6 Days Kilimanjaro Trekking - Machame Route

Day one: Machame Village to Machame Hut - When driving from Moshi to the gate, you will see coffee and banana plantations which are food and cash crops grown by locals.

Day two: Machame Hut to Shira Camp - We leave the glades of the rain forest and continue 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 three: Lava Tower to Baranco - 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. We now continue down to the Barranco Hut. 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 four: Barafu Camp - After breakfast, we leave Baranco and continue on a steep ridge up the Barranco Wall, through the Karanga Valley, and the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the Barafu Hut. 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. 

Day five: Barafu to Mweka - Very early in the morning, we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You head in a north-westerly 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, you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see. From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all the 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. It can be very cold at night at these elevations, but it will be quite warm by the end of the hiking day. You will want clothing for both extremes with you. From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka.

Day six: Mweka Gate to Moshi Town - After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive 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, continue another hour to Mweka Village. A vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive you back to your hotel in Moshi or Arusha.