Six day Hike by Machame route

6 days trekking Mount Kilimanjaro Tanzania by Machame route

$1695-1765 USD

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Safari summary

For those who only have six days to climb Kilimanjaro, the Machame route is the best choice because of its acclimatization profile. Compared to other six-day routes, the Machame route exposes the climber to higher elevations quicker (day three) which kickstarts the body’s adaptation to altitude. However, this route requires that a person be in good shape to be able to tackle the challenging elevation gains and losses.

The six-day Machame variation is a difficult route. In particular, day four combined with day five makes for a very hard schedule. Day four is a full day of hiking from Barranco to Barafu. Then after dinner and a partial night’s sleep, the very long and strenuous summit day begins around midnight. The 6-day Machame route requires 19-24 hours of demanding walking, at extremely high elevations, with only 4-6 hours of sleep.

About this tour

	Tour type	Custom, tailor-made, private
	Main focus	Hiking \| trekking
	Activity level	Strenuous activity
	Best months	January, February, March, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
	Countries	Tanzania
	Parks	Kilimanjaro

What’s included?

Accommodation
Airport transfers
All drinks
Meals
Park fees

What’s not included?

Alcoholic beverages
Hot air balloons
Internal flights
International flights
Laundry
Premium alcoholic beverages
Private vehicle and driver
Spa treatments
Tips and gratuities
Visas

Itinerary

Day one Machame Gate-Machame Camp

Kilimanjaro

Elevation (ft): 5,400ft to 9,400ft •Distance: 11 km •Hiking Time: 5-7 hours •Habitat: Rain Forest The drive from Moshi to the Machame Gate takes 50 minutes. We now leave the park gate and walk through the rainforest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters and trekking poles are a good idea here. We continue a short distance until we reach the Machame Camp.

Camping

Day two Machame Camp to Shira Camp

Kilimanjaro

Elevation (ft): 9,400ft to 12,500ft •Distance: 5 km •Hiking Time: 4-6 hours •Habitat: Moorland After breakfast, we leave the glades of the rainforest and continue on an ascending path, crossing the little valley and 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.

Camping

Day three Shira Camp - Lava Tower

Kilimanjaro

Elevation (ft): 12,500ft to 13,000ft •Distance: 10 km •Hiking Time: 6-8 hours •Habitat: Semi Desert We continue, and our direction changes to the southeast 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 at an altitude of 16,000ft. We now continue down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 13,000ft.

Camping

Day four Barranco Camp - Karanga C

Kilimanjaro

Elevation (ft): 13,000ft to 15,000ft •Distance: 9km •Hiking Time: 8-10 hours •Habitat: Alpine Desert After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga Valley campsite. Then, we leave Karanga and hit the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the Barafu Hut. At this point, you have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit.

Camping

Day Five Barafu Camp to Summit - M

Kilimanjaro

Elevation (ft): 15,300ft to 19,345ft (and down to 10,000ft) •Distance: 5 km ascent / 12 km descent •Hiking Time: 7-8 hours ascent / 4-6 hours descent •Habitat: Arctic Very early in the morning (midnight to 2 am), we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You head in a northwesterly 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.

Camping

Day six Mweka Camp to Moshi

Kilimanjaro

•Elevation (ft): 10,000ft to 5,400ft •Distance: 10 km •Hiking Time: 3-4 hours •Habitat: Rain Forest After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts & T-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy). When you arrive at the gate you will find a vehicle waiting for you and you will drive back to the hotel

Lodge

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