6 Days Machame Route Kilimanjaro Climb: Summit with Local Guides

Six days of steady climbing through forest, moorland and alpine desert to stand at Africa's highest point

The 6-day Machame route trek on Mount Kilimanjaro starts with hotel pickup and a 7-hour hike through tropical forest to Machame Camp, then climbs through moorland and alpine desert across five camps before a pre-dawn push from Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 meters. The route descends the same day to Millennium Camp and finishes at Mweka Gate, where you collect your summit certificate. Local guides speak English, Spanish, French or German. All meals, oxygen, first aid kit and mountain equipment are included throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Machame Gate to Machame Camp

• Breakfast at hotel
• Transfer to Machame gate
• Complete park registration
• Hike through tropical rainforest
• Have picnic lunch on route
• Arrive at Machame camp
• Dinner and overnight at camp

Day 2: Machame Camp to Shira Cave Camp

• Breakfast at camp
• Start hiking at 8:00 am
• Climb to top of forest
• Hike through moorland zone
• Take short lunch break
• Continue to Shira plateau
• Arrive at Shira Cave camp
• Dinner and overnight at camp

Day 3: Shira Cave Camp to Baranco Camp

• Breakfast at camp
• Hike to lava tower
• Descend to Baranco camp
• Enjoy sunset at camp
• Dinner and overnight at camp

Day 4: Barranco Camp to Barafu Camp

• Breakfast at camp
• Climb Barranco wall
• Stop for lunch at Karanga camp
• Hike to Barafu camp
• Dinner and overnight at camp

Day 5: Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak and Millennium Camp

• Wake up at midnight
• Have light tea and cookies
• Climb scree to Stella point
• Reach Uhuru peak and take photos
• Descend to Barafu camp for lunch
• Continue descent to Millennium camp
• Dinner and overnight at camp

Day 6: Millennium Camp to Mweka Gate

• Breakfast at camp
• Descend to Mweka gate
• Complete park formalities
• Collect certificates
• Transfer to hotel
• Celebrate and rest

The experience

You start at your hotel with pickup around 8:00 am and drive to Machame Gate, passing coffee and banana plantations grown by local Chagga people. After park registration, the first day's hike climbs 11 kilometers through tropical rainforest to Machame Camp at 2,835 meters: about 7 hours with a picnic lunch on the route. Meals and overnight accommodation are arranged at each camp, so the logistics of feeding a climbing party and managing water stops belong to the guides and porters, not to you.

Days two through four move you higher and test acclimatization: a 3-hour push to Shira Cave Camp at 3,750 meters, then a longer day that climbs to the lava tower at 4,600 meters before dropping to Barranco Camp at 3,900 meters. A descent that gives your body time to adjust while you gain altitude. The fourth day tackles the Barranco wall, a long rocky climb over 8 hours that leads to Barafu Camp at 4,640 meters, your staging point for the summit. Each camp provides breakfast, lunch and dinner. Oxygen and an oximeter travel with you in case of altitude stress.

The summit day starts at midnight with light tea and cookies, then a 4- to 5-hour scree climb in darkness to Stella Point on the crater rim at 5,756 meters, timed to arrive as sunrise hits. From there, one more hour reaches Uhuru Peak at 5,895 meters: the highest point in Africa. You spend a few minutes at the summit, then descend to Barafu Camp for lunch and rest before walking down to Millennium Camp for the night. The final morning is a 5-hour descent through moorland and forest to Mweka Gate, where park formalities are complete and you receive your summit certificate. A private car returns you to your hotel for a warm shower and the chance to rest after 6 days on the mountain.

What’s included

• Private hotel pickup and return transfer.
• all meals throughout the 6 days (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
• oxygen and oximeter for altitude monitoring.
• first aid kit and mountain equipment.
• local guide fluent in English, Spanish, French or German.
• park fees and taxes.
• summit certificate upon completion at Mweka Gate.

Information

Lasts 6d, runs every day with no fixed time, from US$ 1,900 per person, with a live guide in English, Spanish, French and German, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate4 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and GermanOther languages ›

Audio guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

AgesAdult (17 to 90 years) · Under 17: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats availableNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Habari Adventure

Is this one for you?This trek is built for climbers with moderate fitness who want the most scenic route up Kilimanjaro and can commit to 6 days of steady hiking. The local guides handle all logistics (meals, water, camp setup, safety), so you focus on the climb itself, and the acclimatization schedule gives your body the best chance to reach the summit without rushing.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and German.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Machame route and how does it compare to other ways up Kilimanjaro?

The Machame route is one of the most popular paths on Mount Kilimanjaro, known for passing through diverse habitats (tropical forest, moorland, alpine desert and the crater rim), and for offering good acclimatization by climbing high and sleeping lower before the final summit push. It takes 6 days and covers roughly 40 kilometers total, with the descent built into the same day as the summit.

How much climbing and hiking happens each day?

Day one is 7 hours over 11 kilometers; day two is 3 hours over 5 kilometers; day three is 6 hours over 10 kilometers; day four is 8 hours over 8 kilometers; day five is 12 to 15 hours covering 15 kilometers (the summit day, starting at midnight); day six is 5 hours over 14 kilometers to the gate. The fifth day is the longest and most demanding.

What is included in the price, and what do I need to bring myself?

Included are private transportation to and from your hotel, all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner each day), oxygen and an oximeter, first aid kit, and all mountain equipment needed for the climb. Flights, entry visas, tips to the mountain crew and items of personal nature (toiletries, clothing, personal medications) are not included and are your responsibility.

When do I get picked up, and how does the first day work?

Hotel pickup happens around 8:00 am on day one. You drive to Machame Gate, complete park registration, then begin the 7-hour hike through tropical forest to Machame Camp at 2,835 meters, with a picnic lunch on the route. Breakfast is provided before pickup. Lunch and dinner are included at camp.