Kilimanjaro — Machame Route, 6 Days

Machame in six days rather than seven. It removes the Karanga night, which is the one that does most for acclimatisation, so we only recommend it to people who have been at altitude recently or genuinely cannot spare the extra day.

Highlights

• Summit Uhuru Peak (5,895 m)
• The Barranco Wall
• Rainforest, moorland and alpine desert in under a week
• The most popular route on the mountain

The itinerary, day by day

1. 01

   Machame Gate to Machame Camp

   3,010 m · 5–7 hours

   Registration at the gate and a long climb through rainforest to camp just above the treeline.

2. 02

   Machame Camp to Shira Camp

   3,845 m · 4–6 hours

   Out of the forest and up a rocky ridge onto the Shira Plateau. First full view of Kibo.

3. 03

   Shira to Lava Tower, down to Barranco

   3,960 m · 6–8 hours

   Up to 4,630 m for lunch, then down 700 m to Barranco among the giant senecio.

4. 04

   Barranco to Barafu

   4,673 m · 7–9 hours

   The Barranco Wall first thing, then across Karanga and straight on to base camp. A long day.

5. 05

   Summit day — Uhuru Peak, down to Mweka

   5,895 m · 12–14 hours

   Midnight start for Stella Point, the crater rim at dawn, then the long descent to Mweka.

6. 06

   Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate

   1,640 m · 3–4 hours

   Down through the rainforest to the gate, certificates, and a transfer to your hotel.