6 Days Kilimanjaro Trek – Machame Route

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Duration

6 Days / 5 Nights

Difficult Level

Challenging

Minimum Age

10 Years

Best time

January

Tour Overview

The Machame Route, nicknamed the "Whiskey route", is the most popular way up Kilimanjaro and one of the most scenic. It climbs from the lush southern rainforest onto the Shira Plateau, around the southern flanks beneath the great glaciers, and up to the summit from Barafu Camp.

The route follows the "climb high, sleep low" principle: on day three you climb to the Lava Tower (4,630 m) before descending to sleep at Barranco Camp. You will also scale the famous Barranco Wall, a fun, non-technical scramble with some of the best views on the mountain. Accommodation is in quality mountain tents, with a mess tent for meals.

This 6-day version combines the Barranco–Karanga–Barafu section into one longer day. It suits fit hikers with some trekking experience. If you have an extra day, the 7-day Machame gives you more time to acclimatise and a higher chance of reaching Uhuru Peak (5,895 m).

Your climb is led by experienced, licensed Licaon Safaris mountain guides, supported by porters and a cook who prepares fresh, hearty meals every day. You sleep in quality four-season mountain tents with sleeping mats, and eat in a mess tent with table and chairs. Your guides carry a first-aid kit and a pulse oximeter and check your health every morning and evening.

Kilimanjaro can be climbed all year, but the best conditions are in the dry seasons, from late June to October and from January to early March, when the trails are drier and the skies clearer. April, May and November are the rainy months; the mountain is quieter then, but expect wet forest sections and cloud.

Itinerary details

Day 1

Machame Gate (1,800 m) – Machame Camp (2,835 m): about 11 km / 5–7 hours

Elevation: 1,800 m → 2,835 m (+1,035 m)
Distance: about 11 km
Hiking time: 5–7 hours
Habitat: Montane rainforest
Overnight: Machame Camp
Meals: Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, the drive from Moshi or Arusha takes you through coffee and banana farms to Machame Gate on the southern slopes. While your guide handles the park registration, your crew packs the tents, kitchen and food. Lunch is often served at the gate or along the trail.

The path climbs steadily through dense, humid rainforest where giant ferns, fig trees and hanging lichen create a green cathedral. The trail can be muddy after rain, so gaiters are useful. Late in the afternoon you reach Machame Camp at the edge of the forest. Your tents are already pitched, and dinner is served in the mess tent while the forest sounds settle into night.

Guide’s tip: Pack your daypack the night before: water, rain jacket, warm layer, snacks, sunscreen and a head torch. Your main bag goes with the porters and you won't see it until camp.

Day 2

Machame Camp (2,835 m) – Shira Cave Camp (3,750 m): about 5 km / 4–6 hours

Elevation: 2,835 m → 3,750 m (+915 m)
Distance: about 5 km
Hiking time: 4–6 hours
Habitat: Heath and moorland
Overnight: Shira Cave Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Leaving the forest behind, you climb a steep, rocky ridge through giant heather and scrub. The views widen with every step: behind you the plains stretch towards Moshi, and ahead the western face of Kibo rises above the clouds. It is a shorter day in distance, but the gradient and altitude make it feel harder, so walk slowly and drink often.

In the early afternoon you cross onto the Shira Plateau, an ancient collapsed volcano. Shira Cave Camp sits beside a small lava cave once used by porters for shelter. Sunsets here are spectacular, with Mount Meru floating on a sea of cloud to the west.

Guide’s tip: Use your trekking poles on the steeper rocky sections. They save a lot of energy on the climb and even more on the descents later in the trip.

Day 3

Shira Camp (3,750–3,850 m) – Lava Tower (4,630 m) – Barranco Camp (3,960 m): about 10 km / 6–8 hours

Elevation: up to 4,630 m, then → 3,960 m (about +800 m / −670 m)
Distance: about 10 km
Hiking time: 6–8 hours
Habitat: Alpine desert
Overnight: Barranco Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is the key acclimatisation day of the western routes. You head east across the plateau into the alpine desert, a bare, rocky landscape of volcanic boulders, climbing steadily to the 90-metre Lava Tower, a volcanic plug at 4,630 m. Lunch is taken in its shelter. Some climbers feel a headache or shortness of breath here; that is normal, and your guide monitors everyone closely.

The afternoon descent into the Great Barranco Valley is one of the most beautiful stretches of the climb, passing through groves of giant groundsels. Barranco Camp lies beneath the towering Western Breach and the Barranco Wall. Climbing high and sleeping lower gives your body exactly the stimulus it needs, and most people sleep better tonight than the night before.

Guide’s tip: A mild headache at the Lava Tower is common and usually clears as you descend. Tell your guide how you feel honestly; they check your oxygen levels and pulse twice a day.

Day 4

Barranco Camp (3,960 m) – Karanga Valley – Barafu Camp (4,673 m): about 9 km / 7–8 hours

Elevation: 3,960 m → 4,673 m (+713 m)
Distance: about 9 km
Hiking time: 7–8 hours
Habitat: Alpine desert
Overnight: Barafu Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The day starts with the Barranco Wall, a non-technical scramble up a 257-metre rock face with sensational views from the top. The trail then crosses several ridges and valleys beneath the southern glaciers to the Karanga Valley, where you stop for a hot lunch and fill up at the last water point on the route.

In the afternoon you climb a rocky ridge to Barafu Camp, the base camp for the summit, where you arrive in the late afternoon. There is time for an early dinner and a summit briefing before a few hours of sleep. This combined day is what makes the 6-day Machame shorter. It is demanding, so pace yourself and keep drinking.

Guide’s tip: This is a long day right before summit night, so take full advantage of the lunch stop at Karanga. Drink, eat and rest your legs before the final climb to Barafu.

Day 5

Barafu Camp (4,673 m) – Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) – Mweka Camp (3,100 m): about 5 km up, 12 km down / 6–8 hours up, 4–6 hours down

Elevation: 4,673 m → 5,895 m (+1,222 m), then → 3,100 m (−2,795 m)
Distance: about 5 km up, 12 km down
Hiking time: 6–8 hours up, 4–6 hours down
Habitat: Scree, snow and ice at the summit
Overnight: Mweka Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Around midnight, after tea and biscuits, you begin the final ascent by head torch. The trail zig-zags up steep scree between the Ratzel and Rebmann glaciers towards Stella Point (5,756 m) on the crater rim, which most climbers reach at sunrise. It is the hardest, coldest part of the climb, and your guides set a slow, steady rhythm and keep you going with encouragement and hot drinks.

From Stella Point it is a gentler hour along the rim, past towering glaciers, to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m), the Roof of Africa. After summit photos, you descend to Barafu for a short rest and brunch, then continue down to Mweka Camp in the forest edge. Oxygen returns with every step, and it's the most rewarding dinner of the trip.

Guide’s tip: Carry your water in an insulated bottle or keep it upside down inside your pack so the opening doesn't freeze. Sip regularly and eat a small snack at every break, even if you don't feel like it.

Day 6

Mweka Camp (3,100 m) – Mweka Gate (1,640 m): about 10 km / 3–4 hours

Elevation: 3,100 m → 1,640 m (−1,460 m)
Distance: about 10 km
Hiking time: 3–4 hours
Habitat: Montane rainforest
Overnight: Hotel in Moshi or Arusha
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, your crew gathers for a farewell song and dance, a Kilimanjaro tradition and a great moment to thank the team that carried you to the top. The trail then descends through lush rainforest, where you may spot colobus monkeys, and the air feels rich and warm after the cold of the summit.

At Mweka Gate you sign out of the park, and successful climbers receive their official summit certificates: green for Stella Point, gold for Uhuru Peak. Your driver meets you here for the transfer back to your hotel and a hot shower.

Guide’s tip: The trail can be slippery and muddy in the forest, so keep your poles out and your boots laced tightly. Your crew's farewell song is a highlight, so have your camera ready.

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Tour Costs

Per person Sharing

Number of PAX

Solo Traveler

2 People

3 People

4 People

5 People

6 People

Price

$1,910

$1,430

$1,420

$1,410

$1,400

$1,390

Price includes

All meals and accommodations during the entire safari
A very high quality safari land cruiser with pop-up roof
A professional English speaking safari guide
Unlimited mineral water during the entire safari
Kilimanjaro tea/coffee during game drive
All park fees for all the national parks
Unlimited game drives
All transfers
Flight from Arusha to Zanzibar
Zanzibar activities as in the itinerary
Mto wa mbu cultural walk
Flying doctors rescue cover

Price excludes

Visas
International flights
Lodge and Guides Tips
Drinks at the lodges
All personal related

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Lake Eyasi

Lake Natron

Mount Meru

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Cultural tour

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Night Game Drive

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