6 Days Machame Route

From

Overview
Group Departure / Private Departures Are Available

Embark on a 6-day trek on the legendary Machame Route, also known as the “Whiskey Route”. Starting from Machame Gate, this trek passes through varied landscapes from lush rainforest to alpine desert, with the final ascent to the summit via Stella Point. The descent follows the Mweka Route.

Why Choose This Itinerary?

The Machame Route provides excellent acclimatization with its “climb high, sleep low” profile. It is one of the most scenic and popular routes, offering hikers a variety of landscapes and a very high success rate to reach the summit.

Route Highlights
  • Kilimanjaro! Lush rainforest, Shira Plateau, Lava Tower, Barranco Wall.
  • Panoramic views of Mawenzi and Kibo peaks.
  • Glaciers and stunning sunrise at the Roof of Africa.
Full Itinerary
6 Days Machame Route
Day 1:
Arrive in Tanzania

You will be picked up at the Kilimanjaro International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Moshi town; you will meet your guide who will brief you on your upcoming trek and do an equipment check to make sure you have all the necessary mountain gear. The missing gear can be rented on this day.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 2:
Machame Gate (1790m) to Machame Camp (3010m)

One hour’s drive from Moshi to Machame gate, where we complete park formalities, meet our crew of porters and start to climb! 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.

Distance covered: 10.8km / 6.7mi 

Approx. time taken: 6 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 3:
Machame Camp (3010m) to Shira Camp (3845m)

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.

Distance covered: 5.4km / 3.4mi

Approx. time taken: 5 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 4:
Shira Cave (3845m) to Barranco Camp (3960m)

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.

Distance covered: 10.8km / 6.7mi 

Approx. time taken: 8 hrs

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 5:
Barranco Camp (3960m) to Barafu Camp (4640m)

Our day starts by descending into 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, which is our last stop for fresh water before the summit. Scree now forms the terrain as we walk through arid and desolate land towards Barafu camp.

Distance covered: 8.5km / 5.3mi 

Approx. time taken: 8 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 6:
Barafu Camp (4640m) to UHURU PEAK (5895m) & down to Millennium Camp (3790m)

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.

Distance covered: 13.4km / 8.3mi

Approx. time taken: 12 – 15 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 7:
Trek Millennium Camp (3790m) to Mweka Gate (1630m)

A gentle trek takes us down through the rainforest 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 hot welcome shower.

Distance covered: 12.1km / 7.5mi

Approx. time taken: 6 hours

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included

Day 8:
Depart Tanzania

The day is left free to wind down after the trek before your flight home. Depending on flight times you could go and explore Moshi town and grab some souvenirs before heading to the airport.

*Safari, Zanzibar and other add-ons are available if you wish to continue exploring Tanzania.

Meals: Breakfast Included 

  • Private transport to & from Kilimanjaro International Airport to your accommodations in Moshi.
  • 2 nights of accommodation in Moshi 
  • Transportation to & from the Kilimanjaro gate
  • Park entry fees,
  • Camping fees
  • Team Kilimanjaro Rescue fees
  • 18% VAT on tour fees & services
  • 4 Season mountain tents
  • Double layered Sleeping Mats 4 inches (10cm) thick
  • Friendly and professional mountain guides, cook and porters
  • 3 meals daily while on the mountain
  • Enough treated & filtered drinking water throughout the trek
  • Hot water for washing
  • Fair wages for the mountain crew as approved by the Kilimanjaro National Park Authority (KINAPA), Kilimanjaro Association of Tour Operators (KIATO)
  • Government taxes
  • Portable oxygen tanks
  • Ox meter
  • Emergency first-aid kit
  • Stethoscope
  • Portable flush toilet with a toilet and tent
  • Mountain climbing certificates
  • Drinks at your hotel before and after the climb.
  • Travel Insurance
  • Flights
  • Laundry (Available at the hotel)
  • Personal items and toiletries
  • Tips for guides, porters and cook

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Tour Pricing

Type of accommodation
2 Pax
4 Pax
6 Pax
Lodge Accommodation
USD 1,835
USD 1,485
USD 1,365

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