Machame Route

Machame Route Detailed Itinerary

On the way to the Shira Plateau from the south of Mount Kilimanjaro, the trek will take you via magnificent, verdant woods. The Southern Ice Field will then surround hikers before making their way to the top.

Machame is a seven-day or six-day climb on Kilimanjaro. The six-day option combines days four and five and takes you from Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp without stopping at Karanga, skipping Karanga Camp.

Day 1: Machame Gate (1,790m) to Machame Camp (3,010m)

• Distance: ~11km / 7 miles
• Trekking time: 5-7 hours
• Zone: Rainforest

After breakfast, you will be picked up from your accommodation and driven 45 minutes to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate. Your adventure begins after you have completed all of the relevant paperwork. The first destination is Machame Camp, a 5- to 6-hour climb. 

You will be trekking through the lush rainforest, which is home to enormous ancient trees, ancient ferns, and unique flowers such as the Impatiens Kilimanjaro. Black and white thumb-less colobus monkeys may also be seen peeking through the leaves. When you get to the campsite, take some time to relax, stretch your legs, and eat a good meal before returning to your tent for the night.

Day 2: Machame Camp (3,010m) to Shira Camp (3,845m)

• Distance: ~5km / 3 miles
• Trekking time: 4-6 hours
• Zone: Rainforest / low Alpine Zone

The early start of the second day is not owing to a long journey but rather to allow you to get to Shira Camp in mid-afternoon. The landscape changes dramatically as you travel, from lush, green jungle to dry moor and heathland. When you arrive at your campground, you are welcomed with a stunning view of the surrounding mountains. As you have another wonderfully cooked meal before climbing into your tent, the Kibo glaciers shimmer in the golden hue of the setting sun.

Day 3: Shira Camp (3,845m) to Lava Tower Hut (4,640m) to Barranco Camp (3,960m)

• Distance: ~11km / 7 miles
• Trekking time: 5-7 hours
• Zone: High alpine zone/ low alpine zone 

Acclimatization is on the third-day schedule, with a climb of about 700 meters and a night’s sleep at a height not much higher than the previous night. You will begin at Shira Plateau and climb to Lava Tower (4,640m), where you will have a break before continuing through the Barranco Valley to the lovely Barranco Camp. 

The trip will take about 6–7 hours, but the alpine desert’s different distractions, as well as the Barranco Valley’s little lobelia plants and large senecios, will keep your mind off the last stretch. Barranco Camp will provide you with a well-deserved dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 4: Barranco Camp (3,960m) to Karanga Camp (4,035m)

• Distance: ~7km / 5 miles
• Trekking time: 7 hours
• Zone: High alpine zone

The Barranco Wall now stands before you, ready to be conquered. Some levels will demand you to use your hands to gain a stronger hold, but no actual climbing is required, and your guide will be there to assist you at all times. Before reaching the mountain ridge, the route provides for more acclimatization with its multiple ascents and descents. 

Before reaching the foggy Karanga Camp, walk up the ridge to take in the lovely view with its spectacular contrasts of desert and greenery. The walk will take 3–4 hours, giving you plenty of time to relax and play a game of rummy. At Karanga Camp, there will be an evening meal and an overnight stay.

Day 5: Karanga Camp (4,035m) to Barafu Camp (4,640m)

• Distance: ~6km / 4 miles
• Trekking time: 3 hours
• Zone: High alpine zone

You will wake up to the sun dancing off the Kibo Summit and have a delicious breakfast before heading to Barafu Camp, your destination for the day. Most of the day will be spent trekking over extremely desert terrain, with Kibo on your left side. After 3-4 hours, you will arrive at Barafu Camp, where you will have an early dinner and stay the night, as the trip’s peak is only a few hours away.

Day 6: Barafu Camp (4,640m) to Uhuru Peak (5,895m) to Mweka Camp (3,080m)

• Distance: 4.5-kilometer (three-mile) elevation is followed by an 11-kilometer (seven-mile) drop.
• Trekking time: 6-8 hours to the peak and then 5-8 hours to Mweka
• Zone: Glacial zone and all preceding zones

Your guide will wake you up at midnight with a warm cup of tea and biscuits to get you ready for the final ascent. Your only source of light will be the moon and your headlamps as you make your way up to Stella Point, taking around 5–7 hours to reach the crater rim. Another 1–2 hours will bring you to Uhuru Summit (5,895m), where you can watch the sunrise over the African landscape, giving a pink hue over the white peak and sparkling the glaciers surrounding you like diamonds.

After recording this spectacular view and achievement on video, you’ll return to Barafu Camp through the same route, where your team will greet you with snacks and refreshments. Rested and calm, you will travel to Mweka Camp, where you will spend your final night on Africa’s highest peak.

Day 7: Mweka Camp (3,080m) to Mweka Gate (1,630m)

• Distance: ~9km / 5.5 miles
• Trekking time: 3-5 hours
• Zone: Rainforest

After a delicious breakfast, your mountain crew will conduct a traditional farewell ceremony before you begin your final descent. You will travel through the rainforest once more, giving you another chance to see the cheeky colobus monkeys, before arriving at the Mweka gate in about 2 – 3 hours. You will be greeted at the gate and driven back to the hotel for a relaxing shower. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure while patting yourself on the back for climbing Kilimanjaro!