella Point (5756m), which is an amazing viewpoint at the edge of a giant crater. From here, you do one last climb to Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa (5,895 meters!). Congratulations, you climbed Kilimanjaro! Take pictures and enjoy this incredible accomplishment.

After celebrating at the top, you’ll head back down to Barafu Camp for lunch and a well-deserved rest. Then, you’ll trek down to Millenium Camp for dinner, where you can relax and reflect on your amazing journey. You did it – you conquered Kilimanjaro!

  • – Approx. hiking time: 12-15 hours
  • – Distance covered: 15 km
  • – Meal: breakfast, lunch, and dinner included

Day 6: Millennium Camp (3950m) to Mweka Gate (1640m)

After breakfast, the final descent beings, it is a couple of hour walk from the Millennium Campsite to Mweka Gate, where you will collect your certificates and can finally enjoy a nice cold beverage. After saying goodbye to your mountain guides, a private car will then take you back to your hotel where you can enjoy the warm shower you have been craving. It’s definitely time to celebrate!

  • – Approx. hiking time: 5 hours
  • – Distance covered: 14 km
  • – Habitat: Moorland & tropical rain forest.
  • – Meal: breakfast and lunch included
Price Per Person

ROUTE : MACHAME 6 DAYS

Prices (quoted in USD/per person)

No of Pax Price Per Person
1 Person $1800 USD
2-4 People $1700 USD
5-9 People $1600 USD
10+ People $1550 USD

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