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5 Days Machame Route - Kilimanjaro Climbing Tour

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5 Days Machame Route

  • Duration

    5 Days

  • Activities

    Climbing, Hiking, Trekking

  • Group size

    No size limit

  • Location

    Kilimanjaro National Park

  • From Price

    $1,500 / person

Machame Overview

For those who only have five days to climb Kilimanjaro, the Machame route in its fastest form is the most direct option. It compresses the standard 6-day itinerary’s first two days into one long push from the gate to Shira Camp, then follows the same acclimatization profile from there. This route requires that a person is in genuinely good physical shape — the shorter timeline means less time for your body to adjust, so it carries a lower summit success rate than the 6-7 day versions.
Climb Kilimanjaro via the scenic Machame Route in a fast-paced 5 days. Best suited to fit, experienced trekkers. Expert local guides from Moshi, Tanzania.

What's Included

  • Airport pickup & drop-off at Kilimanjaro International Airport
  • Pre-climb and post-climb accommodations in Moshi
  • Park fees, camping fees, and rescue fees; all taxes included
  • Professional mountain guides, porters, and cooks
  • All meals while on the mountain (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
  • High-quality tents, sleeping mats, and trekking gear setup
  • Filtered drinking water throughout the trek
  • Fair wages for mountain crew approved by KINAPA & KIATO

What's Excluded

  • International flights to Tanzania
  • Tips for guides, porters, and cooks
  • Travel insurance and medical coverage
  • Laundry and personal expenses
  • Optional activities outside the itinerary

Tour Itinerary

Day 1 Machame Gate to Shira Camp

You will be driven from your hotel in Arusha/Moshi to the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Gate, passing through the village of Machame, located on the lower slopes of the mountain. As we leave the park gate behind, our walk starts through the rain forest on a winding trail up the ridge, then continues through increasingly sparse trees and bushes into moorland, finishing at Shira Camp on a small plateau with views of Kibo to the northeast and Mount Meru to the west. Compressing what's normally two separate days into one long day is what makes the 5-day itinerary faster, and also what makes it more physically demanding and lower-success than the 6-7 day versions — this route suits fit, experienced trekkers more than first-timers.

  • Distance: 16 km Hiking
  • Time: 9 - 13 hours
  • Habitat: Rain Forest to Moorland
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included.

Day 2 Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp

Today’s route turns east into a semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower. Lunch will be served in a designated area before ascending the rocky path to Lava Tower. After lunch you descent again to the Barranco camping area and after reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, you will feel actual benefit of acclimatization. This descent to Barranco camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall.

  • Distance: 10 km Hiking
  • Time: 6 - 8 hours
  • Habitat: Semi Desert
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included.

Day 3 Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp to Barafu camp

After breakfast, we take short scramble to the top of the Great Barranco and then a traverse over scree and ridges to the Karanga Valley, beneath the icefalls of the Heim, Kersten, and Decken Glaciers. After a short and well deserved break we leave Karanga and cross the junction that connects with the Mweka Trail, used for descend from the mountain later. From here we continue up to the Barafu Camp. Here we will rest, have dinner and prepare for the summit day. From Barafu you can enjoy the view of two volcanic cones Mawenzi and Kibo peaks, and that view is quite spectacular and you should not miss it.

  • Distance: 9 km Hiking
  • Time: 8 hours
  • Habitat: Alpine desert
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included.

Day 4 Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Hut

An early start for the ascent to the rim of the Kibo Crater between the Rebmann and Ratzel Glaciers. The last section before the rim can sometimes be snow-covered and an ice-axe or ski stick is useful for balance. At the rim we will reach Stella point, from where we have further hour to Uhuru Peak. After a short stop for taking photos we descend to the Barafu Hut for a rest and lunch before continuing on past Millenium camp down to Mweka Hut in the giant heather zone on the forest edge. Those with the strength left from the summit may wish to descend to the Reutsh Crater and visit the ice pinnacles of the Eastern Ice-fields. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.

  • Distance: 5 km ascent / 12 km descent
  • Time: 7-8 hours ascent / 4-6 hours descent
  • Habitat: Arctic
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Included.

Day 5 Mweka Camp to Moshi/Arusha

After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. From the gate, you continue another hour to Mweka Village. A vehicle will meet you at village to drive you back to hotel in Moshi or Arusha.

  • Distance: 10 km Hiking
  • Time: 3 - 4 hours
  • Habitat: Rain Forest
  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Included.


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