6 Days Machame Route

Who Is This Route For?

Fit climbers with good trekking experience who want a scenic traverse route. The 6-day Machame is more demanding than Marangu but rewards with better scenery and higher success rate.

What to Expect

A 6-day traverse of Kilimanjaro via the Shira Plateau, Lava Tower, Barranco Wall, and Barafu Camp. Camping route — no huts. Ascend and descend via different trails for varied scenery.

Best Time to Climb

Best: June–October for stable conditions. The Barranco Wall is navigable year-round but genuinely wet in April–May. January–March also works well.

Starting Point

Machame Gate (1,800m) on the southwest slope. 1 hour from Moshi. Route traverses from west to southeast, ending at Mweka Gate.

Why Choose This Route?

The Machame route has better 'climb high, sleep low' acclimatization than Marangu — the Lava Tower day (4,600m day hike, sleep at 3,900m) makes a real difference to altitude adaptation.

Day-by-Day Summary

Day 1: Machame Gate → Machame Camp (3,000m). Day 2: Shira Plateau (3,840m). Day 3: Lava Tower (4,600m) → Barranco (3,900m). Day 4: Barranco → Karanga (4,035m). Day 5: Karanga → Barafu (4,640m). Day 6: Summit → Mweka.

Machame Route Overview

starts from$1485Per Person

Day-by-Day Itinerary: 6 Days Machame Route

Kilimanjaro climbing photo from 6 Days Machame Route

Day 1 - Machame gate to Machame Hut


Drive from the hotel in Moshi town- (800m) after breakfast to Machame gate – (1800m) for reservation and start climbing through the rain forest up to Machame camp – (3000m). It takes 5-6hrs with picnic lunch on the way. Dinner and Overnight at Machame camp- (3000m). Distance covered is 10.75km and altitude gained is 1200m.

Accommodation
- Budget camping
Meal & Drinks
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Kilimanjaro climbing photo from 6 Days Machame Route

Day 2 - Machame hut to Shira 2 camp


After breakfast continue on hiking through the heath and moorland to Shira 2 camp- (3850m) with Picnic Lunch on the way for 4-5hrs. Dinner and overnight at the campsite. Distance covered is 5.3km and altitude gained is 850m. This is amore open area for taking good photos.

Accommodation
- Budget camping
Meal & Drinks
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Kilimanjaro climbing photo from 6 Days Machame Route

Day 3 - Shira 2 camp to Baranco Wall


Early in the morning after breakfast start hiking to Barranco Camp- (3940m) through Lava Tower – (4600m) for acclimatizing. It takes 6 -7hrs with picnic lunch, Dinner and overnight Barranco camp (3940m). Distance covered is 10.75km via Lava Tower and altitude gained is 750m then from Lava Tower to Barranco altitude lost is 660m.

Accommodation
- Budget camping
Meal & Drinks
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Kilimanjaro climbing photo from 6 Days Machame Route

Day 4 - Baranco wall to Barafu camp


After breakfast start climbing Barranco walls- (4250m) to Barafu Camp – (4600m) with picnic lunch. It takes 6-8hrs. Distance covered is 8.5km and altitude covered is 850m. After arriving at the camp, rest and then will have early dinner and sleep for a short hours then wake up about 11:00pm, pack the useful things for the summit have hot drinks and bites and start hiking to the top of Africa Uhuru Peak- (5895m) it takes about 6-7hrs and distance covered is 4.86km and altitude gained is 1295m.

Accommodation
- Budget camping
Meal & Drinks
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Kilimanjaro climbing photo from 6 Days Machame Route

Day 5 - Barafu Camp-Uhuru peak-Mweka camp


It takes about 3hrs from summit to Barafu camp for breakfast and rest for few hours, eat hot lunch and then continue descending from the alpine desert, heath and moorland to the edge of the rain forest at Mweka camp- (3100m). Distance covered from Uhuru Peak to Barafu camp and to Mweka camp is 11.5km and altitude lost is 2795m.

Accommodation
- Budget camping
Meal & Drinks
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Kilimanjaro climbing photo from 6 Days Machame Route

Day 6 - Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate


Walk after breakfast to Mweka Gate (1800m) through the rain Forest for 3-4hrs distance covered is 9.1km and altitude lost is 1400m. Receive your award certificate if you will have made it to the top and meet the vehicle and transfer to the Hotel Moshi for hot shower and lunch.

Accommodation
- End of Tour
Meal & Drinks
- All meals included
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

6 Days Machame Route — Photo Gallery

Kilimanjaro climbing photo from 6 Days Machame Route

What's Included in This Package

Porterage

Rescue fee

Park fees

All activities

All accommodation

A professional driver / guide

All transportation

All Taxes / VAT

Roundtrip airport transfer

Meals

Drinking water

What's Not Included

Climbing gear

International flights

Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour

Tips

Personal items

Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees

Why Choose This 6 Day Tour

Scenic and Diverse Landscapes

The Machame Route is known for its stunning and varied landscapes, starting with lush rainforests, transitioning through moorlands and alpine deserts, and finishing on the glacier-topped summit of Uhuru Peak.

Shira Plateau

A vast, flat expanse of land offering panoramic views of Mount Meru and Kibo Peak, the Shira Plateau is one of the most scenic sections of the climb, with dramatic sunsets.

Mawenzi and Kibo Views

Trekking past Horombo Hut, you’ll be treated to panoramic views of Kilimanjaro’s twin peaks, Mawenzi and Kibo, with rugged and scenic landscapes stretching out before you.

Barranco Wall

A challenging yet exhilarating ascent, the Barranco Wall offers both excitement and spectacular views. Although steep, it is not technical, and the reward is the panoramic vistas at the top.

Lava Tower

This 4,600-meter-high volcanic rock formation offers trekkers a great acclimatization opportunity. Standing beneath the Lava Tower is a surreal experience amidst the alpine desert landscape.

Stunning Sunrises and Sunsets

The climb offers some of the most memorable sunrises and sunsets, especially from camps like Barafu and Shira, with views over the clouds and surrounding peaks.

Summiting Uhuru Peak

The most comprehensive highlight is reaching Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa. The final push begins before dawn, allowing climbers to witness the sunrise from the roof of Africa, creating an memorable moment.

Frequently Asked Questions

You don't need mountaineering experience, but you should be able to walk 5-8 hours on consecutive days. General aerobic fitness (running, hiking, cycling regularly) improves your chances. Altitude is the main factor, not strength — the key is pacing and proper acclimatization.

Park fees, national park camping or hut fees, a registered lead guide, assistant guides and porters (ratio of roughly 1:1 porter to climber), tents and camping equipment (if not a hut route), and all meals during the climb. Excluded: personal gear, tips, and pre/post-climb accommodation.

Sleeping bag, trekking poles, warm layers, waterproofs, and boots are personal items you should bring or rent locally in Moshi/Arusha. Good boots are critical — rental gear quality varies so we generally recommend bringing your own footwear if possible.

Longer routes give better acclimatization and higher success rates. The 7-day Machame or 8-day Lemosho are our top recommendations for most climbers. The 5-day Marangu is shorter but has a lower summit success rate because of the compressed schedule.

January–March and June–October are the main climbing seasons. January–March is drier in the lower zones though cold at altitude. June–October is dry and clear but cold at the summit (-15°C to -25°C at night is possible). Avoid April–May (heavy rain) if possible.

Book This Tour

6 days Machame Route

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