Kilimanjaro Machame Route: 6-Day Summit Trek from Moshi

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Six Days on the Machame Route: Tent Camping & Porters Carry Everything

You hike six days from Moshi to Uhuru Peak on Mount Kilimanjaro's Machame Route, sleeping in tents that porters pitch for you each night. A cook prepares all meals, guides lead the way, and porters carry your gear—you carry only a day pack. The route crosses the Shira plateau, climbs past Lava Tower, descends to Barranco Camp for acclimatization, then ascends to the summit in darkness. You return to Moshi with a green or gold certificate depending on whether you reached Stella Point or the peak itself, plus two hotel nights and airport transfers included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Start climb from Machame Gate

Briefing and breakfast in Moshi
Drive 45 minutes to Machame village
Pack supplies and equipment
Walk or drive to Machame Gate
Register at gate office
Start ascent through rainforest
Receive lunch pack at gate
Hike to Machame camp
Porters boil water and cook dinner
Rest overnight in tents

Day 2 — Hike from Machame to Shira Camp

Breakfast at Machame camp
Climb out of forest to moorland
Hike through moorland zone
Lunch and rest break
Climb rocky ridge to Shira plateau
Reach Shira camp
Porters boil water and prepare dinner
Overnight at Shira camp

Day 3 — Ascend Lava Tower, descend to Barranco

Breakfast at Shira camp
Hike to Lava Tower
Lunch at Lava Tower
Descend to Barranco camp
Enjoy sunset at Barranco Wall
Dinner and overnight at Barranco camp

Day 4 — Trek to Barafu Camp via Karanga Valley

Breakfast at Barranco camp
Hike to Karanga Valley
Continue to Barafu camp
Prepare gear for summit attempt
Early dinner and rest at Barafu camp

Day 5 — Summit Uhuru Peak and descend

Wake at 23:30 for summit attempt
Ascend to Stella Point
Watch sunrise at Stella Point
Climb to Uhuru Peak
Descend to Barafu camp
Rest briefly at Barafu camp
Descend to Mweka camp
Dinner and overnight at Mweka camp

Day 6 — Descend to Mweka Gate and Moshi

Breakfast at Mweka camp
Hike down to Mweka Gate
Walk to Mweka village
Drive to Springlands Hotel
Enjoy hot lunch
Drive back to Moshi
Overnight at Springlands Hotel

The Experience

"How much of this are we actually carrying ourselves?" That question gets asked on the first morning at Machame Gate, and the answer is the whole point of this climb. You carry a day pack with water and a jacket. Everything else—your tent, sleeping bag, cooking gear, food for six days—goes on the porters' backs. A cook travels with your group and prepares breakfast, lunch and dinner in a mess tent or on a blanket outside. This is the Machame Route, the one people call the Whiskey Route because it's built for hikers who want the mountain without the logistics. You start from Moshi at 910 meters, drive 45 minutes to Machame village, then walk or drive the last stretch to the gate at 1,490 meters. The first day is seven hours through rainforest, muddy and slippery if it rains, and you sleep in a tent the porters pitch for you at Machame Camp.

The route climbs east across the Shira plateau, where you'll see Kibo's glaciers for the first time, then turns toward Lava Tower—the toughest day, seven hours of rocky scree at 4,630 meters where altitude starts to bite. That's when the headaches and breathlessness show up for some climbers. After Lava Tower you drop 680 meters to Barranco Camp in a valley below the Great Barranco Wall, and that descent is the acclimatization trick that makes the Machame Route work. The wall itself is a misty, dramatic thing that rewards you with a sunset while the cook prepares dinner. From Barranco, the route climbs to Karanga Valley and then Barafu Camp at 4,550 meters, where you'll rest for a few hours before the summit push starts around 11:30 p.m.

The final ascent takes eight hours in darkness, moving through heavy scree toward Stella Point on the crater rim. That six-hour walk is the hardest part—mentally and physically—for most climbers. At Stella Point you stop for a rest and watch the sunrise, then continue two more hours through snow to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 meters. The time you spend on the summit depends on weather and how you're feeling; guides push you not to linger because the cold and fatigue make it hard to start moving again. The descent takes seven to eight hours back down to Mweka Camp, where you sleep one last night on the mountain. The final morning is a three-hour walk down to Mweka Gate through forest, then a muddy hour into Mweka village. You drive back to Moshi, get a hot lunch at Springlands Hotel, and that night you're in a real bed with a hot shower. Climbers who reached Stella Point get a green certificate; those who summited get gold.

The whole climb is six days and five nights on the mountain. Porters carry your tent, sleeping mat, all food and cooking equipment. A guide leads the way, a cook prepares meals, and a waiter serves them. You get boiled water for drinking and washing each evening. Guides, porters and crew sleep in their own tents nearby. Two nights at Springlands Hotel in Moshi—one before you start, one after you finish—are included, along with airport transfers to and from Kilimanjaro International Airport. National park fees, rescue fees, first aid kit and pulse oximeters are all covered. The only things you need to bring are personal gear, medications, and a moderate level of fitness; this route rewards hikers who train beforehand and take altitude seriously.

What’s included

All meals on the mountain (breakfast, lunch and dinner), guides and porters, tent and sleeping mat, mess tent and dining equipment, boiled water, first aid kit and pulse oximeters, national park entry fees and rescue fees, return airport transfers to Kilimanjaro International Airport, two nights accommodation at Springlands Hotel in Moshi before and after the climb, and summit certificates for those who reach Stella Point or Uhuru Peak.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by ZARA TOURS

Is this one for you?This climb suits hikers who want to reach high altitude without managing their own logistics—porters carry everything, a cook handles meals, and guides lead the route. The six-day schedule and tent camping make it more demanding than hut-based routes, but the included support and acclimatization stops are what make the summit achievable for climbers with moderate fitness and proper training.