6 Day Machame Route
Itinerary Details
For those who only have six days to climb Kilimanjaro, the Machame route is the best choice because of its acclimatization profile. Compared to other six day routes, the Machame route exposes the climber to higher elevations quicker (day three) which kickstarts the body’s adaptation to altitude. However, this route requires that a person be in good shape to be able to tackle the challenging elevation gains and losses.
The six day Machame variation is a difficult route. In particular, day four combined with day five makes for a very hard schedule. Day four is a full day of hiking from Barranco to Barafu. Then after dinner and a partial night’s sleep, the very long and strenuous summit day begins around midnight. The 6 day Machame route requires 19-24 hours of demanding walking, at extremely high elevation, with only 4-6 hours of sleep.
Day by Day Itinery
DAY 1
•Machame Gate to Machame Camp
•Elevation (ft): 5,400ft to 9,400ft
•Distance: 11 km
•Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
•Habitat: Rain Forest
The drive from Moshi to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate takes about 50 minutes. The journey passes through the village of Machame which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain.
We now leave the park gate and walk through the rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters and trekking poles are a good idea here. We continue a short distance until we reach the Machame Camp.
DAY 2
•Machame Camp to Shira Camp
•Elevation (ft): 9,400ft to 12,500ft
•Distance: 5 km
•Hiking Time: 4-6 hours
•Habitat: Moorland
After breakfast, we leave the glades of the rain forest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the little valley walking along a steep rocky ridge, covered with heather, until the ridge ends. The route now turns west onto a river gorge. Time for rest, dinner, and overnight at the Shira campsite.
DAY 3
•Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp
•Elevation (ft): 12,500ft to 13,000ft
•Distance: 10 km
•Hiking Time: 6-8 hours
•Habitat: Semi Desert
From the Shira Plateau, we continue to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As we continue, our direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the “Shark’s Tooth.” Shortly after the tower, we come to the second junction which brings us up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 16,000ft. We now continue down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 13,000ft. Here we rest, enjoy dinner, and overnight. Although you end the day at the same elevation as when you started, this day is very important for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for summit day.
DAY 4
Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
•Elevation (ft): 13,000ft to 15,000ft
•Distance: 9km
•Hiking Time: 8-10 hours
•Habitat: Alpine Desert
After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga Valley campsite. Then, we leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position.
DAY 5
•Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Hut
•Elevation (ft): 15,300ft to 19,345ft (and down to 10,000ft)
•Distance: 5 km ascent / 12 km descent
•Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ascent / 4-6 hours descent
•Habitat: Arctic
Very early in the morning (midnight to 2am), we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek.
At Stella Point (18,600 ft), you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting). From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all they way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit.
From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
DAY 6
•Mweka Camp to Moshi
•Elevation (ft): 10,000ft to 5,400ft
•Distance: 10 km
•Hiking Time: 3-4 hours
•Habitat: Rain Forest
After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy).
From the gate, you continue another hour to Mweka Village. A vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive you back to hotel in Moshi.
PRICE PER PERSON $1800P/P
Our Reviews
finnkai2024-04-04Malaki is an above and beyond safari guide and person Our 4-person Tanzania adventure with Malaki of Malaki Safaris was beyond expectations. Malaki’s combination of professionalism, warmth, knowledge, passion, and cultural connection made the trip phenomenal. Our itinerary took us to Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Empakai, Lake Natron, and Central and Southern Serengeti. Every place awed us with the wildlife and scenery, and we enjoyed staying at a variety of lodges and tented camps, all in beautiful settings. We also spent 2 days hiking with local Maasai guides who taught us about some of their traditions and current realities facing pastoral people in Tanzania. Malaki is a skillful, responsive communicator, so trip planning was enjoyable rather than stressful. He provided suggestions, and he customized our safari according to preferences we expressed. A review below from September 2023 by tomtom771 highlights outstanding aspects of Malaki Safaris, all important to consider when splurging on a trip of a lifetime. Many Tanzania safari itineraries are similar, but it’s the guide who makes the biggest difference. Malaki is from a rural Maasai village, and he pursued his formal education in cities. He knows Tanzania’s landscapes, wildlife, and cultures from lived experience, and he truly loves sharing all of it. Our group had a particular interest in birds, and Malaki eagerly brushed up on his already impressive birding repertoire. When we had questions, Malaki usually had answers, and he often came back later with more information. He has stellar abilities maneuvering the jeep to maximize views and photo opportunities, and he manages to do so without ticking off other drivers. When one of our group members stayed on in Tanzania to do solo travel, Malaki continued to check in on him, occasionally arranging lodging or transfers as a courtesy. It’s not essential that one has a guide who you befriend and hope to see again, but with Malaki we got the best of both worlds, an A+ safari and a talented guide who brightened every day.
sandrab2024-04-04A good, honest and knowledgeable guide! Malaki was highly recommended to us by a friend, and we had a great time with him on the 14-day tour he designed. He guided us at Tarangire National Park, Ngorogoro Crater and Serengeti NP. He worked with us on our budget and is a good communicator. He was very patient, knowledgeable with animals and birds and his pleasant personality made our adventure lots of fun! You could tell that he’s been guiding tours for many years. Other guides respected him and he has good contacts in the area. We stayed in a variety of lodges/tented camps, all pleasant and at times luxurious. If you want an honest guide with good morals and great experience, you can’t go wrong with Malaki.
Renato M2023-09-305 day safari Great guide, speaks excellent english! Perfectly organized trip with great accommodations! He was not just our guide and secure driver but become a friend and was a member of our group! Great experience and absolutely recommandatable!
tomtom7712023-09-27Unvergesslich Schön Overall for our safari was an unforgettable and, most likely, a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience. However, if we are ever fortunate enough to go on another safari in the Serengeti, we will definitely use Malakisafaris Safaris again. For anyone considering a personal safari tour, they should book with Malakisafaris Safaris and here is why… A. Our Malakisafaris team was very organized and provided clear communication and great service from the time we began the scheduling/reservation process early on until the time we departed Tanzania to come back home. Everyone that we interfaced with was very friendly, personable and always answered our questions to our satisfaction. B, Once in the Serengeti, our safari driver/guide was excellent. We always felt safe in the vehicle and he was an absolute expert at spotting animals on our game drives. In fact, very informative. We where very impressed with our guide’s extensive knowledge of the African cultures, animals, etc., that we experienced. C. Our vehicle was always clean and comfortable, obviously well maintained and reliable on the trail. The vehicle was always well stocked with drinks, bottled water and snacks. The seats even had extra top cushions to protect our hind parts from the daily “African Massage” provided by the trails. D. All of the accommodations provided at the various camp/overnight locations exceeded our expectations. Each of the tented camps/lodges that we stayed at in tarangire, the Serengeti National Park, and in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, were in beautiful natural settings and were conveniently located for the daily game drives. E. The food, and the food service, was very good and the in-camp meals were delivered/provided in unexpectedly formal dining areas. This was tent dining at its finest, but it really wasn’t tent dining at all! We were all surprised at how nice all of the dining areas were. Therefore, keep up the great work, the high standards and thank you folks for a wonderful vacation! You will not go wrong choosing Malakisafaris to organize your trip
Kai H2022-11-06Great 7-day Safari in late October We had a fantastic trip with Malaki, visiting the National Parks of Arusha, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Central and North Serengeti. Excellent service, with plenty of water, cookies, plugs for camera and phones while the car was always clean (not easy given the dusty roads). Most importantly Malaki is a safe driver, excellent in spotting animals (we were alone in spotting a rhino, a lioness on the hunt and wildebeest crossing the Mara river) and knows the best spots to take pictures (he worked a few years for National Geographic). He knows most of the camps and their managers so that we could have our lunch box and a free tour in some of the most stunning places in the Serengeti and Tarangire. Furthermore, he is an interesting person with lots of knowledge of Tanzania and the animals you encounter, so I can fully recommend him if you want to organize a Safari in Tanzania.
kathy s2020-02-23My second tour with Malakisafaris Another amazing adventure in Africa with Malakisafaris. Once again, Malaki delivered with a great tour of Kenya and Masai Mara by Onesmu. Malaki was our second guide and didn't miss a beat. The animal behavior info and knowledge of culture and country makes for a robust adventure in an amazing country. THANK YOU!!!
Erin S2020-02-04masai mara the safari was more than I could have imagined. both Malaki and Onesmus were INCREDIBLE guides, with knowledge on any topic we asked them, We learned about the animals, the jungle, Kenyan culture, government and so much more. Onesmus was a great driver, with an amazing energy and laugh. It was clear that both Malaki and Osesmus love their job, love sharing their country and truly respect the animals.
Xavier2020-01-12No tourist traps - Malaki Safaris are exceptionally! Our family of four including a 9 and 6 year old went on a 6 day safari with Malaika. The whole experience was amazing. We were impressed by the guiding knowledge and absolutely blown-away with Malaikas ability to accommodate our kids. From a smaller height Jeep to allow kids views to a specialized itinerary was only the beginning. Malaika truly enjoys kids. We highly recommend Malaika Safaris.
Shukti N2019-11-27Ngoragora and Sarengeti The Safari experience was an unforgettable, fantastic and amazing journey. With a passionate, knowledgeable and experienced guide to educate us on the animals and their whereabouts made the tour phernorminal. 100% go again with Malachi. It was also a safe, fun and humourous trip!! Thank you!Toddle2019-06-20Amazing Malaki himself runs these tours. He’s top tier, does a first class experience. Go to the Legendary Lodge. Don’t go to Rhino lodge.