9 Days Climbing Kilimanjaro expedition, Machame route in 6 days

The Machame route was voted as the most beautiful climbing route in the world! This is due to the stunning views of Mount Meru, the impressive ascent along the Barranco wall and other highlights you see. The route has also well-maintained hiking trails. You can also see more of Kilimanjaro, because the Machame route takes a different route to the summit than for the descent.

The ascent via the Machame route takes a total of six days, but is also possible in seven days so that your body can acclimatize properly. We recommend this extra day as it increases your chances to reach the summit. In this case, you would take an extra day to hike from Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp and day five of this route will correspond with day five and six of the Lemosho route.

During this trip to the top of Kilimanjaro via the Machame route you sleep in our high quality tents. You are accompanied by professional guides, porters and a cook. They check on your health every morning and evening with special equipment. Our chefs will prepare delicious mountain food for you, as this also increases your chance to summit. Feel free to ask us for the menu – we happily send it to you. When you request a quote from us for climbing Kilimanjaro via Machame route, you will also receive a number of informative documents to help you prepare.

Price information…please contact us:

Day 1: Arrival Kilimanjaro airport

Upon your arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, our driver will transfer you to the hotel. Settle in and take time to relax and to get used to the African atmosphere. It is possible to book an extra day of rest prior to start of the climb, to give you ample time to acclimatise and recover from the flight. This extra day increases your chances of reaching the summit.

Day 2: Machame Gate (1,800 m/ 5,905 ft) – Machame Camp (3,000m/ 9,840 ft)

Elevation gain: 1200 m/ 3,937 ft | Distance: 5 km. | Hiking time: 5-6 hours | Difficulty: Medium | Environment: Rainforest

Our guide will pick you up from the hotel in the morning and take you to Machame Gate, where your ascent begins! Today the route leads you through a beautiful undisturbed tropical rainforest. The climate is humid on this side of the mountain, which is why nature thrives and it is very green. After five to six hours of hiking you will reach Machame Camp on the edge of the forest area with heath zone.

This is your first day at this altitude, so it is recommended that you follow the instructions below from now on:

Drink as much water as possible
Take a Diamox tablet if you experience symptoms of altitude sickness

Day 3: Machame Camp (3,000m/ 9,843 ft) to Shira Camp (3,840m/ 12,600 ft)

Elevation gain: 840 m/ 2,723 ft | Distance: 5 km. | Hiking time: 4-5 hours | Difficulty: easy| Environment: moorland

Today you will start with another nice climb that is a little steeper, but quickly rewards you with a stunning view. Keep in mind the increase of altitude and more importantly, walk at the right pace. Our experienced guides will assist you with that. The first part of the hike leads to a small circular cliff known as the picnic rock. Here you can enjoy stunning views of Kibo (a peak of Kilimanjaro) and Shira (one of the other volcanic peaks). From the picnic rock you hike on to Shira Camp via a beautiful route. Here you will have lunch and afterwards you can take an acclimatization walk towards the Lava Tower (to an altitude of 4120 meters and a distance of 2 km).

Note: The acclimatization walk is an easy hike with a slight rise in altitude. This will accelerate the acclimatization process. The acclimatization hikes are very important, as they increase your chances to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro and reduce the chance of altitude sickness.

Day 4: Shira Camp (3,840 m/ 12,600 ft) – Lava Tower (4630 m/ 15,190 ft) – Barranco Camp (3,960 m/ 12,960 ft)

Today’s hike leads from Shira Camp to the beautiful Lava Tower. This part of the climb has many ascents and descents and offers beautiful views along the way. It is a longer hike and you might feel a bit uncomfortable due to the increased altitude. It is therefore important to remain at Lava Tower for one to two hours in order for your body to acclimatize. Therefore lunch will be taken here. After lunch, you descend to Barranco Camp. Here you will encounter strange looking flowering plants that grow up to five meters high! Barranco Camp is located at the foot of the imposing Barranco Wall, which is impressive in both its sheer size and steepness. Fortunately, the path leading to it is not that difficult.

Option: If there are participants who prefer to choose a lower altitude route than that of the Lava Tower, it can be adapted to a route with a maximum height of 4400 meters.

Day 5: Barranco Camp (3,960 m/12,631 ft) to Barafu Camp (4,640 m/15,223 ft)

Elevation gain: 680 m/ 2,231 ft | Distance: 11 km | Hiking time: 8-10 hours | Difficulty: difficult| Environment: alpine desert

After breakfast you depart Barranco Camp and hike towards Barranco Wall. This route is challenging but enjoyable and for many people their favourite part of the climb due to the stunning views. Once you reach the top of the Barranco wall, you have a spectacular view of the Kibo volcano to your left and to the right of the distant Mount Meru. Now a more difficult hike starts towards Karanga Camp, this route has many ascents and descents, but our guides are experts in choosing the right route and the pace for you. Barafu Camp is the last camp before the summit, where you will be served a hot meal. Make sure to take the time to relax and sleep, because around midnight you start your final ascent to the summit!

Day 6: Barafu Camp (4,640 m/ 15,223 ft) – Uhuru Peak (5,895 m/ 19,340 ft) to Millennium Camp (3,820 m/ 12,532 ft)

Tonight you depart from Barafu Camp to ascent to the top of Kilimanjaro (Uhuru Peak)! The climb leads over good trails, the most challenging part is the high altitude. There is 1 personal guide per 2 climbers in order to closely monitor the climbers’ physically and mentally wellbeing.

Once you reach the summit you can enjoy a beautiful sunrise, which is quite impressive at this height! After a small party at the top, you can descend to the nearest glacier if you wish. You return to Barafu Camp and start the descent to Millennium Camp after two hours of rest. When descending pay close attention to where you step in order to prevent an injury.

Day 7: Millennium Camp (3,820 m/ 12,532 ft) – Mweka Gate (1,650 m/ 5,413 ft)

Elevation loss: 2170 m/ 7,119 ft | Distance: 12 km | Hiking time: 4-5 hours | Difficulty: easy| Environment: rainforest

The Millenium camp is located in a tropical rainforest. When you wake up, you will experience a pleasant feeling due to the reduction in altitude and the satisfaction of reaching the summit. After breakfast you go to the park exit. After the descent the whole group comes together to congratulate each other.

The hotel is not included in the price. We are happy to help you choose a hotel according to your wishes.

Day 8-9: to Kilimanjaro airport

Today you can relax at the lodge or explore the surrounding area. You can choose to extend your journey with a Sir Tours Safari. Another option is to unwind on the tropical Zanzibar Island or one of the other exotic beach destinations. If you choose to fly home after your Kilimanjaro trek, you will arrive back home on day 9.

How fit do you need to be to climb Kilimanjaro via the Machame route?

Climbing Kilimanjaro is a real challenge due to the altitude, rate of ascent and different temperatures. During an average climbing day you will walk 6-7 hours per day. If you are healthy and fit it is absolutely within reach. There are many things you can do to increase your chances to reach the summit and to make sure you enjoy the trek. It’s important you take your time. Don’t hike too fast so your body has time to adapt and acclimatize. Being in good shape also makes the climb much easier. Go hiking a few months before the climb, especially multiple day hikes are excellent training. But also running and aerobic exercise are a good preparation. It is always difficult to predict who will be affected by altitude sickness. Fortunately the Machame route offers good opportunities to ‘walk high and sleep low’ which is essential to avoid altitude sickness. This route has a gradual ascend and the trails are pretty good. Not many people experience altitude sickness on this route to the summit.

By adding 1 extra day to your climb, you will reduce the chance to get altitude sickness. Because you spread the climb over more days and your body gets more time to get used to the higher altitude. We do really advice to do this to increase the chance of making it to the top.

The costs of this extra day you may ask.

If you like advice on how to prepare yourself for climbing Kilimanjaro, you can always contact us or read our blog Sir Tour How to prepare for climbing Kilimanjaro?