- 7 Days
- 6 Nights
Machame Route
Sketch
Mandara Hut, Horombo Hut, Kibo Hut, Uhuru Peak
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Machame Gate to Machame Camp
Your seven-day Machame Route adventure begins when you leave Moshi’s tropical warmth behind and drive to Machame Gate at 1,790 m. After park registration and a safety briefing, you step into a cathedral of camphor and cedar trees, the Montane Rainforest alive with chirping turacos and darting colobus monkeys.
The soft trail undulates through moss-draped boulders and across crystal-clear streams, each crossing an opportunity for an Instagram-worthy shot of your Kilimanjaro trekking expedition. By late afternoon, you’ll emerge at Machame Camp (2,835 m), nestled beneath Kibo’s crags, where a three-course dinner and the evaporating steam of hot tea mark your first night under the mountain’s spell.
Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira 1 Camp
After an energizing breakfast, you leave the rainforest’s emerald embrace for the Heather and Moorland Zone. Giant lobelias punctuate the trail like sentinels, their spiky crowns reaching skyward as the canopy opens to reveal the vast Shira Plateau ahead. Each bend brings wider vistas: undulating grasslands, distant glacier patterns, and the looming silhouette of Kibo’s icy summit cone.
Your 5 km journey in 4–5 hours culminates at Shira 1 Camp (3,505 m), where sunset floods the grassy plain with rose-gold light. Here, you savor an evening tea by candlelight, lungs already whispering thanks for this gentle acclimatization day that primes you for the high-altitude challenges ahead.
Day 3: Shira 1 Camp to Shira 2 Camp
Today’s short, scenic 4 km trek across the alpine fringe is all about optimal altitude management. As you step from Shira 1 to Shira 2 Camp (3,845 m), you traverse ancient lava flows and dramatic rock outcrops known as the Lent Hills.
The trail’s gentle gradient offers spectacular “plateau trekking” panoramas, where swirling mists sometimes sweep across your path, lending an otherworldly mood to your high-altitude journey. By mid-morning you arrive at Shira 2, affording extra rest among the silent giants of giant groundsel—an invaluable buffer against altitude sickness and a highlight for any summit-success blog post.
Day 4: Shira 2 Camp to Barranco Camp via Lava Tower
Embracing the “climb high, sleep low” strategy, you ascend to Lava Tower (4,630 m), a spectacular volcanic plug streaked with mineral veins. This 6–7-hour day tests your endurance as you gain nearly 800 m, but the panoramic lunch stop at the Tower’s base rewards you with sweeping views of Kibo’s glaciers.
In the afternoon, you descend 680 m through heather and scrub to Barranco Camp (3,950 m), nestled in a natural amphitheater. The descent not only soothes your acclimatization process but also offers dramatic crater-rim vistas you’ll want to feature in your “seven-day Machame route” photo gallery.
Day 5: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
After breakfast under a crisp blue sky, you tackle the famed Barranco Wall scramble—100 m of non-technical rock ledges that feel more like an alpine adventure than a mountain trail. Each step brings invigorating views of Kibo’s summit glacier as you crest the Wall.
The path then winds through the Alpine Desert Zone, revealing stark lunar landscapes and whispering winds. By early afternoon, you arrive at Karanga Camp (4,035 m), a highland saddle strategically placed for your final summit staging. Here, you rest and refuel, mentally rehearsing the midnight push as twilight deepens around you.
Day 6: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
Today’s 4 km climb may be short, but it’s pivotal. You leave Karanga behind and follow a rocky corridor past glacial moraine, steadily gaining altitude until Barafu Camp (4,640 m) emerges like an oasis on a moonscape. The barren scree and ice-tipped horizon set the stage for your summit attempt, and you’ll spend the afternoon carefully layering up, sipping warm soup, and resting your legs.
With dinner served by lantern light and lights-out by 7 pm, you settle into your sleeping bag—every breath a reminder that tomorrow’s nighttime ascent will etch itself into your memory forever.
Day 7: Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp
In the stillness before midnight, you rise for the ultimate push: a 6 km uphill climb to Gilman’s Point (5,685 m) and then the final 1 km to Uhuru Peak (5,895 m). Under a canopy of stars, every careful step on scree brings you closer to Africa’s rooftop; dawn unveils a sea of clouds beneath you and the sun’s first rays kissing the icy rim.
After summit triumph and sunrise photos, you descend 16 km—first back to Barafu for a quick brunch, then through heath and rainforest to Mweka Camp (3,100 m). Here, amid the forest’s gentle chorus, you share a celebratory meal with your crew, already reminiscing about your successful Kilimanjaro trekking adventure and looking forward to the certificate ceremony at Mweka Gate the next morning.
BOOK THIS TOUR NOW
Includes
- Full Board Accommodation for 5 nights on safari incl. breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Unlimited Mileage with excellent 4x4 Safari Vehicle with professional English-Speaking driver guide
- Park Entry Fee for all National Park mentioned on the itinerary
- Mineral Water in the Safari Vehicle for 6 days
- Activities, Morning walk at Lake Burunge, Manyara Treetop walk away and Olduvai Gorge visit
Excludes
- All items of personal nature e.g. telephone call bills, fax/email bills etc.
- Visa and Drones
- Tips and gratuities to hotel, lodges, camp staff and driver- guide(s).
- International flight and departure taxes.
- Laundry services.
- Any other item of personal nature.
Related Trekking Route
Marangu Route Trekking
known as the “Coca-Cola Route,”is a popular route on Mount Kilimanjaro
Machame Route Trekking
also known as the “Whiskey Route”,is a popular, yet challenging, trekking route
