Machame Route (6 Days)
The Whiskey Route's full drama — rainforest to Uhuru Peak in six classic days.
Machame Route (6 Days)
The six-day Machame is the mountain's most popular itinerary for a reason: it compresses the Whiskey Route's famous variety — dripping rainforest, the Shira plateau, Lava Tower, the Barranco Wall and the summit beneath the southern icefields — into a single intense week. It is the trek most people picture when they picture Kilimanjaro. The structure follows the classic six-day profile: the long forest climb to Machame Camp, the ridgeline to Shira, then the route's great acclimatisation day — high to Lava Tower at 4,630 metres, down to sleep in the Barranco valley. The Barranco Wall follows at dawn, hands on rock with porters singing past, then the Karanga Valley crossing and the deliberate short day to Barafu before the midnight summit push. Stella Point meets the sunrise on the crater rim; the rim walk passes the Rebmann glacier to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 metres, and the descent drops to Mweka Camp and out through the rainforest to Mweka Gate. The honest arithmetic: six days gives a weaker acclimatisation margin than the seven-day Machame, and the summit rate reflects it — still strong, a step below. The Karanga night is this itinerary's compression point; the seven-day version splits it. Trekkers with the flexibility should give the mountain the extra day; those whose calendar is fixed will find the six-day Machame the strongest short itinerary on the southern side. Accommodation is camping throughout in private two-person tents with full crew support. Summit attempts are conducted according to weather, trail conditions, altitude considerations and the assessment of the mountain guide team.
- 01The greatest variety of scenery of any route on the mountain
- 02Rainforest to the Shira plateau in the first two days
- 03Lava Tower's climb-high, sleep-low acclimatisation day
- 04The Barranco Wall — a hands-on scramble at 4,000 metres
- 05Summit sunrise from Stella Point above the Rebmann glacier
The full line, day by day.
Click any day below to read the full story — every day carries its own photo, elevation and overnight details.
Day 1: Hotel to Machame Gate to Machame Camp
After breakfast at your Moshi hotel, the vehicle carries you to Machame Gate — the busiest trailhead on the mountain — where registration and park formalities are completed while the crew organises the loads. The first day climbs the whole rainforest belt in one sustained effort: a wet, wonderful, sometimes muddy track through giant figs, ferns and hanging moss, switchbacking up the escarpment with streams crossing the path. Colobus monkeys are often heard in the canopy; the forest's humidity is total. Lunch is served en route by the crew, and the guide keeps a steady, unhurried pace on the long grade. By late afternoon you reach Machame Camp, set on a small ridge at the forest's upper edge with views breaking through the trees toward the Shira plateau. Dinner in the dining tent, the first evening health check, and an early night — tomorrow the mountain begins to open up.
FROM THE LINE
The route in pictures.
Press any photo to open it full-screen.
THE FINE PRINT
What the price covers.
Clear terms, no surprises on the mountain or the plain — every trip is quoted privately, per departure.
In the price
- Airport pick-up and drop-off between Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) and Moshi
- Two nights of hotel accommodation in Moshi — one night before the trek and one night after the trek, or alternatively any two nights
- All Kilimanjaro National Park fees, including applicable taxes
- All meals and unlimited drinking water while on the mountain
- Private toilet tent — one toilet for every five climbers (not applicable on the Marangu Route, which uses the park huts' facilities)
- Salaries for mountain guides, assistant guides, cooks, and porters
- Transportation to and from the park gate
- Oxygen for altitude-related emergencies
- Complete camping equipment: mountain tents, tables and chairs, cooking equipment, dining tent, and sleeping mattresses
- Please note: sleeping bags are NOT included — sleeping bags can be arranged separately upon request
Not included
- Mandatory inbound travel insurance certificate
- International flights to and from Tanzania
- Tanzania visa fees
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal mountain climbing equipment and gear
- Alcoholic and other personal beverages
- Tips and gratuities for the mountain crew
- Personal expenses not mentioned under the inclusions
- Please note: sleeping bags are not included — available to arrange on request
WE SUPPLY, YOU PACK
Four-season sleeping bag (rentable — sleeping bags are not included) · Broken-in boots, gaiters, down parka for summit night · Headlamp with spare batteries, 2-litre water capacity · Duffel up to 15 kg — the porters' hard limit
OPTIONAL COMFORT & TREK ADD-ONS
Enhance your climb.
Add any of these to your booking — tell your trip planner which options you would like.
Private tent
$100 per trekA private tent option for guests who prefer additional privacy during the mountain experience.
Luxury mattress
$35 per climberA 3-inch-thick, 2.5-foot-wide mattress, compared with the standard 1.5-inch-thick, 2-foot-wide mattress.
High-profile tent
$40 per tentA higher-profile tent option providing additional space and comfort.
Required when using a camp cot — add it separately if you book a cot.
Camp cot
$150 per cotAn optional raised sleeping arrangement for additional comfort.
A high-profile tent is required when using a camp cot.
Hot water bottle
FREE upon requestAvailable to help keep the sleeping bag warm during cold mountain nights.
Day pack porter
$10 per dayAn optional porter service for guests who prefer additional assistance carrying their day pack.
Gamow bag
$300 per trekAn optional altitude-support equipment service.
Post-climb massage
$20 per half hourA post-trek recovery option available after completing the climb.
Post-trek laundry service
$10/kgSame-day laundry service is available.
Please note: Some optional add-ons may require additional porters during the trek. The salaries for any additional porters required because of these services are included in the applicable add-on price.
